< Science of Diamonds / Colored Diamonds
The Pumpkin Diamond: The Most Famous Orange Diamond in the World
From a mysterious rough diamond to a Halloween Eve bidding war and a history-making Oscars moment, the Pumpkin Diamond has become a legend of fall folklore.
Updated: October 16, 2025
Written by: Grant Mobley
Every year, as October settles in and the world turns to wonderful shades of copper, a particular diamond comes back into the collective imagination of those who love rarity, romance, and a good jewelry legend. Its name? The Pumpkin Diamond: a gemstone so perfectly autumnal that it feels almost mythical, like a jewel conjured straight from a Halloween tale.
While other famous diamonds draw attention for their size, scandal, or history, the Pumpkin Diamond captivates for something far more poetic: its color, a deep, saturated Fancy Vivid Orange that glows like an ember captured in crystal. When pure orange diamonds are among the rarest natural colored diamonds in existence, the Pumpkin Diamond stands as one of the finest ever discovered.
Meet the Expert
- Grant Mobley is the Jewelry & Watch Editor of Only Natural Diamonds.
- He is a GIA Diamonds Graduate.
- He has over 17 years of jewelry industry experience, starting with growing up in his family’s retail jewelry stores.
The Pumpkin Diamond: A Rough Gem with Untapped Potential
The story begins in 1997, when miners in the Central African Republic uncovered an 11-carat brownish-orange rough diamond. To an untrained eye, it may not have warranted a second look. But to master diamond cutter William Goldberg, it held a whisper of something extraordinary. Goldberg had an uncanny instinct for color, and he saw not just what the stone was, but what it could become.
Cutting any colored diamond is a gamble, especially one that sits in the delicate border between brown and orange. The perfect cut can enhance the color, and the stone’s value multiplies. But one wrong angle or misplaced facet and the potential disappears forever. With that risk in mind, Goldberg began the transformation, working to reveal the purest possible hue from deep within the stone.
When the cutting was complete, the result exceeded even his expectations: a 5.54-carat Fancy Vivid Orange diamond with exceptional saturation and fire. At the time, the Gemological Institute of America declared, “The Pumpkin Diamond is one of the largest fancy vivid orange, naturally colored diamonds in the world.”
How the Pumpkin Diamond Got Its Name: A Halloween Legend Is Born
Just after its transformation, the diamond went to auction at Sotheby’s on October 30, 1997, Halloween Eve. One of the bidders was Ronald Winston, heir to the legendary New York jeweler Harry Winston. As luck would have it, Mr. Winston won the auction for just over $1.3 million. Clearly inspired by the stone’s fiery hue, cushion shape, and the timing of the sale, he christened it The Pumpkin Diamond. The name stuck instantly, and in an industry where names often feel regal or dramatic, this one felt charming and unforgettable.
Winston later set the diamond into a classic three-stone platinum ring, flanked by two crescent-shaped colorless diamonds. The simplicity of the setting allowed the orange diamond to take center stage, glowing like a jewel plucked from the heart of Fall.
The Pumpkin Diamond’s Red Carpet Moment Is Etched in History
The Pumpkin Diamond achieved further cultural immortality in 2002, when Halle Berry wore the ring to the 74th Academy Awards. That night, she made history as the first Black woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress for her heartbreaking performance in Monster’s Ball. As she stood at the podium giving her iconic speech, the Pumpkin Diamond flashed in the spotlight and became a symbol of triumph, beauty, and rarity.
The Smithsonian’s Splendor of Diamonds Exhibition
In 2003, the Smithsonian Institution requested the Pumpkin Diamond for its landmark exhibition “The Splendor of Diamonds.” Displayed alongside icons like the Hope Diamond and the De Beers Millennium Star, the Pumpkin Diamond held its own, not by size, but by presence. It was the only orange diamond in the exhibit, glowing like a flame among cooler-hued legends. Visitors spoke of it as a piece of art.
After the exhibition, it vanished back into private hands. Reports suggest it was later acquired by a private collector in 2005, possibly from Indonesia, though its current whereabouts remain unconfirmed. And just like that, it became a jewelry world ghost story: seen once, remembered forever.
How the Pumpkin Diamond Sparked a New Obsession
For years, the Pumpkin Diamond held the title of the world’s largest Fancy Vivid Orange diamond. That record held until 2013, when Christie’s unveiled “The Orange,” a 14.82-carat Vivid Orange diamond that sold for over $35 million. But even then, collectors and historians continue to speak of the Pumpkin Diamond with particular affection. Where “The Orange” dazzled, The Pumpkin charmed.
It wasn’t just a gemstone; it was a moment: A diamond auctioned on Halloween. A vivid orange hue, almost too perfect to be real. A Hollywood appearance linked to a milestone in film history. Its story reads like folklore, passed around among collectors each October like a whispered legend.
The Pumpkin Diamond Is a Jewel Fit for the Halloween Season
Now, every Fall, as the world changes color and we rewatch our favorite Halloween movies, jewelry lovers remember the Pumpkin Diamond. The rarest shade of orange nature ever allowed us to see. It reminds us that diamonds are more than just gems; they are stories. And some stories, like Halloween, are meant to return year after year.
