The uncomplicated however stylish lines of marquise diamond engagement rings  create them one of the very fashionable preferences for nuptial sets in addition to other intonated jewels and solitaires. This particular marquise shape is supposed to have originated in the early eighteenth century in France. It is also rumored that King Louis the fourteenth innovated a new shape in order to impersonate her hot and inviting smile. This in turn resulted into a shape that is oval and then has pointed ends. The name also was derived from the name of his mistress “Marquise De Pompador”.

In the present day, the marquise shape is a huge attraction amongst the newly wed couples and is also the best choice for all those masses who do not wish to be associated with the typical round shape. For the reason that it has an elongated shape, it is also called the navette diamond. These diamonds possess a particular illusive effect. Just because the mass of the stone is accumulated on the top it often appears to be bigger than the actual size when studded in the gold wedding bands. This is an alluring effect for all those couples who have a tight budget towards their wedding.

The diamond Jubilee of De Beers Consolidated Mines passed off quietly in 1948, the massive post-WWII growth and expansion of the diamond industry had barely begun, while several important sources of diamonds, including the Premier Mine, were still closed, while others remained to be discovered. Forty years later the annual output of diamonds exceeded 100 million carats and sales of rough diamonds reached around $5 billion.

On March 11th, 1988, the centenary celebrations of De Beers took place in Kimberly and a banquet was held to close the Kimberly Mine (aka the “Big Hole”). An audience of four hundred people, including representatives of several national governments of diamond-producing countries and dignitaries from various sections of the industry, listened to the welcoming speech of the chairman, Julian Oglivie Thompson, totally unprepared for his final sentence: “We have recovered at the Premier Mine a diamond of 599 carats which is perfect in color - indeed it is one of the largest top-color diamonds ever found. Naturally it will be called the Centenary Diamond.”

The Centenary, appearing to be lit by multi-colored lights.

No more fitting way of celebrating 100 years of achievement by De Beers could have been devise than the discovery of such a diamond and nowhere was it more likely to have been recovered than at the Premier Mine. Over the years this extraordinary mine has produced several outstanding diamonds of the most superb color, which have been cut into famous gems: The Cullinan in 1905; the Niarchos in 1954; the Taylor-Burton in 1966 and the Premier Rose in 1978. Now that the second millennium has ended, it is interesting to reflect that only nineteen gem-quality diamonds larger than the Centenary rough have been found during its course. The Premier Mine itself has produced nearly three hundred stones weighing more than 100 carats, and a quarter of the world’s diamonds weighing more than 400 carats.

The Centenary was found on July 17th, 1986 by the electric X-ray recovery system at the Premier Mine. Only a handful of people knew about it and all were sworn to silence. In its rough form it resembled an irregular matchbox with angular planes, a prominent elongated “horn” jutting out at one corner and a deep concave on the largest flat surface. The shape of the stone expressed problems in cutting with no apparent solution.

The man chosen to evaluate the Centenary was Gabi Tolkowsky, famed in the diamond industry as one of the most accomplished cutters in the world. His family had long been in the diamond trade and it was his great-uncle, Marcel Tolkowsky, diamond expert and mathmetician, who published a book in 1919 titled “Diamond Design”, which for the first time set out exact ways of cutting the modern round brilliant cut. Gabi Tolkowsky himself was the creator of five new diamond cuts, revealed in 1988, which concentrate on maximizing brilliance, color or yield - or a combination of all three from off-color rough diamonds previously thought difficult to cut profitably into conventional round or fancy shapes. Named for flowers, the cuts are largely based on unorthodox angle dimensions. The overall proportions as well as the use of more facets around the pavilion increase brilliance and improve visual impact when viewed face-up.

Gabi Tolkowsky examines the Centenary with a jeweler’s loupe.
A good photo to show you how massive this diamond is.

When he first saw the Centenary, Tolkowsky was astounded by its exceptional purity. “Usually you have to look into a diamond to appreciate its color, but this just expressed itself from its surface. That is very rare,” Tolkowsky said. He knew the protruding “horn” would have to be removed as well as other “asperities,” as he called them, which interfered with the stone’s basic shape. At the same time, Tolkowsky realized that the diamond would be difficult to polish because its shape did not offer an obvious approach. Usually a diamond will suggest two or three shapes to its cutter but the Centenary was more generous - if more baffling - by providing several possibilities. In the end Tolkowsky submitted his appraisal, saying that the diamond must be kept intact to produce one singe large modern-cut diamond.

He was asked to cut the Centenary, and late in 1988 Tolkowsky, two master cutters - Geoff Woolett and Jim Nash - together with a handpicked group of engineers, electricians and security guards set to work in a specially designed underground room in the De Beers Diamond Research Laboratory in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was crucial that the room, like the special tools needed for faceting, should be stable and strong; nothing must rattle, everything must be tight, there should be no mechanical vibration or variation in temperature around the cutting table.

For one whole year while the right tools and technical conditions were created, the Centenary remained unaltered and untouched. Tolkowsky examined the stone until he knew every fissure and crevice of it. Using the most sophisticated electronic instruments he gazed deep into the crystal structure. “From the moment I knew I was going to cut it,” he said, “I became another man. A strange man. I was looking at the stone in the day, and the stone was looking at me at night.”

Picture

A picture of the Centenary in the hand of some unknown hand model. Another good photo to show scale.

The first step before the diamond could be faceted was the elimination of large cracks from the edge of the stone running a considerable depth inside it. He decided not to saw or cut with a laser because both methods would heat or vibrate the diamond. Instead, he turned to the time-honored method of kerfing by hand. It took Tolkowsky 154 days to remove about 50 carats which otherwise would have been polished to dust. At the end was a roughly-shaped rounded crystal about the size of a bantam’s egg, weighing about 520 carats. After that was an endless process of drawing and measuring as possible shape designs began to emerge. In all, thirteen different designs were presented to the De Beers board, with the strong recommendation they should chose a modified heart shape. Once this recommendation had been accepted, the final process of faceting the Centenary began in March, 1990. By January, 1991 it was nearing completion.

When cutting was completed the Centenary weighed 273.85 carats, measured 39.90 × 50.50 × 24.55 mm, and had 247 facets - 164 on the stone and 83 around its girdle. Never before had such a high number of facets been polished onto a diamond. In addition, two flawless pear shapes weighing 1.47 and 1.14 carats were cut from the rough. Amoung top-color diamonds the Centenary is surpassed only by the Cullinan II, which were cut from the Cullinan crystal before modern symmetrical cuts were fully developed in the 1920’s, making the Centenary the largest modern fancy cut diamond in the world and the only one to combine the oldest methods - such as kerfing - with the most sophisticated modern technology in cutting. The Cullinan diamonds are actually near-colorless, but qualify as white diamonds. The GIA color grading letters D, E and F qualify as colorless, and the Centenary is the best of the three - a ‘D’. This spectacular gem, which has become the ultimate example of those qualities was shown to the world for the first time in May, 1991. Mr. Nicholas Oppenheimer, then Deputy Chairman of De Beers rightly declared “Who can put a price on such a stone?” confirming that it was insured for around $100 million.

Whether the Centenary Diamond has since been sold is a mystery. The De Beers Group’s policy is not to dislose such information so that the anonymity of its clients is protected. Some day the Centenary will probably resurface, perhaps at auction, or in a museum display housing some country’s crown jewels.

Source: Famous Diamonds by Ian Balfour, The Nature of Diamonds by George E. Harlow, and the De Beers website.

Nur-Ul-Ain is the most important whitish pink diamond of the crown made for Empress Farah’s wedding ceremony to the Shah of Iran; Moahammad Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1958 is planned by Harry Winston and mined at Golconda in Hyderabad, India. It is one of the biggest pink diamonds present in the world today, of course subsequent to the Darya-ye Noor. These two for the largest part are distinguished diamonds in the midst of the Iranian tiara gems.

Nur-Ul-Ain in Persian and Arabic languages means the radiance of the eye.

This diamond is supposed to have been brought all along with Darya-ye Noor from India. The Nur-Ul-Ain is an egg-shaped radiant cut weighing more or less 60 carats. Nur-ul Ain is a category IIa diamond. The crown that contains Nur-Ul-Ain in addition has 324 diamonds studded on it.

There are a small amount of grand secrets kept from the acquaintance of the contemporary historian, who writes down the events of the time for the newspaper Press. An expensive stone of more than normal significance sees the light to-day, and to-morrow its beginning is very well known to the entire world. After that due archives are kept of its travels and adventures. Its comings and goings are noted as substance of widespread curiosity. We may possibly not be well-versed of the speckled maneuverings in which it is a feature, but it is on evidence, it is catalogued in the world’s museum of resources; the “bull’s-eye of the Press” has been twisted upon it; the opinions of Queens and Emperors in view to it are registered, in addition to the decision of experts and scientists; in small it belongs to history.

What might not an inventive fancy build upon the vague traditions which hang about the story of the Nizam diamond? Although one of the very largest stones in the world, little or nothing reliable is known about it, except as to its size, estimated value, and its fortunate owner.

Barbot says that, “the King of Golconda possesses a magnificent stone in the rough state. It is known by the name of the Nizam, weighs 340 carats, and is valued at 5,000,000 francs” (pound 200,000). For “the King of Golconda,” a title which has long been obsolete, though still flourishing in French literature, we should here read, “the Nizam of Hyderabad.” This prince, who is the most powerful semi-independant ruler in the Deccan, is a lineal descendant of the former Mogul Viceroy of Golconda, and in his territory are situated the famous diamond-fields popularly known as the Golconda mines. Of these mines, the Kollur, on the river Kistna, was the most productive, and was especially noted for the unusually large crystals yielded by it. Here was undoubtedly found the Great Mogul, and here also, in all probability, was discovered that stone now known as the Nizam, from the official title of its princely owner.

Little importance can be attached to the statement that this remarkable crystal is valued at pound 200,000; for it is still in the rough state. The necessary process of reduction is well-known to be always attended with more or less risk, so that the most skilled expert would scarcely hazard his reputation by venturing an opinion on the intrinsic character of a rough diamond before it has been manipulated by the cutter and polisher. In the hands of the cutter many unsuspected blemishes are often revealed, which require the diamond to be greatly reduced in size, or even cleaved into several pieces. But the Nizam has a good reputation, and it is probable that it might be advantageously cut without sacrificing more than one half of its present weight. Viz., 340 carats. In that case it would still rank with the very largest gems on record.

King describes it as, “somewhat almond-shaped, almost in its native condition, although it seems to exhibit some traces of an attempt to shape it into the mystic Yoni, probably with the intention of it being placed, as her usual attribute, in the land of Parvati, the goddess of generation. In the cast from it, which I have examined, the ineffectual attempts of the Hindu lapidary to work the obdurate material to his fancy are extremely curious.” Then he adds, “This stone was by some very ominous accident broken asunder in the year of the great Indian revolt. Weight 340 carats.” But he does not say whether this weight refers to its size before or after its breakage.

Dieulafait gives its estimated value at pound 200,000, and it has been stated that its original weight, before being fractured, was no less than 440 carats. If so it was the largest genuine diamond ever discovered except the Great Mogul, and it is remarkable that both of these enormous specimens came apparently from the same rich diamantiferous district of Kollur in the Kistna Valley. It is quite possible that the breaking of the stone, accidental or otherwise, regarded as an omen of trouble, may have had its influence on historical events; for not only uncivilized and Oriental potentates, but Christian kings and learned men have given to precious stones wonderful powers. In mediaeval days carbuncles were credited with an influence on poisons; jasper was believed to cure fevers; agate ministered to defective eye-sight; and carnelian stopped hemorrhage.

Juvenal records of a ring, belonging to Cicero that it endowed him with eloquence; and Edward the Confessor had a ring which was believed to cure epilepsy. It seems, however, to be the especial privilege of the diamond in affairs of love to have an influence only second to that of the fabled Cupid himself. What part the Nizam may have played in the intrigues and passions of Courts and peoples the present historian knoweth not; and as it is his purpose to adhere as far as possible to mere facts, without, however, setting aside tradition, he must leave to the imagination of the reader the possibilities of adventure which are suggested by the blanks that are left, wide and deep, in the history of the Nizam.

The Hope Diamond is a large (45.52 carat), deep blue diamond, currently housed in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. The diamond is legendary for the curse it supposedly puts on whoever possesses it. The Hope Diamond appears a brilliant blue to the naked eye because of trace amounts of boron within the diamond. The Hope Diamond exhibits red phosphorescence under ultraviolet light and is classified as a Type IIb diamond.

The first stories about the supposed curse of the Hope Diamond surfaced in 1909. In the June 25 issue of The Times an article written by the Paris correspondent listed a number of supposed owners who had come to an ignoble end.

According to legend, Tavernier stole the diamond from a Hindu idol. The diamond was one of the two eyes of the idol, and when the priests noticed it was missing, they placed a curse on whoever owned the diamond. One reason that this is not accepted is that the Hope’s sister has not been found. The legend claimed that Tavernier died of fever soon after, and that his body was torn apart by wolves (but the historical record shows that he actually lived to 84). The Hope Diamond was blamed for the fall from the king’s favor of madame Athenais de Montespan and French finance minister Nicolas Fouquet, the beheadings of Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and the rape, mutilation and beheading of the Princesse de Lamballe. The legend added fictitious persons: diamond cutter Wilhelm Fals (killed when his son Hendrik stole it); Hendrik Fals (suicide); Francois Beaulieu (starvation after he sold it to Daniel Eliason).

Simon Frankel (alleged to be in financial difficulties) had supposedly sold it to Jacques Colot (suicide); the next owner, Russian prince Kanitowski, who supposedly lent it to French actress Lorens Ladue, who he later shot, and was later himself killed by revolutionaries; jeweler Simon Montharides (killed with his family) and Turkish Sultan Abdul Hamid (the diamond was blamed for his forced abdication) who had supposedly killed various members of his court for the stone. There is no evidence that most of these people ever existed.

May Yohe blamed the Hope for her misfortunes. In July 1902, months after Lord Francis divorced her, she told police in Australia that her lover, Putnam Strong, had abandoned her and taken her jewels. Incredibly, the couple reconciled, married later that year, but divorced in 1910. On her third marriage by 1920, she persuaded film producer George Kleine to back a 15-episode serial The Hope Diamond Mystery, which added more fictitious characters to the tale. It was not successful. In 1921, she hired Henry Leyford Gates to help her write The Mystery of the Hope Diamond, in which she starred as Lady Francis Hope. The film added more characters, including a fictionalized Tavernier, and added Marat among the diamond’s “victims”. She also wore her copy of the Hope, trying to generate more publicity to further her career.

Lord Francis Hope married Olive Muriel Thompson in 1904. They had three children before she died suddenly in 1912, a tragedy that has been attributed to The Curse.

Evalyn Walsh McLean added her own tales, including that one of the owners was Catherine the Great. McLean would bring the Diamond out for friends to try on, including Warren G. Harding and Florence Harding. McLean often strapped the Hope to her pet dog’s collar while in residence at Friendship, in northwest Washington D.C.. There are also stories that she would frequently misplace it at parties, and then make a children’s game out of finding the Hope.

However, since the diamond put in the care of the Smithsonian Institute, there has been no unusual incidents relating to it.

It is also falsely claimed that it is not possible to take a clear photograph of the Hope Diamond.

Susanne Steinem Patch, Blue Mystery : The Story of the Hope Diamond, Random House (April, 1999), trade paperback, ISBN 0-8109-2797-7; hardcover ISBN 0-517-63610-7
Janet Hubbard-Brown, The Curse of the Hope Diamond (History Mystery), Harpercollins Children’s Books (October, 1991), trade paperback, ISBN 0-380-76222-6

Country of origin: India
Mine of origin: Kollur mine
Date discovered: Surfaced in 1812
Original owner: Henry Phillip Hope
Current owner: Smithsonian Natural History Museum
Estimated value: $200,000,000 - $250,000,000

Kohinoor, which is the costliest diamond of the world, has a history of passing luck or ill luck to its entire list of possessors. The history goes like this…

The most important metropolitan of Delhi was primarily recognized as Hastinapur, formed towards south where Qutab Minar was built up. It was established around 1000 BC to 3000 BC and it can be traced from the Hindu epic of the Mahabharta, where the very last dynasty of Emperor Parikshat (Parikshit) ruled and the epoch was popularly known as the one with truth and justice.

Emperor Parikshat passed the Kohinoor Jewel to his son Janmejya. It distorted hands from sire to son with a range of territorial developments that occurred at the same time with changing hands of the celebrated precious stone called Kohinoor Diamond. It just about moved from one ruler to another. In due course, this prominent Kohinoor Diamond of unparalleled jewel worth knocked down into the hands of British authorities. This piece of jewelry was either captured or snatched.

This diamond weighs over 240 carats and it was formerly in the possession of Surya Rishi also known as the sun-god. He had to do immense meditation near a region of southern India called the Golconda mines in modern India. The first person to snatch the Kohinoor was the Persian king Nadir Shah from the King of Malwa. It is believed that the Kohinoor was initially found on the banks of Godavari when the king found it in 1304.

All those kings who wanted the Kohinoor knew the importance from the luck point of view. Mohammad Shah was so adamant about the diamond that he used to hide it in his turban. We are all aware about the turban trick in history between Nadir Shah and Mohammad Shah. During the early nineteenth century, the ruler of Kabul, Shah Shuja succeeded in seizing the diamond and after his imprisonment, the diamond was taken over by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Dalip Singh, the youngest son of Ranjit Singh was the last Indian to possess the Kohinoor, but in the year 1849 it was captured by the British authorities.

The East India Company shipped the diamond to England the Queen was presented with this diamond on the 3rd of July, 1851. Today it is in a reduced form and is placed along with 1800 diamonds on the Queen’s crown. All of the British kings and queens, who had it, never knew the proper procedure to preserve it and hence it is more of a curse now than a blessing.

The diamond belongs to the planet Saturn,which is a slow planet and hence it takes about 10 to 25 years in order to show its effects. Maharaja Ranjit Singh got this precious stone in 1813 and it affected him after 25 years and he suffered from a paralyzed attack in 1839 and died in the same year. In 1849, exactly after 10 years, the British forces toppled his kingdom, which was controlled by members of his family.

The effect of Kohinoor makes females or queens more possessive, self centered and self-seeking, forcing them to lose some territory, reputation and brings unhappiness at home, breaks home and ultimately may end the monarchy as per my occult reading of this Gem.

The Great Britain, whether they admit or not, had to struggle hard to save their reputation. They had to struggle hard to retain possession of the Falkland Islands also known in Spanish as the Islas Malvinas. The Falklands consist of two large and many small islands in the South Atlantic Ocean east of Argentina, whose ownership had long been a big question mark. The UK had to confront with Argentina from 19th March to14th June 1982 in a war known as “Falklands War”.

The great Britain had also to surrender the colony of Hong Kong to China in 1997, faced the tragedy of Prince Diana in the same year, suffered reputation in Iraq attack in 2003, by facing the wrath of their people, and then new marriage of Prince Charles with Camila in 2005 and uncertainty of future King of England.

Probably, no future for the young generation whether Prince Charles or his sons. Her Majesty the Queen of England, probably, wishes to serve and stay till her last breath. Hence Kohinoor is not lucky even for the Queens than the Kings as universally believed unless they observe and maintain the purity of the diamond.

Reference by Dr.R.B.Montgomery.

Diamonds are forever, ever wondered how they make these pieces of stones worthy of their price? Here is an interesting video that shows it all..

Share your thoughts on the different kinds of exquisite gems available on this planet besides “diamonds“…

Diamonds are usually believed to be the symbols of emotions like love, union, association, feelings and many more but conflict diamonds are something very dissimilar to these notions. They foster all the negative feelings such as hatred, anger, crisis, bloodshed, terror and much more. These conflict diamonds can be avoided while dealing with legitimate groups.

Conflict diamonds, in addition known as blood diamonds, are stones sold by terrorist groups to bring in some money for their inhuman activities. Conflict diamonds also included diamonds that are implicated in human rights abuses, including funding state sanctioned violence, environmental destruction, worker exploitation, child labor, and slave labor. Conflict diamonds are frequently raw, unpolished stones that are easily smuggled and traded for weapons or other supplies. The trade of these illicit stones fuels conflicts by providing financial support to continue rebellions against legitimate governments. Furthermore, they decrease the supply of stones for authorized trade and lower the country’s economic stability.

Diamond smuggling is most prevalent in Central and West African nations, such as Sierra Leone , Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Liberia. This part of the world is responsible for the majority of the legitimate diamond trade, and it is easier for rebel groups to procure stones for unlawful trade. In some cases, the groups’ allies or neighboring nations participate in the transactions in order to disguise the diamonds’ origins.

Within these nations, the majority of the conflict diamonds are found in alluvial or surface deposits, typically along rivers or rockslide areas. Because they do not require extensive mining, the stones are easier to gather and cheaper to smuggle.

A lot of couples today wish to pick up the most unique engagement ring and champagne diamond rings are one of the rarest kinds and present in the most intriguing colors. A number of couples compliment their wedding with a custom champagne drink, and champagne diamonds can bring that representation into the liaison every passing day. Their discriminating tinge and uncommonness makes them an impressive selection to stand for the most excellent connection, offering a stylish and only one of its kind styles to go with the couple’s luminous dedication.

There is actually either of the two things that contribute to the color of the diamond, either it has to be the impurities present in it or it has to be the unusual cuts in any given diamond. In case of the champagne colored diamonds it is the pattern of cuts that is mainly responsible for the subtle color. The crystalline structure is responsible for the beige hue in the middle of the structure that lightens as it reaches the edges. The same process forms the red or pink or any other colored diamond and they are all unique and exquisite. Those champagne diamonds that happen to have the tint of red or pink shades are by far the most valuable ones and come at a very high price.

Champagne diamonds are a delicate combination of brown and yellow hues and matches perfectly with the color of the drink. They can appear in a range of colors from pale bubbly champagne to cognac, depending on the clarity and the cuts.

Just as the rare liquors, these diamonds are pretty rare and many jewelry designers are in constant hunt for such diamonds and they often experiment these into vintage shapes or antique emerald or cushion cuts. A majority of these diamonds are seen in the tiffany settings for the reason that they will allow more light into the ring and set a fire in the appearance. These diamonds are largely used in men’s rings lately.

A whole lot of these diamonds are found at the Argyle mine in Australia that also produces the largest amount of pink diamonds.

Mokume gane, the very old Japanese fine art of layering and mixing precious metals for complicated models, is quickly turning out to be exceedingly admired for exclusive engagement rings. Mokume Gane rings are known for its exquisiteness and a designer named Peggie Robinson has been formulating this kind of jewelry for over more than 30 years. She has a wide ranging collection of Mokume Gane rings and launched her first mokume collection in 2001 and has been commercially designing the Mokume Gane pieces since 2003.

The most popular combination with Mokume Gane rings is that of the white and white combination of 18 carat white gold and platinum. Most of the mokume gane rings are ordered keeping this combination in mind. However these days a lot of couples do opt in for tricolor combination of yellow gold, rose gold and silver. A lot of innovative designs also include green and red platinum into these rings as well.

The proportion of Mokume Gane rings including diamonds and other precious stones is just about one out of four. These are time and again little spread out placed diamonds or solitaire diamonds, which are often in half or full blazes. These rings are very popular amongst men as the process of this ring often fascinates them.