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About Diamonds Information
Diamond History

Diamond history, diamond facts, about diamonds,
diamond quality, history of gemstone

  

Diamond history around some great Diamonds

History of Diamond started somewhere in today India this is where the first diamonds where found and used. Naturally there are plenty of other places where diamonds were and are found but the trail started in India. On the page are diamond facts and diamonds information, plenty about diamonds and a very important subject about diamond quality. Since the history of diamonds and history of gemstones come a long way since ancient times it is not possible to put this into one webpage.

The Hope diamond

was found in the Kollur mine in Golconda, India. The rough stone weighed 112 carat at present the gem is in the Smithsonian Museum. The history chain is typical and show close similarities to the trading of similar famous stones.

In 1668 Jean Baptiste Tavernier sold the diamond to King Louis XIV of France. The Paris jeweler Sieur Pitau cutted the stone into a triangular teardrop-shaped diamond with a weight of 67.50 carat. The famous piece got the name "French Blue" and was set in gold as a pendant the king showed at ceremonial occasions.

At the beginning of September 1792 (French Revolution) the jewel was stolen and brought to England to be sold, but was stolen again before. In 1824 the gem was discovered in the collection of Henry Philip Hope after the death of this gentlemen each of his three nephews wanted to claim he is the owner of the stone, finally Henry Hope managed to do a good buy diamond business and in 1841 the jewel was shown in an exhibition in London and in 1855 in an exhibition in Paris. But the story of the diamond trade is not over yet. In 1887 his wife Adele got hold of the gem and in 1901 Henry Francis Hope Pelham-Clinton, sold the Hope diamond for 29,000 Pounds to the British gem dealer

Adolf Weil. This gentleman sold the good piece to Simon Frankel another gem dealer. Mr. Frankel sold the jewel in 1908 to Salomon Habib from Paris for about $ 400,000,-. He sold the diamond again to another gem dealer Mr. Rosenau who sold the

Hope Diamond

to Mr. Pierre Cartier for $ 550.000,- In 1911, Cartier sold the stone to actress Evelyn Walsh MacLean who died in 1947. Now the next in the trade was Harry Winston of New York. The trustee sold the Hope Diamond to the New York diamond merchant Harry Winston. In August 1958, the diamond was shown again at an Canadian Exhibition and experts discovered that a lower facet was changed to enhance the brilliance. Finally (maybe) the diamond ended up in the National Gem Collection at the Smithsonian Museum.

There are also some strange creations like a corsage of Princess Mathilde, niece of Napoleon Bonaparte, made with 2,600 diamonds. A other art object is a platinum eternity ring with 35 baguette diamonds created in 2002 based on Marilyn Monroe's ring from her 1954 marriage to Joe DiMaggio. As one can see there is no limit to creativity together with precious stones. An unusually cut blue diamond with a royal history could fetch as much as $13 million when it goes under the hammer at Christie's. Blue diamonds are rare, and the 35.56 carat Wittelsbach Diamond has often had its color and clarity compared to the famed Hope Diamond, which is on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.

The Wittelsbach Diamond

is smaller than the Hope Diamond. The Wittelsbach Diamond was a favorite of European rulers for centuries. King Philip IV of Spain purchased the stone in 1664 and made it part of the dowry for his teenage daughter, the Infanta Margarita Teresa. Though she died relatively young, the diamond remained with her husband, Leopold I of Austria, and passed through a succession of his heirs. The stone got the Wittelsbach name after 1722 when Leopold's granddaughter married Charles of Bavaria, a member of the Wittelsbach family. The precious stone was with the Wittelsbach family until some time after 1918, when it was lost in the aftermath of World War I.

Christie's first auctioned the Wittelsbach diamond

in 1931, after which it disappeared from the public eye. The large Wittelsbach diamond resurfaced in the 1960s, when a jeweler recognized its historical significance and refused to re-cut it. Francois Curiel, Christie's international head of jewelry, described the diamond as "museum quality." It was the centerpiece of Christie's London jewelry sale. The 31-carat Wittelsbach-Graff diamond has been 

Hope Diamond
Hope Diamond with 45 caratLoose Diamond blue
Wittelsbach Diamond
Loose diamond Wittelsbach-Graff re-cut
Loose diamond Wittelsbach-Graff re-cut

re-cut (2010) by Graff Jewelry  who bought this marvelous precious stone and had the stone modified. The over 300 years old 'rose cut' was modified and got more facets. Die diamond looks more blue now and sparkles better, naturally the form was changed and the stone has 4.5 carats less now. The modification of the blue diamond led led to some controversy because of its historic background which is simply gone in terms of appearance. But from time to time things change it looks that's the same with diamonds. The only famous blue diamond left now in its original cut and form is the Hope Diamond.
A 603 carat white diamond, the Lesotho Promise

was auctioned at Antwerp for US$12.36 million. The uncut 

Loose Diamond
Lesotho Promise 603 Carat

diamond, which has been named The Lesotho Promise, is the largest gem-quality diamond found this century and ranks as the 15th largest diamond ever found. The stone was recovered at Letseng Mine in Lesotho, southern Africa. The Mine is owned and operated by Gem Diamond Mining Company of Africa Ltd, with its 30% partner the Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Graff Jewelry submitted the winning bid of US$12.36 million. for the Lesotho Promise, Graff Jewelers. The diamond jewelry picture right above shows an example what a excellent diamond cut can get out of one big diamond of the

size of the Lesotho promise diamond.

Laurence Graff bought a pink diamond ring for over 46 million dollars at an auction in Geneva. The auction in a Geneva luxury hotel was done by Sotheby', the 24.78 Carat gem is one of the most beautiful in the world, Mr. Graff claimed. The ring with the pink diamond was last sold about 60 years ago and acquired by New York jeweler Harry Winston. Former price record holder was a 35.56 carat blue diamond, now called the Wittelsbach-Graff this fine piece was purchased in 2008 for over 24 million dollars, see picture above.

Probably the biggest collection
in the whole world are the donated antique diamonds in the "diamond orb" on top of the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon or Rangoon, Myanmar or Burma.

The ruby diamond and other precious stones are the result of donations for the Shwedagon Pagoda over almost 2000 years.

Over time kings, queens and other people of Myanmar or Burma have continuously donated all kind of gold jewelry, Myanmar precious stones, loose diamonds, cut diamonds and rubies to be included into the diamond orb at the top of the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon Myanmar even diamond rings and other diamond jewelry were donated, this is probably the biggest and most valuable collection of precious stones in the world.

 Diamond history
Ruby Gold Jewelry
From time to time the Shwedagon Pagoda get renovated and then all the treasures at the top of the pagoda become visible. All this treasure has been donated to gain merits as it is usual with Buddhist people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diamonds, Diamond history, diamond facts, diamonds information, about diamonds, diamond quality, history of diamonds, history of gemstone.
 
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