The most expensive cufflinks in the world carry a price tag of about $4.2 million: a Jacob & Co. pair built around emerald-cut canary diamonds, priced at $4,195,000 when it was launched. That is an asking price, though, not a sale. The most expensive cufflinks with a documented price in the real world are far cheaper: a Cartier pair made for King Edward VIII is valued at about $400,000 and sits in a private collection, and the priciest auction results we could verify sit in the tens of thousands of dollars. This list ranks ten pairs, as of October 2026, and tells you for each whether the number is a sale, a valuation or a sticker.
Cufflinks are a small market. Unlike watches, nobody has built a record-breaking auction around them, and many of the headline numbers are brand price tags. We have kept those, clearly labelled, because they are what people search for, and ranked the real sales next to them.
| Rank | Cufflinks | Price (USD) | What the number is |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacob & Co. emerald-cut canary diamond octagon | $4.2 million | Asking price |
| 2 | Cartier Hold Tight, made for King Edward VIII | About $400,000 | Valuation |
| 3 | Fabergé pair (record for the maker, per a TV feature) | $200,000 | Reported sale |
| 4 | Casey Stengel’s cufflinks | $72,000 | Reported sale |
| 5 | Cartier Art Deco emerald and diamond, about 1930 | $42,979 | Christie’s sale |
| 6 | Arfaq V2, bought by Michael Jackson | $39,750 | Private sale, 1996 |
| 7 | Alexander Calder design | $33,000 | Reported auction |
| 8 | Cartier Diamond Dragon, 1960s | $29,000 | Dealer asking price |
| 9 | Cartier Panthère onyx and diamond, 2000s | $27,500 | Dealer asking price |
| 10 | Cartier Panthère full pavé diamond and emerald | $18,000 | Online auction sale |
1. Jacob & Co. emerald-cut canary diamond octagon: $4.2 million
The jeweller’s headline pair has a central emerald-cut canary diamond of about 10.8 carats, ringed by shard-cut stones. Reported totals run past 20 carats of canary diamonds and more than 10 carats of white diamonds, set in 18k white gold, with a diamond whale flip-back closure. The figure comes up in coverage from around 2012 as $4,195,000. We found no record of a pair ever selling at that level, so we rank it as what it is: the highest price anyone has put on a pair of cufflinks.
2. Cartier Hold Tight, King Edward VIII: about $400,000
Cartier made these sapphire and diamond links for the future Edward VIII, who reportedly wore them. They are described as being in the hands of the businessman Wafic Saïd and may not be for sale at all. The $400,000 is a valuation, so we treat it as our upper bound for what a royal provenance adds to a pair of cufflinks. The number comes from a single published valuation.
3. Fabergé pair: $200,000
A television feature on the cufflink trade called a Fabergé pair a record for the maker at $200,000. The report did not give the house or the date, so we hedge it: reported in 2017. Fabergé made enamel and gem-set links for the Russian court, and the best of them are treated as miniature works of art. The cheaper end shows up at regional sales: an imperial Russian pair designed for Fabergé by August Hollming realised £11,700 at one auction, almost four times its top estimate, thanks to condition.
4. Casey Stengel’s cufflinks: $72,000
The baseball manager’s links reportedly fetched $72,000, which tells you a famous name can matter more than diamonds. Again, the sale date and house are not stated in the report we found, so we flag it as reported.
5. Cartier Art Deco emerald and diamond: $42,979
Signed “Cartier London” and made around 1930 in 18k gold and platinum, with diamonds and cabochon emeralds, this pair was won by a collector at Christie’s for $42,979. This is the best-documented auction entry on the list and a decent guide to what top-tier period jewellery costs.
6. Arfaq V2: $39,750
A pair of seven made by the British designer Arfaq: double swords in platinum and 18k gold, topped with crowns set with diamonds and sapphires. Michael Jackson and his company MJJ Productions bought a pair privately in Bucharest in November 1996 for £23,850, or $39,750. The record books list it as the most expensive cufflinks sold privately at the time.
7. Alexander Calder design: $33,000
Calder, the sculptor of the hanging mobile, made jewellery for friends, and a pair of his designs reportedly sold at auction for $33,000. We have no house or date. We rank it on the strength of that single report, and you should read it as an estimate of what artist-made links can reach.
8. Cartier Diamond Dragon: $29,000
Made in France in the 1960s for the US market, these 18k yellow gold dragons are signed, numbered and set with emerald eyes and diamonds. A private seller in New York asked $29,000. Asking prices are not sales, so expect the real deal to land lower.
9. Cartier Panthère onyx and diamond: $27,500
Cartier’s big cat returns in white gold from the 2000s, with onyx spots and diamonds. A private seller in Pennsylvania listed it at $27,500, another asking price that we have not seen confirmed as a sale.
10. Cartier Panthère full pavé: $18,000
Last place goes to a handmade white gold pair covered in diamonds, with emerald eyes, that sold through an online auction at $18,000. It is the cheapest entry here and still more than most new luxury watches cost.
Records set in 2025 and 2026
We found no cufflink record in 2025 or 2026. Recent auction results we could verify were modest: a Fabergé pair from around 1997 made £1,408 at a Bonhams online sale in May 2024, and celebrity-linked pairs, such as a Cartier set connected to the actor Michael Caine, made about £2,167 in 2022. Collectors’ prices for cufflinks have stayed far below the prices for watches and rings.
What drives these prices
- Names beat stones. A royal, a ballplayer or a famous sculptor can push a pair above a diamond-heavy rival.
- The maker matters. Cartier, Fabergé and Jacob & Co. show up again and again, and a signature on the back can double the price.
- Asking prices run well ahead of results. Nearly every high number on this list is a listing or a valuation, which is why the real market tops out around five figures.
- Small scale caps the ceiling. A pair of cufflinks has little room for the huge central stones that carry necklaces and rings into seven figures.
FAQ
FAQ
What are the most expensive cufflinks in the world?
A Jacob & Co. pair with emerald-cut canary diamonds, priced at about $4.2 million. It is an asking price rather than a documented sale.
What are the most expensive cufflinks ever sold?
The biggest documented sale numbers we found are in the tens of thousands of dollars, such as a Cartier Art Deco pair at $42,979 at Christie’s and a reported $72,000 for a baseball manager’s links. A Fabergé pair reportedly reached $200,000.
Who owns the cufflinks made for King Edward VIII?
They are described as being in the collection of the businessman Wafic Saïd. The $400,000 figure is a valuation, not a price anyone has paid.
Did Michael Jackson really buy expensive cufflinks?
Yes. He and his company bought a pair of Arfaq V2 cufflinks in a private sale in Bucharest in November 1996 for £23,850, about $39,750.
How much should I pay for good luxury cufflinks?
Signed vintage Cartier or Tiffany pairs typically trade from low four figures to the tens of thousands. New diamond-set pairs from jewellers start in the low five figures.
How we put this list together
We ranked cufflinks by documented prices, whether sales, private deals, valuations or listed prices, compiled in an internal valuation model and labelled by type. Prices are approximate and change over time.
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Last updated: October 2026.
