Google "the most expensive color in the world" and you’ll get a lot of information about diamonds. For example, a blue diamond that sold for $32 million and that red diamonds are the rarest and most expensive.
Google "the most expensive pigment" and you’ll find that Lapis Lazuli is believed to be the most expensive pigment ever created. It was pricier than its weight in gold.
From the essay, "Blue," in Alexander Theroux's "The Primary Colors" -
Blue was always the most expensive pigment for painters, first of all, for supernatural beauty, perfection, and glory. The goldlike flecks of pyrite crystals in lapis lazuli have often been compared to stars in the sky.
Google “the most expensive paint in the world” and you’ll get a lot of information about paintings such as Da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi that sold for $450 million. You might even see an ad for marine bottom paint that sells for over $1000 for a 3-gallon can. 
There's also YinMn Blue - a brilliant blue that was accidentally discovered 10 years ago. Unfortunately it appears that many paint manufacturers – such as Shepherd –are interested in the pigment and will be bringing paints to market after commercialization.
And that brings us back to this question about colors that you can buy today:
The most expensive paint color?
Paint from Farrow and Ball _ A Luxury Paint Company Creating a New Kind of Decorating Anxiety – costs $110 a gallon. That's twice the cost of an ordinary brand. They only offer 19 shades of red compared to 174 shades of red from Benjamin Moore. The price of high-end designer paint usually reflects the higher amount of pigments, absence of synthetic pigments, and less water. Some comment that using Farrow and Ball’s paint confirms both a customer’s fashion sense and his financial means.
Perhaps the most expensive color consultant?
Farrow and Balls’ “color curator” Joa Studholme will help you find the perfect hue in a private color session. She charges $320 an hour. Some clients are paying almost $2000 to get a little help. Learn more in the interview (plus transcript) with this self-described “color geek”.
A List of the top global paint and coatings companies
In case you’re wondering, the list of companies (that manufacture commercial paint for interior and architectural design) includes PPG, Sherwin-Williams, Akso, Basf, Nippon and more. Unfortunately there’s no information about the cost of each brand.
Become your own color consultant
Instead of turning to private color consultation to find the perfect color, DIY with an eBook that you can download in seconds. Check out Color Matters for Your Home.
Or turn it into your personal adventure with an online course from Color Matters that you can take at your own pace. If you have no idea where to start and if you want to take a voyage of self-discovery, check out the Color Harmony for Your Home online course. Or if you're really serious about interior design, Foolproof Color Formulas for Interior Design
is the perfect tool to master color.
A note from the writer: When I began this post, I planned to write about an expensive paint color. But one thing led to another and the idea expanded into much more. I hope you enjoy the way color can encompass much more than whatever you expect it to be.
