Centenary Diamond
Originally discovered at the Premier mine, back in the 1980s, this 273.85 carat beauty weighted around 599 carats in its rough form. After selecting the stone and cutting it flawlessly for three years, the centenary diamond came into existence with all of its glory. A 247 faceted stone, the diamond was revealed at the Tower of London in 1991, and soon became an instant favourite in the town.
The Millennium Star
A shinning 203.04 carat pearl shaped diamond and the second largest D-color stone worldwide. Originally discovered in Zaire, it took more than three years for the stone to be formed in its pearl shape. The millennium star was under several controversies, as people have tried to rob the diamond by using unethical practices. Nevertheless, the precious stone, which stays under the prestigious ownership of De Beers, still shines at its utmost glory.
The Heart of Eternity
Another stone that has been owned by De Beers and has been cut from the same stone from which the Millennium Star has been carved out, the Heart of Eternity is an extremely rare heart-shaped blue diamond. With 27.64 carats, the stone comes from the rarest of the mines in the world which produces the most precious blue diamonds.
The Orlov
The amazing stone was of more than 300 carats when found in its raw form. The stone is considered to be originated from a temple in India and as per the legends – it was stolen by a French deserter who later went to Madras to sell the diamond. Currently, it is assumed that the stone resides at the Russian Court in Moscow.
The Golden Jubilee Diamond
With around 545.67 carats, the Golden Jubilee Diamond is the world’s largest faceted diamond. Originally found in South Africa in 1985, it was initially carved from a massive stone of 775 carats. It was later purchased by the royal family of Thailand from De Beers and currently resides in the Royal Thai Palace.
Koh-I-Noor (The Mountain of Light)
Koh-I-Noor, which is also known as the Mountain of Light currently resides at the British Royal Court. Originally crafted with an oval cut of 105.6 carats, the stone takes back to the origin in 1304. Back then, it was considered as the largest diamond in the world with 186 carats. The diamond was fought over by Indians and Persians and was finally won by the Indian rulers. When British East India Company took over India, the diamond was passed to the England Throne as a gift to Queen Victoria. The Queen had the diamond re-cut and wore it as a brooch. Later, Queen Alexandra set it as her State Crown and till date, it adds an everlasting shine to the Tower of London.
The Blue Hope
It is one of the most debatable and historical diamonds of all time. A 45.52 carat diamond, it was originally named by its purchaser (Henry Thomas Hope). It is considered to be a part of the renowned Blue Tavernier Diamond, which was taken from India and brought to Europe in 1643. The Tavernier was purchased by King Louis XIV, who had it cut from 112 carats to 67.50 carats and brought out the best from the diamond. Later, the diamond was stolen during the French Revolution, and later it was found that a smaller diamond of the similar color was sold to Hope, an English banker in 1830. The diamond that has been associated with misfortune and bad luck prevailed its nature and after inheriting the diamond, Hope’s son lost every bit of his fortune and wealth. Later, it was purchased by Mrs. Edward McLean, an American widow whose family suffered several catastrophes and later on committed suicide. Lastly, Harry Winston bought the stone in 1949 and was not able to sell it to anyone else, as the stone followed its bad name. Finally, the stone found its place at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington and is currently considered with a value of around 200 to 250 million dollars.
The Great Star of Africa
Also known as the Cullinan I, the Great Star of Africa is the considered to be one of the largest cut diamonds in the world with 530.20 carats. The beautiful piece has a pearl shape and is a 74 faceted stone, which is set in the Royal Scepter and is placed with the other Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. It was originally carved from a 3,106 carat crystal, one of the largest that has ever been found in the world. The original crystal was examined for around six months by Joseph Asscher and Company in Amsterdam before cutting it to the present masterpiece. The original crystal produced some 96 small and nine major crystals. Although, it has been assumed that when the original stone was first found, it was found to be a part of the larger crystal. Till date, no authentic information has been found about the missing part of the stone.
Diamonds are not only considered as a girl’s best friend, but they also have a long history associated with them. Every diamond has a story in itself. If you would like to begin your tale with the brilliance of diamonds, then visit our store here. We would love to be your companion by providing different options and types. Choose your favorite product from our collection and be prepared to leave a legacy!