A large 45.52 carat, fancy deep grayish-blue diamond, housed in Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington D.C. the ?Hope Diamond? is legendary for the curse it puts on whomever possesses it. The diamond appears blue to the naked eye due to the presence of small traces of boron within it. It exhibits a red phosphorescence under ultraviolet light. When exposed to ultraviolet light the diamond glows a mysterious red.
The phosphorescence of the diamond comes from boron present in the stone, an element that makes it appear blue in normal light and red when exposed to ultraviolet light indicating a different mix of nitrogen with boron. Historians believe that the diamond was cut from a larger gem that was first found in India. The diamond is thought as an historic gem and is considered as a rare scientific specimen that has an ability to provide vital insights into our knowledge of diamonds and their formation.
The deep blue diamond is the centerpiece of gem collection at the Natural Museum of Natural History. The hope diamond is the most powerful jewel on display. It is described as fancy dark grayish-blue. The stone exhibits an unusually intense and strongly-coloured type of luminescence; after exposure to long-wave ultraviolet light, the diamond produces a brilliant red phosphorescence that persists for some time after the light source has been switched off. The diamond is believed to be a part of the stolen French Blue crown jewel. The diamond is believed to be cursed. The diamond was stolen from a Hindu statue. It was believed to be one of the two eyes of the idol, and when the diamond was found missing a curse was placed on whoever owned the diamond. The legend claimed that Tavernier had died of the fever soon after he owned the diamond. The diamond was also blamed for the fall from the king's favor of madame, the beheadings of Louis XVI, mutilation and beheading of the Princesse de Lamballe.
Some may consider these characters as fictitious, but the history still remains unverified. A diamond cutter Wilhelm Fals was killed after his son Hendrik had stolen the diamond. There are many such instances which prove that the owner of the diamond had met their misfortune either by death or being broken financially. Even with its curse the stone came to be known as blue diamond of the crown or the French blue. The diamond was set in the gold and suspended on a neck ribbon for the King to wear on special ceremonial occasions. The diamond was claimed to be owned by many. Finally it was donated to Smithsonian by jeweler Harry Winston, the now 45.52 carat gem stone is the world's largest blue diamond.
Blue Diamond Smokehouse Almonds
The blue diamond sometimes varies in hues. One of the most common hues is the deep aquamarine. Diamonds with this color seem to look better in appearance with more color saturation. There are some that are too pale, known as little aquas. They do not look great on smaller stones, but they boast their beauty in large stones.
There is also the so called green tinge. But unlike the deep aquamarine, the green tinge colored diamond is not that favored, although they tend to be attractive. It is for this reason that green tinge diamond is not so common.
Aside from deep aquamarine and green tinge, the Gemological Institute of America has made eight distinct color saturation grades for the blue diamond. These colors include very light, light, fancy light, fancy, intense, deep, dark, and vivid. Certain color combinations, however, was discovered, such as the gray blue and the green blue. Well, according to some studies, these colors found in blue diamonds can be accounted to the stones boron content. It is actually the mineral, boron, which makes such color variations possible.
Just like the colorless and the rest of the colored gemstones, the blue diamond is produced in different cuts and shapes.The most well known is the round brilliant, which is but considered as the modern form. There is also the heart or romantic shape, which is designed as a modification of the round brilliant cut. For those who are romantics, this kind of cut and shape will surely suit your needs. In addition, this diamond sometimes comes in pear shape. This shape is to some degree similar to the heart shape in that it is also a modification of the round brilliant.
Today, certain modern shapes were developed for blue diamonds. Of the available, the princess cut is the most well known. It attracts thousands of customers worldwide mainly for its unique combination of square with the brilliance of a brilliant cut. Aside from princess, there is also the so called Marquise or Navette cut, which has long been deemed as better in fancy colored diamonds than in plain vanilla. Just like the basic shapes, the marquise cut is an adaptation of the round brilliant.
The blue diamond further varies in carat weight and the degree of clarity. The carat weigh, however, do not necessary denotes the quality of it. It just defines the diamond by its weight. But clarity, on the other hand, counts much. Just like the cut and color, it affects the quality and price of the blue diamond. As what many have said, the clearer the diamond is, the better it sparks and the higher it costs.
Most of these diamonds today are sold more expensive than the near colorless ones. They are often treated to obtain the desired color, and that several treatments for this gemstone have been formulated and sold for the jewelers to use.
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