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The Idol's
Eye Diamond
Echoing the legend of the Orlov, this flattened,
pear-shaped stone the size of a bantam's egg was
once set in the eye of an idol before it was stolen.
Another famous diamond that was once set in the eye
of an idol before it was stolen. Legend also holds
that it was given as a ransom for Princess Rasheetah
by the Sheik of Kashmir to the Sultan of Turkey, who
had abducted her. Despite abundant unproven accounts
of its early origins, the first authenticated facts
of this diamond's history were associated with its
appearance at a Christie's sale in London in 1865.
It was knocked down to a mysterious buyer simply
designated as "B.B.". At the sale, it was sold to a
mysterious buyer later identified as the 34th
Ottomon Sultan, Abd al-Hamid II. Hamid II was
ultimately defeated by opposition that became known
as the Young Turks. One version of events holds that
in exile, he entrusted his jewels to a servant who
betrayed him and sold them in Paris, including the
large diamond known as the "Idol's Eye." The Idol's
Eye re-emerged at the end of World War II, when it
was acquired by a Dutch dealer, and subsequently by
Harry Winston in 1946. Winston sold it to Mrs. May
Bonfils Stanton, the daughter of the publisher and
co-founder of the Denver Post. It was reported that
Mrs. Stanton lived in isolation in a palatial
mansion and wore the Idol's Eye to her solitary
breakfast every morning. After her death, the
diamond went through a succession of owners, until
it was sold with two other important stones to a
private buyer.
Read more about 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. The third largest
diamond in the world is the Incomparable. It is a golden yellow-orange
color, pear shaped, and weighs 407 carats. The fourth largest faceted
diamond in the world is the Cullinan II. It was cut from the same stone
as the Star of Africa - aka Cullinan I. It weighs 317.40 carats and is a
cushion cut...
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,...
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...
History of Diamonds
The history of diamonds. Before the Medieval era Diamonds were worn
rough, or cut and polished only on their upper surfaces. It was in this form
that diamonds used to ornament temples, goblets, reliquaries, and crowns. The
history of cutting Diamonds dates back to the beginning of the 1400's in Paris.
Diamonds became popular in jewelry and from this time the history of diamonds
accelerated and many famous diamonds were cut. Read on the history timeline of
diamonds details important dates relating to famous diamonds and the history of
diamonds....
Read more...
A Diamond is Forever
De Beers launched a multi-million dollar "A Diamond is For Ever" advertising
campaign to rekindle the demand. With N.W. Iyer, its U.S. advertising agency, it
had developed aggressive campaign to promote sales of diamond anniversary rings
and jewelry for men... ...
Read more...
Buying Jewelry from Online (Internet) Stores
Internet has made the world a small place. Beautiful
jewelry from many countries and much more variety and
beauty ever imagined is available on online stores. If
you can get very good quality jewelry at lower prices
with more variety in designs, then online jewelry stores
are always a better choice. And this is true with many
renowned online jewelry websites! Online jewelry
buying.....
Read more...
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...
Read 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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Information Summary...
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World's Largest Diamonds - Idol's Eye
