Most Famous Diamonds in the World
Diamonds are one of the most elegant things in the world because of how it sparkles and stands out amongst the other jewelry. There’s no doubt why a lot of people would like to add this to their jewelry collection.
If you also fancy diamonds, then perhaps, you should get to know some of the most famous ones so that you can fulfill your appetite for these precious gems.
The Blue Hope – This diamond was named after its buyer, Henry Thomas Hope, and weighs in at 45.52 carats. The ironic thing about this diamond is that despite its name, it has a history of being associated with bringing bad luck to its owners. It was believed that this stone was once a part of the also famous diamond, the Blue Tavernier Diamond, which was brought from India to Europe in 1642. It was then purchased by King Louis XIV who ordered it to be cut down from 112 carats to 67.50 carats so that its brilliance will be visible. During the French Revolution, the diamond was stolen, and by the year 1830, a smaller diamond with the same resemblance to the Blue Tavernier was sold to Hope, an English banker. Hope’s son then inherited the diamond, and after that, he lost his fortune. After that, it was acquired by an American widow named Mrs. Edward Mclean wherein her family suffered some catastrophes. Most of them died and not long after, she committed suicide as well. By 1949, a New York diamond merchant named Harry Winston bought the diamond, and a lot of his clients refused to buy the stone. It is now being displayed at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington.
The Sancy – This diamond comes in a pear shape and weighs in at 55 carats. It was first owned by the Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold, who eventually lost it during a battle in 1477. The stone was named after its later owner named Seigneur de Sancy who is the French Ambassador to Turkey during the late 16th century. He then loaned the diamond to the French King, Henry III wherein he wore it in a cap that conceals his baldness. After that, Henry IV of France also borrowed the diamond from Sancy and was later on sold to James I of England in 1664. It was then fled by the last of the Stuart kings of England named James II in 1688. During the French revolution, the stone disappeared without a trace.
Hortensia – This peach colored stone weighs in at 20 carats and is named after the Queen of Holland who is also the step-daughter of Napoleon Bonaparte. The diamond is famous as part of the French Crown Jewels and is being displayed at the Louvre in Paris.
The Taylor-Burton – This diamond comes with a pear-shaped cut, IF clarity grade, and weighs in at 69.42 carats. It was mined in the Premier Mine in South Africa in 1966. It was an original rough that weighs in at 240.80 carats and later on cut into 69.42 carats. The diamond was first bought by Richard Burton for $1,100,000 and named it as a gift for Elizabeth Taylor. When Burton died in 1979, Taylor sold the stone for charity at a whopping price of $2.8 million. Taylor donated it in the memory of Burton to a hospital in Biafra. The last time this stone was seen is in Saudi Arabia.
The Regent – This is known as the most beautiful diamond in the world because of its exceptional limpidity and perfect cut. It weighs in at 140.50 carats and was discovered in India in 1698. During its discovery, the Governor of Madras, Thomas Pitt, acquired the stone and sent it to England to have it cut. The Regent purchased it in 1717 from Pitt to have it placed on the French Crown. It was placed on the band of Louis XV’s silver gilt crown during his coronation ceremony in 1722 and later on to Louis XVI’s crown in 1775. By 1801, it was figured on the hilt of the sword of the First Consul and later on to the two-edged sword of the Emperor in 1812. In 1825, it was placed on the crown of Charles X’s coronation ceremony, and it embellished the “Grecian diadem” of Empress Eugenie during the Second Empire. It is being displayed today at the Louvre in Paris.
The Idol’s Eye – This diamond is cut in a flattened pear-shaped that is the size of a bantam’s egg and weighs in at 70.20 carats. The stone is famous for belonging once in the eye of an idol and was eventually stolen. According to legend, the stone was used as ransom for Princess Rasheetah who has been abducted by the Sheik of Kashmir to the Sultan of Turkey.
The Centenary Diamond – This diamond was discovered as a rough at the Premier Mine in 1986 and weighs in at 599.10 carats. The diamond was ultimately cut by master-cutter Gabi Tolkowsky along with a small selected team. It took them 3 years to complete its transformation into a 273.85 carat diamond which is now known as the world’s largest, most modern-cut, flawless diamond.
Koh-i-Noor (Mountain of Light) – This oval cut gem weighs in at 105.60 carats and is now part of the British Crown Jewels. The diamond has a history that dated back to 1304 where it is known as the longest of all the famous diamonds in the world. During the 16th century, the stone was captured by the Rajahs of Malwah’s Mogul, Sultan Babur then, later on, remained in possession of other Mogul emperors. It was believed that it had been set in Shah Jehan’s famous Peacock Throne. After the Persian empire has been divided, the diamond found its way to India. It is said to have traveled to Afghanistan with a bodyguard of Nadir Shah, who is in the possession of the stone when the Shah was murdered. It was later offered to Ranjit Singh of the Punjab in exchange for military help, but it was never delivered. When the fight between the British and the Sikhs broke out, The East India Company claimed the stone as a partial indemnity and later on presented to Queen Victoria in 1850. The diamond originally weighed in at 1986 carats when it came from India but was, later on, recut into 108.93 carats. The Queen first worn it as a brooch and was later set in the State Crown which was worn by Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. In 1937, Queen Elizabeth wore the diamond during her coronation ceremony. It is now being kept in the Tower of London along with the other Crown Jewels.
The Orloff – This diamond is a Mogul-cut rose and weighs in at 300 carats when it was first found in the Diamond Treasury of Russia in Moscow. The Orloff is known to have so many historical episodes. The first one is that it has been set as the diamond eye of Vishnu’s idol in Sriangam temple’s innermost sanctuary and was later on stolen by a French deserter in the 1700s. However, the deserter only took one eye from the idol because the thought of retribution terrified him thus leaving the other diamond behind. He then sold the diamond to an English sea-captain in Madras for 2,000 pounds. As time passes by, the diamond made its way to Amsterdam where the ex-lover of Empress Catherine the great, Russian Count Grigori Orloff, was currently residing. He heard the rumors about the stone and eventually bought it for 90,000 pounds and brought it back to Russia as a favor for Catherine. Right after that, the stone has been officially called as the Orloff. Catherine received the gift that was given to her and then placed it in the Imperial Sceptre. In exchange for The Orloff, Catherine gave Orloff a marble palace, but despite his efforts, he still couldn’t get her love him. In 1783, Orloff passed away at the nadir of disappointment. In 1812, the Russians feared that Napoleon was about to enter Moscow with his Grand Army, so he had it hidden in the tomb of a priest. However, Napoleon was informed of the diamond’s location and went on to claim it. As soon as a soldier of the Army was about to grab the Orloff, the ghost of the priest appeared and laid upon a terrible curse on the Army. Napoleon then scampered away without The Orloff diamond in his hands.
The Great Star of Africa – This diamond has the largest cut in the world and weighs in at 530.20 carats. It has 74 facets, pear-shaped cut and is being set in the Royal Scepter along with the other Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. It was known to be the largest diamond even in its rough state because of it being an original 3,106-carat. The Star Africa was discovered in Transvaal, South Africa in 1095 during the inspection tour of the Premier Mine. It was later cut by Joseph Asscher and Company of Amsterdam, who took 6 months to examine the diamond before it gets divided. The result yielded 9 major and 96 smaller brilliant cut stones. It was said by many that there are signs surrounding the stone in which it originally was a much larger crystal. However, no discovery of the “missing half” has never been authenticated.
