The Zales Light of Peace was cut from a 434.60 carat rough stone. Its origin is unknown, but it is believed to have come from Sierra Leone. It was acquired by the Zale Corp. in Texas. The stone weighs 130.27 cts and is D in color and VVS1 in clarity. In 1969 the Zale Corporation… Continue reading The Light of Peace
Category: Ask Diamond Mike
The Incomparable Diamond
The Incomparable was found in its rough state weighing 890 carats, and was found in the Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) in the 1980s. It was found by a young young girl playing in a pile of rubble outside her uncle's house. This rubble had been legitimately collected from old mine dumps from a nearby… Continue reading The Incomparable Diamond
The Pink Condé Diamond
The Pink Condé is one of the most unusual of the world's notable diamonds: a light pink pear-shaped stone of 9.01 carats. Agents of Louis XIII are said to have bought the stone in 1643 after which the King presented it to Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Condé, who had distinguished himself as Commander of… Continue reading The Pink Condé Diamond
The Cullinan, the Star of Africa
The largest rough diamond ever found, the Cullinan originally 3,106 carats (about 1 1/2 pounds!) It was eventually cut into 9 major stones, two of which are in the British Crown Jewels, and 96 smaller stones. The Cullinan I, which is the pear-shaped diamond in this sceptre weighs 530.20 cts. The Cullinan l is the… Continue reading The Cullinan, the Star of Africa
Star of Sierra Leone
Weighing almost a half pound, The Star of Sierra Leone is the third largest rough diamond ever discovered. At 969.80 carats, the Star of Sierra Leone is the third largest rough diamond ever discovered. It was found on February 14, 1972, at the Diminco Mine in Sierra Leone. Harry Winston purchased the Star of Sierra… Continue reading Star of Sierra Leone
The Hope
This natural blue diamond was found by the famous gem dealer Tavernier on one of his voyages to India, tearing the stone from the staute of the god, Rama Sita. After selling the stone to Louis XIV, it is said that Tavernier was ruined, and had to sail again to India, meeting an atrocious death… Continue reading The Hope
The Portuguese Diamond
The 127 carat Portugese diamond fluoresces blue under ultraviolet light. The Portuguese Diamond weighs 127.01 carats. It's near flawless clarity and unusual octagonal emerald cut make it one of the world's most magnificent diamond gems. It is perhaps more than a little surprising, then, that so little documented information exists about it's origin and early… Continue reading The Portuguese Diamond
The Golden Jubilee
The Golden Jubilee is the largest faceted diamond in the world, weighing 545.67 carats. The stone was designed by Gabi Tolkowsky, who also designed the Centenary Diamond. The Golden Jubilee was presented to the King of Thailand in 1997 for his Golden Jubilee - the 50th anniversary of his coronation. Prior to this event, the… Continue reading The Golden Jubilee
It’s About Clarity
A diamond is born deep within the earth. When you combine unimaginable heat and pressure for about one million years, you beget a coveted gem that remains the hardest natural substance in the universe: crystallized carbon. (Believe it or not, the carbon in a diamond is the same element as the graphite in your pencil,… Continue reading It’s About Clarity
The Dresden Green Diamond
The Dresden Green is a spectacular rare green diamond weighing 40.70 carats. Green diamonds of any size are truly rare. The Dresden Green, which probably weighed over 100 carats in its rough form, is unique among world famous diamonds. The color is usually caused by the crystal's coming into contact with a radioactive source at… Continue reading The Dresden Green Diamond
Diamond Grading: There’s More than Just 4 C’s
http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2012/10/25/daily-prompt-2/ Most people know about the 4 C's of diamond grading. Those are important, but they're not the only factors a gemologist has to take into consideration when grading a diamond. Here's a little information about some of those other factors: Flourescence Some gem-quality diamonds fluoresce: they emit light when exposed to long-wave ultraviolet light.… Continue reading Diamond Grading: There’s More than Just 4 C’s
The Idol’s Eye Diamond
The first authenticated fact of the Idol's Eye was its appearance at a Christie's sale in London on July 14th, 1865. It was knocked down to a mysterious buyer simply designated as "B.B." Later it is stated that the 34th Ottoman Sultan, Abdul Hamid II (1842-1918) owned the Idol's Eye. However the Idol's Eye would… Continue reading The Idol’s Eye Diamond
The Centenary Diamond – Almost 600 carats!
The 599.10 carat Centenary Diamond was discovered on July 17, 1986. In its rough form it resembled an irregular matchbox. It took a select team of master cutters almost three years to complete its transformation into the 273.85 carat diamond it is today. The Centenary Diamond, which is now the world's largest top color, flawless,… Continue reading The Centenary Diamond – Almost 600 carats!
The Regent
The finest diamond of the French crown. Discovered in 1698 on the River Krisna in India, it was worn in varous headdresses by Louis XV, Louis XVI and Queen MarieAntoinette. It was also mounted on Napoleon Bonaparte's pommel of his court sword when he was crowned emperor of the French in 1804. Later , Charles… Continue reading The Regent
“Chocolate” Diamonds
"Chocolate" diamonds is simply a marketing term for brown diamonds. When I started the business in the 80's, the new Arglye mine in Australia produced many brownish diamonds. The lighter shades were already marketed as "champagne" diamonds. To give the darker brown shades more attention, a jewelry diamond company quickly trademarked the term" chocolate diamonds."… Continue reading “Chocolate” Diamonds