|
The Black Orlov
According to the legend, the Black Orlov is said to have
taken its name from the Russian Princess Nadia
Vyegin-Orlov who owned it for time during the
mid-eighteenth century. It is a 67.50-carat cushion-cut
stone, a so-called black diamond (actually, a very dark
gun-metal color). It is reported to have belonged to a
nineteenth-century shrine near Pondicherry, India, and
to have weighed 195 carats in the rough. Unfortunately
the Indian origin of this stone is almost certainly
false. There is no documentation of Russia having had a
princess by that name, or of India having produced any
black diamonds of note. The stone has been exhibited
widely, including at the American Museum of Natural
History in 1951, the Wonderful World of Fine Jewelry &
Gifts at the 1964 Texas State Fair, Dallas, and the
Diamond Pavilion in Johannesburg in 1967.
The Black Orlov was owned by Charles F. Winson, New
York City gem dealer, who valued it at $150,000. It
is mounted in a modern diamond-and-platinum
necklace. An alternate name is the Eye of Brahma
Diamond. In 1969, the stone was sold for $300,000.
It was resold in 1990 at Sothebys for $99,000. On
October 11th, 2006, the necklace containing the
stone figured as lot 33 in a Christie's
Magnificent Jewels sale where it sold for $352,000.
Its estimate had been $100,000 to $200,000.
Today unsubstantiated rumors of a curse on the Black Orlov
Diamond are being spread. The owner and diamond dealer who
purchased the black diamond in 2004, Dennis Petimezas,
currently has the diamond on tour. He "says" he has
researched the diamond and claims: "In 1947 Princess Nadia
Vyegin Orlov and Princess Leonila Galitsine Bariatinsky -
both former owners of the Black Orlov - leapt to their
deaths in apparent suicides. Fifteen years earlier, J.W.
Paris, the diamond dealer who imported the stone to the USA,
jumped from one of New York's tallest buildings shortly
after concluding the sale of the jewel." No such events can
be found however. Princess Leonilla Bariatinska lived to the
ripe old age of 102, d -1918 in Switzerland. And the
Princess (Nadia) Nadezhda Petrovna Orlov lived to be 90
years, d - 1988 in France. We can find no mention anywhere
of a jeweler who jumped in New York. One can only suppose
(until such time as concrete evidence can be shown) that the
current "hype" by the owner of the Black Orlov is to promote
his loaning it be worn at the Oscars.
The Curse of The Black Orlov?
The historic gem stone is accompanied by authentication
papers - and an alleged curse. At least three former
owners took their own lives, including two Russian
princesses. It originated in India in the early 1800's
and was known as the Eye of Brahma. It reportedly was
taken from the eye of an idol of Brahma at a shrine near
Pondicherry, India. Its name apparently comes from
Russian Prince Grigori Grigorievich Orlov who is said to
have given it as a gift to his lover, Catherine the
Great. In 1932 the diamond dealer who imported the stone
to the United States, J.W. Paris, jumped to his death
from a New York City skyscraper shortly after selling
the stone. In 1947, two Russian aristocrats who
separately owned the Black Orlov at one time or another,
Princess Nadia Vyegin-Orlov and Princess Leonila
Galitsine-Bariatinsky, committed suicide several months
apart by jumping from buildings in Rome.
More about World's Famous Diamonds
Passion. Murder. Insanity. Intrigue. Envy. A mere hint of
the fascinating stories behind the world's most remarkable diamonds. Many have
been associated with famous names - the likes of Napoleon … Sultan Babur … Lady
Astor … Shah Jehan … Queen Victoria … Catherine the Great … Elizabeth Taylor.
Others have inspired awe and legend on account of their size, origins or unique
qualities. Since nearly the dawn of time, diamonds have encrusted the armor of
great warriors,...
Read more...
World's Largest Diamonds
The largest faceted diamond in the world is the Golden
Jubilee, weighing 545.67 carats. It is a Fancy Brownish-Yellow color and
"fire rose cushion cut." It is unusual also because it has a certain
type of rare color banding. The second largest faceted diamond in the
world is the Star of Africa, also known as the Cullinan I. It weighs
530.20 carats and is a pear shape with 74 facets
Read more...
World's Famous Diamond Mines
The
oldest and most famous diamond mine in North America is
the Crater of Diamonds which is just south of
Murfreesboro, Arkansas. In 1906, diamonds were found
after John Wesley Huddleston bought the land to farm.
He noticed two small stones in the bottom of the bucket
of cattle feed. The stones were sent to Little
Rock jeweler who sent them to Tiffany's in New York and,...
World's Renowned Diamond Cutting Centers
Diamonds being easily transportable and being of high
value allows them to be moved to the most efficient and
economic locations for further processing. The several
factors that are considered in determining the location
of a diamond cutting facility...
Diamonds and De Beers - The Story of the
Diamond Cartel
When a gang of thieves with a
stolen bulldozer plowed into London's Millennium Dome in
November 2000 to steal a 203-carat diamond from a
display sponsored by De Beers, Nicky Oppenheimer, De
Beers's chairman, hailed the botched heist as wonderful
publicity:
"If only we could do this once every six
months. We could do away with the advertising department altogether."
For more than 100 years, the name De Beers has
evoked all glamour and mystery radiated by a diamond. Through shrewd
marketing and careful manipulation of the market, the South African
company has parlayed these pieces of crystallized carbon into
multi-billion-dollar-a-year business empire. De Beers has truly a family
affair. Built around the twin pillars of De Beers Consolidated Mines
Ltd. and Angelo American Corporation of South Africa, the Oppenheimer
dynasty controls most of the world's diamond mining and trade and is one
of the biggest multi-nationals. They are the world's leading diamond
producers...
Read more...
Did You Know? -
Interesting Diamond Facts
Even before science was able to fully analyze the
properties of this gemstone, ancient people recognized
it for its rarity and incredible toughness. For
thousands of years people have recognized that the
properties of this rare mineral are exceptional. By
reviewing diamond facts one can understand why this gem
is so valued and so common for use in jewelry,
decoration, and everywhere else to symbolize longevity
and wealth. Extensive diamond mining first began in
India. Read about many interesting diamond facts like
the 2 below and many more.
- Extensive diamond mining first
began in India.
- Over 75% of the mined diamonds go to industry
each year, with such applications from
windows to phonograph needles and just 25% are of
gem quality.
Read more...
Spotting a Fake Diamond
In this world of advanced technology it is almost
impossible to simply look at a diamond and determine
whether it is real or not especially if you don’t know
much about diamonds. There are some steps that you can
take to avoid buying a fake diamond, however...
Learn about Diamond History, Diamond Trade,
Buying Tips and more...
The Romans believed that diamonds brought
courage and bravery during battle. Jewish high priests used diamonds to
decide the innocence or guilt of the accused: A stone held before a
guilty person dulled and darkened; a stone held before an innocent
person glowed with increased brilliance. The Hindus believed that this
brilliant gem was created when....
Back to Diamond
Information Summary...
|
Famous Diamonds - The Black Orlov
