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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 and
adorned the crowns and scepters of kings and queens. After
all, the diamond was considered the emblem of fearlessness
and invincibility. In fact, it was believed that mere
possession of a diamond would endow the wearer with superior
strength, bravery and courage.
Here is some
interesting information about the world's famous diamonds:
The Agra
The story of the Agra Diamond begins in 1526 when Babur,
the first Mogul emperor (1483-1530) took possession of
Agra after defeating the Rajah of Gwailor in battle.
Babur was the son of Omar Sheik, King of Ferghana (now
Turkestan), his real name was Zahir al-Din Mohammed, but
he was given the name Babur, meaning 'the tiger’. Babur
sent his son and successor, Humayun, to occupy Agra, a
feat he duly accomplished in the process capturing
members of the family of the slain Raja. Their lives
were spared. It is said that as an expression of their
gratitude they presented their captors with jewels and
precious stones. Since it is recorded that Babur wore
the Agra Diamond in his turban, the stone was probably
one of those jewels.....
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The Ahmedabad
Ahmadabad is the capital of state of Gujarat in India,
which has been a center for trading and cutting diamonds
in history for a fairly long time. Jean Baptiste
Tavernier visited Ahmadabad in 1600 and described some
of the notable diamonds and rubies which he had seen
during the course of his travels, often accompanied with
illustrations. He described the Ahmadabad as “157.5
carats, after being cut in shape the carat weight
reduced to 94˝ carats...
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The Allnatt
This 101.29-carat cushion cut its color having been
certified by the GIA as Fancy Vivid Yellow, VS2 clarity,
is named after its former owner, Alfred Ernest Allnatt.
He was a soldier, a sportsman, an active patron of the
arts and a noted benefactor in many spheres. He paid a
then world record price for The Adoration of the Magi
by Rubens which he presented to King's College,
Cambridge, England, as an alter piece for its famous
chapel. He also had a passion for..
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The Amsterdam
The diamond called Orloff was bought in Amsterdam (being on
this account sometimes known as the "Amsterdam" diamond) by
Prince Orloff for the Empress Catharine II of Russia for the
sum of 1,400,000 Dutch florins. It was the largest of the
diamonds comprised in the Russian crown jewels, and formed
the termination of the imperial sceptre; it is a stone of
the finest water, perfectly pure and with a brilliant luster....
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The Archduke Joseph
This 76.45-carat diamond gets its name from Archduke
Joseph August (1872-1962), a previous owner of the gem
and a prince of the Hungarian line of the Hapsburg
dynasty. The Archduke was a descendant of the Emperor
Leopold II, son of Empress Maria Theresa who owned the
famous
Florentine Diamond, one of the most notable and
unique diamonds in history...
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The Ashberg
It is said that this amber-colored, cushion-shaped
diamond weighing 102.48 carats, was formerly part of the
Russian Crown Jewels. It must have been a late addition
to that collection because the stone bears all the
characteristics of one from South Africa. In 1934 the
Russian Trade Delegation sold the diamond to Mr.
Ashberg, a leading Stockholm banker. The Stockholm firm
of Bolin, former Crown Jewelers to the Court of St.
Petersburg, mounted it as a pendant. In 1949 the
Ashberg...
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The Beau Sancy
Nicholas Harlay de Sancy, diplomat, financier and ardent
monarchist, is remembered as the owner of the
55.23-carat shield-shaped diamond, the
Sancy, one of the most celebrated gems in
history. This diamond came to be known as the 'Beau
Sancy', or 'Little Sancy' and was destined to pursue a
different course of history from Sancy's larger diamond.
The Beau Sancy is a colorless...
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The Beluga
The Beluga Diamond was cut by the William Goldberg firm from
a rather flat, blocky 265.82-carat rough and weighs 103-point-some
carats. It is the largest standard oval brilliant cut diamond in
the world and appeared in an article about 'blood diamonds' in the March
2002 issue of National Geographic magazine. The Beluga, along with the
smaller stones that were cut from the diamond crystal. The
rectangular-looking stone is an Ashoka cut...
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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...
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The Blue Heart (or Eugénie Blue)
Some reports refer to this unusual diamond as the "Eugenie
Blue" although it is now recognized that there is no evidence of its
having been owned by the Empress. Had she owned it, wouldn't she have
chosen to flee with it rather than the diamond which is named after her?
However, a French link does exist because the cutting firm of Atanik
Ekyanan of Neuilly, Paris cut this heart shape...
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The Blue Lili
This 30.06-carat blue diamond was cut by the William
Goldberg Corporation. He named the stone after his wife,
Lili. The stone's shape is a sort of tapered cushion...
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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....
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