The most famous diamonds in the world carry with them rich histories of the fortune and calamity of the lives which they have touched throughout time. Some world renowned diamonds have made the journey through the hands of royalty over centuries while others have only been unearthed in recent decades. Here we examine a few of the most coveted diamonds that have ever been discovered.
-The Hope Diamond: Perhaps the most well-known diamond in the United States, the Hope diamond endured hundreds of years and passed through several owners before it was donated by Harry Winston Inc. to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958. This 45.52 carat dark grayish blue cushion antique cut diamond has long been thought to bestow upon its owners a curse of tragedy and misfortune.
-The Cullinan Diamond: The largest rough diamond ever unearthed, the original Cullinan was discovered in South Africa in 1905 and weighed an astonishing 3,106 carats. The Cullinan diamond, named after the owner of the mining company where it was discovered, was later cut into 105 diamonds, the most notable of which is the pear shaped Cullinan I, also known as the Star of Africa diamond, weighing 530.2 carats. For many years the Star of Africa was known as the largest cut diamond in the world, though in recent years this record has been surpassed by The Golden Jubilee, at 545.67 carats, and a nameless fancy black diamond weighing in at 555.55 carats.
-The Regent Diamond: Thought by many to be the most stunning diamond worldwide, the perfectly cut Regent Diamond has a history of both prestige and voracity. The Regent was originally called the Pitt after Sir Thomas Pitt, a governor who purchased the diamond in the 1700s and had it cut and polished into the cushion shaped, 140.5 carat diamond in the French Royal Treasury today. Becoming known as the Regent in 1717 when it was purchased for the French Crown, the Regent Diamond has adorned the Crown of Louis XV and the sword of Napoleon Bonaparte.
-The Centenary Diamond: Esteemed by diamond connoisseurs for its purity and color, the Centenary Diamond was discovered at the Premier Mine in July of 1986. Weighing 599.10 carats in the rough, the Centenary Diamond was carefully cut by Gabi Tolkowsky into the present day 273.85 carat modern cut flawless diamond residing since 1991 at the Tower of London.
-The Orlov (sometimes called Orloff): This uniquely shaped diamond was set in the Imperial Sceptre during the reign of Catherine the Great in the late 1700s. The shape of this bluish green tinted diamond weighing in at 189.62 carats has been widely likened to that of half of a pigeon’s egg. The distinctive shape of the Orlov leads many to believe that there exists a counterpart that has yet to be discovered.
Malcolm Mclaren World Famous
The Earth Star was found in the Jagersfontein Mine in 1967. It was cut from a raw stone of about 248.9 carats into a Pear shaped stone weighing 111.59 carats. At the time it was considered the largest faceted brown diamond in the world. This particular stone shows a degree of brilliance that is not usually found in gems with such a strong color. It was sold in 1983 to Stephen Zbova of Naples for $900,000.
Eureka Diamond
This gem is not exceptional but it was the very first diamond found in South Africa. It was found by a shepherd boy in 1866 on the bank of the Orange River near Hopetown. It was passed from hand to hand by several people without it becoming know that it was a diamond until Dr. W. G. Atherstone of Grahamstone came into possession of the pebble. Dr Atherstone was one of the very few people in the Cape colony who knew anything about gemstones. It was cut into a 21.25 brownish yellow diamond and sold in 1867.
Excelsior Diamond
This stone was found at the Jagersfontein mine by one of the workers in a shovel full of gravel. Instead of giving it to his overseer as was required he hid it in his pocket and gave it directly to the Mine Manager. This 995.2 carat diamond has suffered a tragic fate ever since and is considered to be the Great Unknown of famous diamonds. It just happened to be found on the exact day that a consortium of London firms that had the purchase rights to the mines output expired. Had the diamond been found a couple of hours earlier the history of the Excelsior Diamond may have been much different. The Excelsior Diamond is the second largest rough diamond of gem quality ever found only surpassed by the Cullinan diamond. Since a buyer could not be found for such a large stone it was decided to cut the stone into a number of smaller stones the largest being only 69.68 carats. It was stated by Alpheus F. Williams, who later became the General Manager of the De Beers company, considering the decision to cleave the diamond into several smaller fragments as the greatest tragedy of modern times in the history of famous diamond in the world. In 1996 it was sold to Robert Mouawad for $2,642,000.
Florentine Diamond - Cubic Zirconium replication
This is another of the Great Lost famous diamonds of the world. Only black and white photos exist of this famous stone prior to its disappearance in 1921. It is a 137.27-carat diamond with light yellow colorations with very slight greenish overtones. Legend has it that Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy was warring it when he fell in battle in 1467. The diamond was then found on the body by a foot solder that though it was glass. It is thought to have been owned by Pope Julius II, The Grand duke of Tuscany in 1657, and later as part of the Hapsburg Crown Jewels. It is believed to have been re-cut into an 80 carat round diamond that was sold in 1981 and its present location is unknown.
The Golden Jubilee
This diamond is currently considered as the largest faceted diamond in the whole world at 545.67 carts. Also known as the fire rose cut diamond, this diamond has a unique fancy yellow-brown color that made it one of the most beautiful pieces of stone ever unearthed. It received its name when it was presented to the King of Thailand in 1997 for his 50th anniversary of his coronation.
Both Ian Maher & David Cowley are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Ian Maher has sinced written about articles on various topics from Diamonds, Jewelry and Diamonds. About the Author: Ian Maher is the CEO of Maliere, a leading provider of and other diamond platinum rings and gold rings. For more information, please visit ww. Ian Maher's top article generates over 2900 views. to your Favourites.
David Cowley has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, Aging Supplement and Heart Conditions. David Cowley has created numerous articles on Diamonds. He has also created a Web Site dedicated to Diamonds. Visit . David Cowley's top article generates over 110000 views. to your Favourites.
Cheap New York City Vacation No matter when you plan to take a New York City NY vacation, check out the many wonderful things to do and places to stay while you are visiting this very special place.