The Hope Diamond is a large, 45.52 carats (9.10 g),deep-blue diamond, housed in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C. The Hope Diamond is blue to the naked eye because of trace amounts of boron within its crystal structure, but it exhibits red phosphorescence under ultraviolet light. It is classified as a Type IIb diamond, and is famous for supposedly being cursed.
An examination in December 1988 by the Gemological Institute of America's Gem Trade Lab (GIA-GTL) showed the diamond to weigh 45.52 carats (9.104 g) and described it as "fancy dark grayish-blue." A re-examination in 1996 slightly rephrased that description as "fancy deep grayish-blue."The stone exhibits an unusually intense and strongly-colored type of luminescence: after exposure to long-wave ultraviolet light, the diamond produces a brilliant red phosphorescence ('glow-in-the-dark' effect) that persists for some time after the light source has been switched off. The clarity was determined to be VS1, with whitish graining present. The cut was described as being "cushion antique brilliant with a faceted girdle and extra facets on the pavilion." The dimensions in terms of length, width, and depth are 25.60mm × 21.78mm × 12.00mm (1in × 7/8in × 15/32in).
Gabriel S. "Gabi" Tolkowsky is one of the world's most renowned diamond cutters, the sixth generation of the Tolkowsky family to make his name in the trade. He is the great nephew of Marcel Tolkowsky, the father of the modern round brilliant diamond cut.
He was trained by Marcel and his father Jean, beginning in 1956 before becoming Managing Director and Chairman of Diatrada, N.V., a division of De Beers in the 1970s He invented the "flower cuts" in 1985–86, and since 1995, he has been a worldwide consultant to the De Beers group. In 1988, he was commissioned by them to act as master cutter for the 273.85 carats (54.77 g) Centenary Diamond, the largest and most flawless modern cut diamond in the world, a task which took three years.The gem was kerfed (hand-cut) in order to avoid heat- or vibration-related damage from saws or lasers.
He was a major interviewee in The Play of Light, a 2000 documentary film about the creation of a diamond from a rough stone, and in 2003 he was knighted by the Belgian government with the title of Chevalier de L'Ordre du Roi Leopold II, for his services to the diamond industry.
Cutting such an immense and valuable diamond required expertise and a considerable investment. Gabi Tolkowsky was chosen to head the team responsible for cutting the Centenary Diamond, along with Geoff Woolett, Jim Nash and Dawie du Plessis, assisted by a specially picked group of engineers, electricians and security guards to facilitate in the work on Centenary Diamond. There was a special room designed underground in the De Beers Diamond Research Laboratory in Johannesburg, South Africa for the sole purpose of working on the Centenary Diamond with design specifications including strength and stability so as to preclude mechanical vibration and temperature variation to minimize any mitigating factor that might interfere with the cutting of the Centenary Diamond.
The initial efforts were done by hand rather than with a laser or saw so as not to heat or vibrate the diamond. After cutting and removing 50 carats (10 g) of cracked material over 154 days, the team was left with an egg-shaped gem of approximately 500 carats (100 g). Thirteen different designs were presented to the De Beers board, with a strong recommendation for what became the eventual modified heart-shaped design. The shape was described as, "Effectively, the Centenary Diamond is shaped like a heart-shape, but it does not have a groove. The image the team had in mind was a shape which would adorn the turban of a Sultan or a Maharaja."
The De Beers Centenary Diamond is, at 273.85 carats (54.77 g), the third-largest diamond to have been produced in the Premier Mine. The Centenary Diamond is rated in color as grade D color by the Gemological Institute of America, which is the highest grade of colorless diamond and is internally and externally flawless. It was named the Centenary Diamond as it was presented in the rough for the Centennial Celebration of De Beers Consolidated Mines on May 11, 1988. The Centenary Diamond was unveiled in final form in May 1991.
The Centenary Diamond was discovered in the Premier Mine on July 17, 1986 using their X-ray imaging system. The original rough was 599 carats (120 g) and it was presented on May 11, 1988 in the Centennial Celebration of the De Beers Consolidated Mines. As then-chairman Julian Oglivie Thompson said, "We have recovered at the Premier Mine a diamond of 599 carats (120 g) which is perfect in color – indeed it is one of the largest top-color diamonds ever found. Naturally it will be called the Centenary Diamond."
The Steinmetz Pink is a diamond weighing 59.60 carats (11.92 g), rated in color as Fancy Vivid Pink by the Gemological Institute of America. The Steinmetz Pink is the largest known diamond having been rated Vivid Pink. As a result of this exceptional rarity, the Steinmetz Group took a cautious 20 months to cut the Pink. It was unveiled in Monaco on May 29, 2003, in a public ceremony.
The Steinmetz Pink was displayed as part of the Smithsonian's "The Splendor of Diamonds" exhibit, alongside the De Beers Millennium Star, the world’s second largest (the Centenary Diamond is the largest) top colour (D) internally and externally flawless pear-shaped diamond at 203.04 carat (40.608 g), the Heart of Eternity Diamond, a 27.64 carat (5.582 g) heart-cut blue diamond and the Moussaieff Red Diamond, the world's largest known Fancy Red diamond at 5.11 carats (1.102 g).
The Heart of Eternity is a diamond measuring 27.64 carats (5.528 g), rated in color as "Fancy Vivid Blue" by the Gemological Institute of America. The Heart of Eternity was cut by the Steinmetz Group, who owned the diamond before selling it to the De Beers Group.
The Heart of Eternity is a member of an exceedingly rare class of colored diamonds. It was found in the Premier Diamond Mine of South Africa. Blue (Type IIb) diamonds account for less than 0.1% of the output of the Premier mine, which is the only mine in the world with an appreciable production of blue diamonds. Of the ten colored diamonds that drew the highest bids, six of those ten were blue diamonds, rating values as high as $550,000 to $580,000 per carat ($2750–2900/mg).
The Heart of Eternity was unveiled in January 2000 as part of the De Beers Millennium Jewels collection, which included the Millennium Star. The Heart of Eternity was featured with ten other blue diamonds; the collection of blue diamonds totaled 118 carats (23.6 g). The De Beers Millennium Jewels were displayed at London’s Millennium Dome throughout 2000. An attempt on November 7, 2000 to steal the collection was foiled
During its exhibition at the Smithsonian, the Heart of Eternity was noted to be on loan from a private collector, giving rise to speculation that it was sold sometime during the exhibition at the Millennium Dome in London.
The Ocean Dream is a diamond measuring 5.51 carats (1.102 g), rated in color as Fancy Deep Blue-Green by the Gemological Institute of America. The Ocean Dream is the only natural diamond known to the GIA to possess a blue-green hue, making it one of the rarest diamonds in the world. (A blue-green colour is commonly seen in artificially enhanced diamonds, whose colour is imparted by various irradiation methods.) After careful study, the GIA concluded that its distinct hue is a result of millions of years of exposure to natural radiation. The Ocean Dream originated in Central Africa, and is currently owned by the Cora Diamond Corporation.
The Ocean Dream was displayed as part of the Smithsonian's "The Splendor of Diamonds" exhibit, alongside the De Beers Millennium Star, The Heart of Eternity and the Moussaieff Red.
The Taylor-Burton is a diamond made famous when purchased by actor Richard Burton for his wife Elizabeth Taylor to celebrate her 40th birthday in 1972, receiving worldwide publicity for its size and value.
The original rough diamond was found in 1966 in the Premier Mine in South Africa, weighing 241 carats (48 g). It was cut by Harry Winston to 69.42 carats (13.88 g) in the shape of a pear.
The diamond was originally owned by Harriet Annenberg Ames and was subsequently purchased at auction by by Robert Kenmore, owner of the luxury brand Cartier. for a then record $1,050,000. It is regarded as the world's first million-dollar diamond - although other stones may have previously changed hands privately for seven figures or more, this was the first one to do so at a public auction. The Cartier company placed the diamond into a diamond necklace.
Richard Burton purchased the diamond for his wife, Elizabeth Taylor, who wore it publicly for the first time at Princess Grace of Monaco's 40th birthday celebration.
After their divorce, Taylor auctioned the diamond in 1978 for $5,000,000, which was used to build a hospital in Botswana.[3][2] It was bought by Henry Lambert, a New York-based jeweler.
Its current owner is Robert Mouawad, who had the diamond recut to 68 carats (14 g)
The Moussaieff Red Diamond is a diamond measuring 5.11 carats (1.022 g) with a triangular brilliant cut (sometimes called a trillion or a trilliant cut), rated in color as Fancy Red by the Gemological Institute of America. While this may seem relatively small when compared to other famous diamonds, the Moussaieff Red is, in fact, the largest Fancy Red the GIA reports having rated.
The Moussaieff Red is reported to have been found by a Brazilian farmer in the Abaetezinho river in 1990, in a region known as Alto Paranaiba which has a reputation as a source of large and fancy-coloured diamonds. In the rough, it is believed to have weighed 13.9 carats (2.78 g). The diamond was purchased and cut by the William Goldberg Diamond Corp., where it went by its original name the Red Shield. It is currently owned by Moussaieff Jewellers Ltd.
The Moussaieff Red was displayed as part of the Smithsonian's "The Splendor of Diamonds" exhibit, alongside The De Beers Millennium Star and The Heart of Eternity.
Nizam Diamond is believed to have been the most famous diamond in its time. There are tales about its size, around 340 carats (68 g). The story goes back to the rulers of Golconda, and is believed to found at Kollur Mine[1]. The precious stone gets its name from the Prince Nizam of Hyderabad.
The diamond was almond in shape.
The Millennium Star is a famous diamond owned by De Beers. At 203.04 carats (40.608 g), the world's second largest known top-color (D), internally and externally flawless, pear-shaped diamond.
The diamond was discovered in the Mbuji-Mayi district of Zaire (Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1990 in alluvial deposits; uncut, it was 777 carats (155.4 g). It was purchased by De Beers during the height of the country's Civil War that took place in the early to mid-nineties. It took over three years for workers of the Steinmetz Diamond Group to produce the classic pear form. The actual cutting was done using lasers.
It was first displayed in October 1999 as the centerpiece of the De Beers Millennium diamond collection. The collection also includes eleven blue diamonds totaling 118 carats (23.6 g) and The Heart of Eternity. They were displayed at London’s Millennium Dome over 2000. There was an attempt on November 7, 2000 to steal the collection (see Millennium Dome raid), but the Metropolitan Police discovered the plot and arrested the robbers before their escape.Crime journalist Kris Hollington wrote a book called Diamond Geezers (ISBN 1843171228) about the attempted theft. The book also features a detailed history of the Millennium Star
Ask if the stone is a genuine diamond or if it is a cubic zirconia, moissanite or other synthetic substance. A reputable jeweler will give you an honest answer.
Check the wear and tear on the stone. A cubic zirconia is not as durable as a diamond and may show signs of scratches or nicks.
Take the stone to a trusted jeweler. Looking through a jeweler's loupe, he or she should be able to spot a fake stone right away. If the jeweler cannot tell by examining the stone, he or she will have instruments that can verify its authenticity.
It is highly recommended that you obtain a certificate from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). The GIA, the largest impartial diamond grading authority in the world, issues a grading report after it examines the diamond and details it specifications.
Have the stone appraised by an independent appraiser who is affiliated with a professional organization such as the American Society of Appraisers (ASA). Ask for a certificate indicating the value and characteristics of the stone.
"Reguarding its traditional history, which extends 5000 years further back, nothing need be said here; though it has afforded sundry imaginative writers with a subject for highly characteristic paragraphs we have no record of its having been at any time a cut stone."
The earliest authentic reference to a diamond which may have been the Koh-I-Noor is found in the Baburnama, the memoirs of Babur, the first Mogul ruler of India. Born in 1483, Babur (meaning 'lion' -- the name was not given to him at birth but appears to be a nickname, deriving from an Arabic or Persian word meaning 'lion' or 'tiger') was descended in the fifth generation from Tamerlane on the male side and in th fifteenth degree from Genghis Khan on the female side. With the blood in his veins of two of the greatest conquerors Asia has ever seen, it is not all that surprising that Babur himself should have become a great conqueror in his own right.
Such irradiation and annealing treatment can occur in nature because diamonds are often accompanied by uranium-containing ores which emit alpha particles. However, the thus produced color is restricted to a thin surface layer of few micrometers.Homogeneous color can be produced if the treatment was performed artificially, using electrons, neutrons or gamma-rays. Radiation treatment induces characteristic sharp optical absorption lines which can be easily detected by spectroscopic techniques
The majority of natural diamonds are brown in color which makes them less attractive as gemstones. Australian diamonds, which constitute one third of the world production, are especially rich in brown stones. Large amount of scientific research was spent to understand the origin of the brown color. Several causes have been identified, including irradiation treatment, nickel impurities and lattice defects associated with plastic deformation, the latter are considered as the predominant cause, especially in pure diamonds. A high-pressure high-temperature treatment has been designed to heal those lattice defects and convert brown diamonds into yellow or even colorless stones.
| Setting Price: | US$850 |
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| Metal: | Metal Shown: 18K White Gold-Rhodium Dipped (change metal choice at jewel details page) |
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| Max Width: | 8.6mm |
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| Min Width: | 3.5mm |
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| Gold Weight: | 7.5gr |
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| Delivery Time: | 8 Days to the USA. |
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| Details: | Settings is suitable for Round cut diamonds 0.38 to 0.75 carats. Can be High Polished or Burnished finish. |
| Setting Price: | US$1,290 |
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| Metal: | Metal Shown: 18K White Gold-Rhodium Dipped (change metal choice at jewel details page) |
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| Max Width: | 12mm |
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| Min Width: | 8mm |
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| Gold Weight: | 18gr |
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| Delivery Time: | 8 Days to the USA. |
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| Details: | For round diamonds 5mm to 8mm (0.5 to 1.85 carats |
Round Diamonds in Tulip style solitaire engagement ring| Setting Price: | US$410 |
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| Metal: | Metal Shown: 18K White Gold-Rhodium Dipped (change metal choice at jewel details page) |
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| Max Width: | 2.9mm |
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| Min Width: | 2.1mm |
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| Gold Weight: | 2.7gr |
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| Delivery Time: | 8 Days to the USA. |
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| Details: | Settings is for Rounds Asschers and Princess 0.70-3.10 cts |
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Princess Diamonds in Princess engagement ring| Setting Price: | US$365 |
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| Metal: | Metal Shown: 18K White Gold-Rhodium Dipped (change metal choice at jewel details page) |
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| Max Width: | 2.60mm |
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| Min Width: | 1.90mm |
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| Gold Weight: | 2.5gr |
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| Delivery Time: | 8 Days to the USA. |
