Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond

The Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond is a 31.06 carats (6.21 g) fancy deep-blue diamond with internally flawless clarity. Laurence Graff purchased the Wittelsbach Diamond in 2008 for £16.4 million Sterling. In 2010, Graff revealed he had had the diamond cut by three diamond cutters to remove flaws. The diamond was now more than 4 carats (800 mg) lighter and was renamed the Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond. There is controversy, as critics claim the recutting has altered the diamond as to make it unrecognizable, that its historical integrity has been compromised.

Wittelsbach Diamond

The original Wittelsbach Diamond, also known as Der Blaue Wittelsbacher, was a 35.56-carat (7.11 g) Fancy Deep Grayish Blue diamond with VS2 clarity that had been part of both the Austrian and the Bavarian Crown jewels.

Its color and clarity had been compared to the Hope Diamond.[citation needed] The diamond had measured 24.40 millimetres (0.961 in) in diameter and 8.29 millimetres (0.326 in) in depth. It had 82 facets arranged in an atypical pattern. The star facets on the crown were vertically split and the pavilion had sixteen needle-like facets, arranged in pairs, pointing outward from the culet facet.

History

On display at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

The diamond originates from the mines of the former Indian kingdom of Golkonda. The story that King Philip IV of Spain purchased the jewel and included it in the dowry of his teenage daughter, Margaret Teresa, in 1664 is apocryphal. The first time the diamond was mentioned is about fifty years later when it was already in Vienna. It was in the possession of the Habsburg family and came to Munich when, in 1722, Maria Amalia married Charles of Bavaria, a member of the Wittelsbach family.

In 1745, the Wittelsbach Diamond was first mounted on the Bavarian Elector's Order of the Golden Fleece. When Maximilian IV Joseph von Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806, he commissioned a royal crown, which prominently displayed the diamond. Until 1918, the jewel remained on the top of the Bavarian crown. It was seen last in public at Ludwig III of Bavaria's funeral in 1921.

The Wittelsbach family tried to sell the diamond in 1931, during the Great Depression, but found no buyers. They eventually sold it in 1951.[citation needed] In 1958, the stone was shown at the World Expo in Brussels. In the 1960s, the Goldmuntz family asked Joseph Komkommer, a jeweler, to re-cut the diamond, but he recognized the historical significance of the stone and refused. Instead he, along with dealers, bought it. The diamond had been in a private collection since 1964. Later it became known that it was bought by Helmut Horten, who presented to his wife Heidi at their wedding.

On 10 December 2008, the 35.56-carat (7.11 g) Wittelsbach Diamond was sold to London-based jeweler Laurence Graff for £16.4 million Sterling, or US$23.4 million, at the time the highest price ever paid at auction for a diamond. The previous record had been held by a pear-shaped 100-carat (20 g) stone named the Star of the Season. This record was eclipsed on 16 November, 2010, when a 24.78 carat pink diamond was sold for £29 million Sterling, or US$46 million, again to Mr. Graff. 

On 7 January 2010, it was reported that the diamond had been recut to enhance the stone's color and clarity, losing over 4.45 carats (890 mg) in the process. The resulting stone has been renamed the Wittlesbach-Graff. The move was met with heavy criticism by some experts: Gabriel Tolkowsky called it "the end of culture." Shortly after the auction of the diamond, American gem cutter and replicator of famous diamonds Scott Sucher stated "In the case of the Wittelsbach, what's at stake is at minimum over 350 years of history, as every nick, chip, and scratch has a story to tell. Just because we can’t decipher these stories doesn’t mean they don’t exist."[13] The alteration of the historical stone has been compared by Professor Hans Ottomeyer, Director of the Deutsches Historisches Museum of Berlin, to the overpainting of a painting by Rembrandt. It is opined that the recutting was done to increase its market value and, by extension, that of other "fancy diamonds". As a result of the recut, the gem had been reevaluated by the Gemological Institute of America and its color grade revised from Fancy Deep Grayish Blue, the same grade given by GIA to The Hope, to the more desirable Fancy Deep Blue. The diamond’s clarity had also been revised upward, from Very Slightly Included (VS1) to Internally flawless (IF).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wittelsbach-Graff_Diamond

La Peregrina pearl

La Peregrina is one of the most famous pearls in the world. Its history spans almost 500 years, and it has passed from the African slave who found it at Pearl Islands in the Gulf of Panama, to European kings and queens. Most recently, the pearl belonged to Elizabeth Taylor.

Origin of name

La Peregrina is a Spanish word. It means "the Pilgrim" or "the Wanderer".

Physical characteristics

The original weight of this pear-shaped pearl was 223.8 grains, (55.95 carats, 11.2 g). At the time of its discovery, it was the largest pearl ever found. In 1913 the pearl had to be drilled and cleaned to secure it firmly to its setting. After drilling and cleaning, the pearl's weight decreased to 203.84 grains. La Peregrina remains one of the largest perfectly symmetrical pear-shaped pearls in the world.

History

The pearl was found by an African slave on the coast of the isle of Santa Margarita in the Gulf of Panama in the mid-16th century. Some stories claim that the pearl was found in 1513, but at that time there were no African slaves on the islands. The pearl was given to Don Pedro de Temez, the administrator of the Spanish colony in Panama. The slave who found it was rewarded with freedom.

The pearl was carried to Spain and given by Temez to Philip II of Spain. It was in anticipation of his marriage to Mary I of England that Philip II presented the "La Peregrina" pearl to Mary Tudor. Queen Mary wore the pearl as a pendant to a brooch, as seen in the famous portrait of Queen Mary by Hans Eworth, which is exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery in London, as well as other portraits drawn by various artists between 1553 and 1558.

After her death in 1558, the pearl was returned to the Crown of Spain, where it remained as part of the crown jewelry for the next 250 years. It became one of the favorite ornaments for the Spanish queen consorts of that time. Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain, the wife of Philip III of Spain, wore the pearl for the celebration of the peace treaty between Spain and England in 1605. Portraits made by Diego Velázquez are evidence that the pearl was prized by both wives of Philip IV of Spain.The equestrian portrait of Queen Elisabeth of France also shows the queen wearing the pearl. Mariana of Austria, the second wife of Philip IV, was painted with the pearl as well.

In 1808 the elder brother of Napoleon, Joseph Bonaparte, became the king of Spain. His rule continued for five years, and when he was forced to leave the kingdom, after the defeat of the French forces at the Battle of Vitoria, he took some of the crown jewels with him, including La Peregrina. At that time, the pearl got its name "La Peregrina - the Wanderer." In his will, Joseph Bonaparte left the pearl to his nephew Louis-Napoléon, later Emperor Napoleon III. During his exile in England, the Emperor sold it to James Hamilton, Marquess and later Duke of Abercorn. The Marquess bought the pearl for his wife, Louisa. The pearl was very heavy and it fell out of its necklace's setting on at least two occasions. The first time, the pearl got lost in a sofa in Windsor Castle; the second time, during a ball at Buckingham Palace. On both occasions, the pearl was recovered. The Hamilton family owned the pearl until 1969 when they sold it at auction at Sotheby's in London.

Richard Burton purchased the pearl at the Sotheby's auction for $37,000. He gave it to his wife Elizabeth Taylor as a Valentine's Day gift during their first marriage. On one occasion, the pearl went missing in the Burtons' suite at Caesar's Palace, Paradise, Nevada. In her book Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry, Taylor writes:

At one point I reached down to touch La Peregrina and it wasn't there! I glanced over at Richard and thank God he wasn't looking at me, and I went into the bedroom and threw myself on the bed, buried my head into the pillow and screamed. Very slowly and very carefully, I retraced all my steps in the bedroom. I took my slippers off, took my socks off, and got down on my hands and knees, looking everywhere for the pearl. Nothing. I thought, "It's got to be in the living room in front of Richard. What am I going to do. He'll kill me! Because he loved the piece.

After few minutes of mental anguish, Taylor looked at their puppies. One of them was apparently chewing on a bone, but nobody gave bones to the puppies. Taylor continues:

I just casually opened the puppy's mouth and inside his mouth was the most perfect pearl in the world. It was—thank God—not scratche

Burton sought a portrait of Queen Mary wearing the pearl. Upon the purchase of such a painting, the Burtons discovered that the British National Portrait Gallery did not have an original painting of Mary, so they donated the painting to the Gallery.[unreliable source]

Taylor commissioned Cartier to re-design the necklace, setting La Peregrina with pearls, diamonds, and rubies. In 2005 Taylor lent it to Smithsonian Institution for their "The Allure of Pearls" exhibition.

In December 2011 the pearl sold for a record price of more than $11 million (£7.1m). La Peregrina was sold as part of Elizabeth Taylor's collection, which was being auctioned at Christie's in New York. It was sold mounted on the diamond Cartier necklace. Its value had been estimated at $3 million, but the bidding vastly exceeded the estimate and reached $10.5 million - increasing to more than $11 million once the various fees were factored in.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Peregrina_pearl

“The Lone Star”- Blue Sapphire

It is not known exactly what inspired the name “The Lone Star” for this massive blue star sapphire weighing 9,719.5 carats, discovered in the mountains of North Carolina in June, 1989, by Harold Roper, a resident of the small hamlet of Marble. Previously, the largest blue sapphire in the world was the 563.35-carat “Star of India”, a Sri Lankan gemstone owned by the American Museum of Natural History, New York City. In terms of weight “The Lone Star” is 17 times larger than its immediate rival, the “Star of India.” In this sense Harold Roper’s star sapphire is indeed a “Lone Star”, propelled to the coveted position of the largest blue sapphire and the largest blue star sapphire in the world, with no immediate prospect of a rival surfacing in the foreseeable future. The massive size of the blue star sapphire isolated it from the rest of the famous blue star sapphires in the world whose weights were around 500 carats and less, making the sensational stone an incomparable star sapphire among other star sapphires in the world, appropriately named “The Lone Star” sapphire.

http://jewelry-blog.internetstones.com

Pearl of Lao Tzu

The Pearl of Lao Tzu (also referred to as Pearl of Lao Tze) is the largest known pearl in the world. It is not a gem-quality pearl, but is instead what is known as a "clam pearl" or "Tridacna pearl" from a giant clam. It measures 24 centimeters in diameter (9.45 inches) and weighs 6.4 kilograms (14.1 lb). It is an interesting piece of natural history that has accumulated more than one story or legend.

While biologists would regard this object as a kind of pearl, gemologists regard it as a non-nacreous pearl, without the iridescence of pearls that come from oysters and mussels. The interior of a giant clam has no nacre (mother of pearl); instead it is porcellaneous. Because of its great size, a giant clam can create a very large pearl, but not an iridescent, gemlike one. The GIA and CIBJO now simply use the term "pearl" (or, where appropriate, the more descriptive term "non-nacreous pearl") when referring to such items, rather than the term "calcareous concretion" and, under U.S. Federal Trade Commission rules, various mollusc pearls may be referred to as "pearls" without qualification.

The pearl came from the Bataraza, Palawan in the Philippines. Wilburn Cobb, an American who brought the pearl from the Philippines in 1939 and owned it until his death in 1979, published an account of how he came to own it in Natural History Magazine. According to Cobb, he wanted to buy it from a Philippine tribal chief when he first heard of it in 1934, but the chief did not want to sell. However, in 1936 Cobb supposedly saved the life of the chief’s son, who was stricken with malaria, and was given the pearl as a token of gratitude.

In America, the pearl was exhibited at the Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium in New York, valued at $3.5 million.

Much later, Cobb wrote a new account in the February 1969 Mensa Bulletin, this time promoting the pearl as an artifact of Chinese legend. He alleged he had been approached by a Chinese fellow named Li, who told him that the pearl had first been grown in a much smaller clam around a jade amulet inserted by a disciple of the legendary sage Laozi more than 2,500 years ago, and been transferred over the centuries to ever larger clams, growing to record size. Wars had supposedly been fought over the artifact, and it had been sent off to the Philippines as a protective measure, where it was lost in a storm.

After Cobb’s death in 1980, Peter Hoffman and Victor Barbish bought the pearl from his estate for the much smaller sum of $200,000. Barbish has claimed to have had further contact with other Li family members. (The legend of a ”Pearl of Laozi”, however, is only known from the claims of Cobb and Barbish.)

When Victor Barbish borrowed money from a Joseph Bonicelli, he gave him an interest in the pearl. In 1990, Bonicelli took Barbish to court to collect his loan, and the court ruled that Hoffman, Barbish and Bonicelli were equal partners in the pearl. Bonicelli died in 1998, and after more legal proceedings, the court ordered the pearl to be sold (it has not been), with a third of the money going to Bonicelli’s children.

The pearl is not on display to the public and is currently held as part of the probate inventory of Victor M. Barbish. The pearl is presently owned in three equal shares by the heirs of Joe Bonicelli, Peter Hoffman, and Victor Barbish.[citation needed]

[edit]Value

Gemologist Michael Steenrod in Colorado Springs has appraised the pearl at $60 million (1982) and $93 million (2007). Another 1982 appraisal, by Lee Sparrow of the San Francisco Gem Lab, put the pearl at $42 million.

The Palawan Princess, considered the second largest pearl, was offered at auction by Bonhams and Butterfields of Los Angeles on December 6, 2009.Though the five pound pearl was estimated to bring $300,000 to $400,000, it was not sold.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_of_Lao_Tzu

Regent Diamond

The Regent Diamond is a diamond which is on display in the Louvre. In 1698, a slave found the 410 carat (82 g) uncut diamond in a Golkonda mine, more specifically Paritala-Kollur Mine in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India and concealed it inside of a large wound in his leg[1]. An English sea captain stole the diamond from the slave after killing him and sold it to an Indian merchant[2]. Governor Thomas Pitt acquired it from a merchant in Madras in 1701. Because of Pitt's ownership it is sometimes known as the Pitt Diamond.[3]

Pitt bought the diamond for £20,400 (£2,964,490 as of 2012),[4], and had it cut in to a 141 carats (28 g) cushion brilliant. After many attempts to sell it to various European royalty, including Louis XIV of France, it was sold to the French Regent, Philippe II, Duke of Orléans in 1717 for £135,000 (£18,634,090 as of 2012),[4]. The royals used the stone in many ways including being set in the crown of Louis XV for his coronation in 1722, in a new crown for the coronation of Louis XVI in 1775, and as an adornment in the hat of Marie Antoinette. In 1791 its appraised value was £480,000 (£46,922,530 as of 2012),[4].

Detail of Napoleon's portrait with sword

In 1792 during the revolutionary furor in Paris, "Le Régent," as the diamond came to be known, was stolen along with other crown jewels of France, but was later recovered, after being hidden in some roof timbers in a Paris attic. The diamond was used as security on several occasions by the Directoire and later the Consulat, before being permanently redeemed by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1801.

Napoleon used it to embellish his sword, designed by the goldsmiths Odiot, Boutet and Marie-Etienne Nitot. In 1812, it appeared on the Emperor's two-edged sword, the work of Nitot. Napoleon's second wife, Archduchess Marie Louise of Austria, carried the Régent back to Austria upon his death. Later her father returned it to the French Crown Jewels. The diamond was mounted successively on the crowns of Louis XVIII, Charles X and Napoleon III.

Today, mounted in a Greek diadem designed for Empress Eugenie, it remains in the French Royal Treasury at the Louvre. It has been on display there since 1887.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regent_Diamond

Mogul Mughal Emerald

The Mogul Mughal Emerald is one of the largest emeralds known. Auction house Christie's described it as:

The rectangular-cut emerald known as 'The Mogul Mughal' weighing 217.80 carats, the obverse engraved with Shi'a invocations in elegant naskh script, dated 1107 A.H., the reverse carved all over with foliate decoration, the central rosette flanked by single large poppy flowers, with a line of three smaller poppy flowers either side, the bevelled edges carved with cross pattern incisions and herringbone decoration, each of the four sides drilled for attachments, 2 1/16 x 1 9/16 x 7/16 in. (5.2 x 4x 1.2 cm.)

Originally mined in Colombia, it was sold in India, where emeralds were much desired by the rulers of the Mughal Empire. The Mogul Mughal is unique among Mughal emeralds[2] in bearing a date - 1107 A.H. (1695-1696 AD) - which is within the reign of Aurangzeb, the sixth emperor. However, the Mughal rulers were Sunni, whereas the inscription is Shi'a, making it likely that it belonged not to Aurangzeb, but to one of his courtiers or officers.

It was sold on 27 September 2001 by Christie's for £1,543,750 (US $2,272,400), including buyer's premium.[1] As of 17 December 2008, it is in the possession of the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mogul_Mughal_Emerald

Tiffany Yellow Diamond

The Tiffany Yellow Diamond is one of the largest yellow diamonds ever discovered; it weighed 287.42 carats (57.484 g) in the rough when discovered in 1878 in the Kimberley mine in South Africa, and was cut into a cushion shape of 128.54 carats (25.708 g) with 90 facets—32 more than a traditional round brilliant—to maximize its brilliance.

Discovered in South Africa in 1877, the stone was purchased by New York jeweler Charles Tiffany. His gemologist, George Frederick Kunz, studied the gem for a year before beginning to cut it; reducing it from 287 carats (57.5g) to its current size. The cutting was carried out in Paris. Kunz was a mere 23 years old at the time. It was mounted by Jean Schlumberger.

"In 1879, the Tiffany branch in Paris obtained the Tiffany Diamond, which weighed 287.42 carats in the rough. It was the largest yellow diamond found up to that time. The formidable task of supervising the cutting of this extraordinary stone was the responsibility of one George Frederick Kunz (1856-1932), a twenty-three year old gemologist who had just joined the firm. The cutting process took exceptional courage and insight. Kunz added an additional 32 facets to the accepted square antique brilliant cut, bringing the total to ninety. The result is an exceptionally scintillating cut which returns a great deal of light to the eye. Large diamonds of comparable brilliance were not fashioned until well into the 20th century."

The gem was on loan from Tiffany & Co. to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. and was on display from April 18th, 2007 until September 23rd, 2007. At the time, Jeffrey E. Post, the museum`s gem curator, said that this is the largest diamond on display in the U.S. The famous Hope Diamond is only 45.5 carats, which is two and a half times less than the Tiffany Yellow Diamond.

The diamond is known to have been worn by only two women during its lifetime. It was worn by Mrs. Sheldon Whitehouse at the 1957 Tiffany Ball held in Newport, Rhode Island, mounted for the occasion in a necklace of white diamonds. It was subsequently worn by Audrey Hepburn in 1961 publicity photographs for Breakfast at Tiffany's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiffany_Yellow_Diamond

Top 10 Rarest Gems

Gems are one of nature’s ways of saying, “look how beautiful I can be”, and people know it, too. For thousands of years humans have been adorning themselves with gems and jewels to stand out and wow an audience. Be it necklaces, brooches, pendants, or bracelets, precious and rare gems have long since become one of the favored ways to express just how much wealth one has. Here are the ten rarest 

Jeremejevite

USD $2000/Carat

Pronounced ye-REM-ay-ev-ite, this is a colorless, sky blue or pale yellow stone, the highest quality of which comes from Namibia. In nature it occurs in small obelisk-shaped crystals and has in the past been mistaken for aquamarine. It was named after Russian mineralogist Pavel Jeremejev who discovered the mineral in 1883. As of early 2005, a clean, 2.93-carat faceted gem was selling on the Internet for $2000.00 per carat.

Black Opal

USD $2,355/Carat

Australia is the classical Opal country and today is the worldwide most important supplier of Fine Opals. Almost 95 per cent of all Opals come from Australian mines. The remaining five per cent are mined in Mexico, and in Brazil’s north, also in the US states of Idaho and Nevada, but recently the stones have also been found in Ethiopia and in the West African country of Mali. Black Opal or Opal with a dark gray body shows the most brilliant play of colors imaginable.

Red Beryl Emerald

USD $10,000.00/Carat

Red beryl is found primarily in the Thomas Range and the Wah Wah Mountains of Utah, and has also been reportedly found in a location in Mexico (possibly near San Luis Potosi one of the very few places beryl is also found on rhyolite). Where it is found in Utah it occurs on rhyolite, where it crystallized under low pressure and high temperature, along fractures or cavities and porous areas of volcanic rhyolitic magma. Very few cut specimens exist.

Musgravite

USD $35,000/Carat

Musgravite is one of the newest and most rare gemstones in the world. Musgravite is a silicate mineral whose main ingredients are beryllium (Be), magnesium (Mg) and aluminum (Al). It was named ‘musgravite’ after the area Musgrave in Australia from where the material was first found. The musgravite was later found also in Greenland and Madagascar, but neither of them produces gem quality material. Two pieces of faceted gem-quality musgravite from Sri Lanka were reported first in 1993. Keep in mind, this is the LEAST priceless of the ten.

Grandidierite

USD $50,000/.5 Carat

This is a bluish green mineral found primarily in Madagascar. The first and so far only clean faceted specimen, from Sri Lanka, was originally mistaken for a serendibite and subsequently purchased in May 2000 by Prof. Gübelin from Murray Burford. The gem shown above weighs 0.29 carats. Grandidierite is trichroic, transmitting blue, green and white light. The mineral is named after French explorer and natural historian Alfred Grandidier, who among other things unearthed bones from the extinct half-ton elephant bird in Ambolisatra, Madagascar.

Painite

USD $50-60,000/Carat

This gem was once believed to be the rarest mineral on earth, is today still considered very rare. British mineralogist 1950s first discovered it in Myanmar. When it was confirmed as a new mineral species, it was named after him: Arthur C.D. Pain. For many years, only three small painite crystals were known to exist. Before 2005 there were less than 25 known crystals found, though more material has been unearthed recently in Myanmar.

Blue Garnet

USD $1.5 Million/Carat

Garnets species are found in many colors including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, black, pink and colorless. The rarest of these is the blue garnet, discovered in the late 1990s in Bekily, Madagascar. It is also found in parts of the United States, Russia and Turkey. It changes color from blue-green in the daylight to purple in incandescent light, as a result of the relatively high amounts of vanadium. The most expensive, a 4.2 carat gem sold in 2003 for $6.8 Million.

Serendibite

USD $1.8-2 Million/Carat

This gem is a cyan colored stone that comes from Sri Lanka. It boasts an unusually complex formula consisting of calcium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, boron and oxygen. So far there exist only three faceted (cut) specimens of 0.35 carats, 0.55 carats and 0.56 carats. The first two were discovered by rare stone specialist D. P. Gunasekera and purchased by the late Prof. E. J. Gübelin of Switzerland. The smallest was sold for about $14,300.00 per carat.

Red Diamonds

USD $2-2.5 Million/Carat

Only a very few red diamonds are ever found, and few people have only seen even one treated red diamond. The gem is described as a purplish red, so it is not a pure red, crimson, vermilion, or scarlet. Nevertheless for its size it is one of the most expensive diamonds ever. The Argyle Mine in Australia produces a small number of red diamonds. The largest and finest of these are auctioned every year or two, and sell for millions of dollars.

Jadeite

USD $3 + Million/Carat

Until recent years jadeite has been something of a mystery mineral, but we now know of primary sources in Guatemala as well as several California occurrences of white or grayish jadeite. Boulders in which a few small freestanding crystals have been seen occur in San Benito Co., California, with additional finds in Clear Creek, between New Idria and Hernandez. All Mexican jadeite is in artifacts, from unknown sources. The record price for a single piece of jadeite jewelry was set at the November 1997 Christie’s Hong Kong sale: Lot 1843, the “Doubly Fortunate” necklace of 27 approximately .5 mm jadeite beads sold for US$9.3 million

http://listverse.com

World famous jewels 2

Elizabeth Taylor attends a charity ball in Monaco, South of France on Nov. 17, 1969. Making its debut is the famous 69.42 carat, pear-shaped diamond that Taylor is wearing as a pendant. It is a present from her husband, Richard Burton. Initially, the diamond was bought by Paris jeweler Cartier at an auction and he named it "Cartier." Burton bought it the next day and renamed it "Taylor-Burton." (AP Photo/Maestri)

ADDS DATE OF SALE - FILE - This , Sept. 1, 2011, file photo shows"The Elizabeth Taylor Diamond," a 33.19 carat a gift to the actress from Richard Burton at Christie's, in New York. The 33.19-carat diamond ring given to Elizabeth Taylor by actor Richard Burton sold for over $8.8 million at auction in New York Tuesday Dec. 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

An employee of Sotheby's auction house holding a 24.78 carat fancy intense pink diamond mounted as a ring, that was last seen on the market some 60 years ago according to the house, ahead of an upcoming auction in central London, Monday Oct. 25, 2010. The rare emerald-cut pink diamond is estimated to fetch some 27-38 million US dollars when it is auctioned in Geveva, Switzerland on Nov. 16, 2010 part of the house's 'Magnificent Jewels Sale'

FILE - In this Nov. 16, 2010 file photo, Britain's Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton pose for the media at St. James's Palace in London, after they announced their engagement. Few people seem the least bit concerned that Prince William and Kate Middleton, set for the royal wedding on April 29, have been living together off and on since their university days.

Kim Kardashian's $2 Million, 20-Carat Diamond Ring

Jennifer Lopez's pink diamond engagement from ex Ben Affleck. Pictured: Actor Ben Affleck (L) and his fiance actress/singer Jennifer Lopez arrive at the premiere of "Daredevil" at the Village Theatre on February 9, 2003 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

http://news.yahoo.com

World famous jewels

'Martian Pink' diamond fetches $17m in Hong Kong

Exhibition curator Caroline de Guitaut poses with Queen Victoria's Small Diamond Crown at the Queen's Gallery in Buckingham Palace, London May 15, 2012. A special exhibition "Diamonds: A Jubilee Celebration" will run from June 30 - July 8 and July 31 - October 7, in celebration of Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee anniversary. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

Exhibition curator Caroline de Guitaut poses with the Cullinan VII necklace at the Queen's Gallery in Buckingham Palace, London May 15, 2012. A special exhibition "Diamonds: A Jubilee Celebration" will run from June 30 - July 8 and July 31 - October 7, in celebration of Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee anniversary. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

In this May 2, 2012 file photo an employee shows the Beau Sancy diamond, 34.98 carat, at Sotheby's auction house in Zurich, Switzerland. Marie de Medici wore it at her coronation as Queen Consort of Henry IV in 1610, and now the Beau Sancy diamond is a lavish accessory owned by an anonymous bidder who paid US $9.7 million (7.6 million euro) for it at Sotheby’s auction in Geneva Tuesday May 15, 2012. The spring auction season for jewelry and watches is upon Geneva, where elegant lakefront hotels fill with well-heeled buyers and bidders in a scene far removed from the debate over European austerity. (AP Photo / Keystone, Alessandro Della Bella, File)

World’s first all-diamond, 150-carat ring created by Swiss jeweler Shawish Jewelry. (shawish-jewellery.com)

Beyonce's 18-carat engagment ring from Jay-Z. Pictured: Beyonce watches Rafael Nadal of Spain and Novak Djokovic of Serbia play during the Men's Final on Day Fifteen of the 2011 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 12, 2011 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

http://news.yahoo.com/

The history and legends of the emerald

Some interesting, yet unscientific attributes have been credited to emeralds from the Ancient Greeks:

• They considered it able to reveal faithfulness among lovers and  dedicated it to the Goddess Venus.

• The Romans considered it soothing as Nero would " refresh and restore his vision" watching battles through the cool clarity of fine emerald glasses. (GIA)

• In the ancient days, emeralds were confused with other stones such as jasper, green sapphire, smithsonite and others, as if each was a different phase of metamorphosis towards the most prized: the Emerald.

Since the time of ancient legends, the more recent history begins in South America in 1568 when the Spanish Conquistadors formally began mining emeralds at the Muzo mine, still the world's largest known deposit. It took many years for the Conquistadors to try and force the subjagated Incas to reveal the location of the hidden tunnels of which even the paths had been overgrown by the jungle. Finally the Spanish, almost by accident, found them on their own and began mining and producing for the Spanish crown, who claimed one-fifth. The rarity of emeralds has been evidenced by the struggle to find them, which has been the main factor in its high value over the centuries.

From the 1940's, the Government of Colombia took over the emerald mines due to high incidences of violence. Then in 1970, the government privatized Muzo and Coscuez to be operated by Joint Ventures between its own agency, Mineralco, and private companies such as Esmeracol in Coscuez, Tecminas Lrda in Quipma, and Coexminas Ltda in Muzo.

From 1986 to 1990, Mineralco attempted to initiate a policy to "explore and produce emerald deposits in a more traditional manner." (Mineralco) During this time, other smaller deposits were found in and among the triangle formed by the other three big deposits. Mining contracts for exploration and production were granted for 25 years.

As in diamonds, the few famous large emeralds, scattered around the world, are often known by their names. The two most famous are the Devonshire Emerald and the Patricia Emerald. The Devonshire Emerald was given to the sixth Duke of Devonshire by Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil in 1831. Uncut, it weighs 1,385.95 carats. The Patricia Emerald, located in the American Museum of Natural History in New York, weighs 630 carats. Five unnamed large emerald crystals from Muzo are located in the vault of the Bank of the Republic of Colombia and they weigh between 1,100 carats to 1,796 carats, as well as one weighing 220 carats. A Russian emerald in the Los Angelos Museum of Natural History weighs 1,965 carats. The Smithsonian Institute in Washington has some notable, fine quality emeralds, one of them an 858 carat crystal considered to be the finest quality in existence. There are also some notable emeralds in the Smithsonian from discoveries in North Carolina in the 1960's and 1970's. (GIA)

The largest collection of emeralds is said to be the crown jewels of Iran with pieces mounted in a belt, the Pahlabi Crown,  necklaces and even the Nadir Throne itself with between 1500-2000 carats of emeralds.  The Crown of the Andes is probably the most famous single piece of emerald  jewelry with 453 stones (1,521 cts.) including the Atahualpa Emerald (45 cts.) named after one of the last Inca emperors. The Crown, Fashioned from a solid block of pure gold, was made in 1593 for the Madonna statue in Popayan, Colombia.  Briefly captured by English pirates in 1650 it was recovered and became a prize of revolutionary war for independence from Spain waged by Simon Bolivar in 1812.  Its present location is unknown.

http://emeraldstone.com

Pearl : Stone for Moon

In the Astrological works the moon is considered as signification of heart (man) and thus wearing a Pearl brings one out of depressions and gives a calm and vibrant feeling.  

The memory is also improved and the general interaction with other people is more fruitful. It can cure all diseases arising out of heart.  

The orange cosmic rays emitted by the Pearl helps in splitting and exploding the negative energy in the body. It helps in cleaning and decongesting the negative emotions and negative energy particles in the Aura. 

It gives a clear complexion and if used as a powder on the face gives unique flow. This is a secret of Ayurveda known to few and used by even fewer people.

http://www.liveindia.com

Blue Sapphire : Stone for Saturn  ( Neelam )

Blue sapphire is the most talked about gem. It gives status and influence in the society . Most of the famous people wear this gem to achieve great benefits in life. It gives rare ideas a! ! nd skills and enhances the innovative power of mind , said to fight depression and gives serenity to the mind. Must for people in the creative field and those who desire fame .

White Sapphire (Saffed Pukhraj) 

This gem of Venus ,it gives one glamour and radiance which makes one stand apart from the crowd .It improves sex appeal , improves the innovative powers and megha shakti , worn by people who want to stand apart and be remebered like actors, models ,players etc. People in public relations can also benefit a lot from it.

Emerald : Stone for Mercury  ( Panna)

This Gem of Lord Ganesha is the favoured Gem of the people seeking intellectual powers as well as for those seeking wealth .This calms down the nervous system and improves the capacity to take decisions. It improves the liquidity and money flow in business and blesses the wearer with liquid assets. 

Overview:                Emeralds are a gemstone from the Beryl family of stones. They have a stunning green color.It gets its characteristic emerald green color from traces of chromium in the crystal matrix. Emeralds of excellent quality which exceed a carat frequently are valued above diamonds. Inclusions caused by calcite deposits (jardin) are typical in emeralds and color saturation and hue are a bigger factor in determining the value of an Emerald.

Usage:                  Emerald is a precious gem that promotes creativity and perception. It also acts as a natural tranquilizer when you are worried or your mind is troubled. Emeralds symbolize serenity, success in love, wealth, happiness and peace of mind. Improves the memory, helps insomnia, strengthens the immune system, helps with eye sight, restores youth, aids neurological diseases, heals ear problems, eases child birth. 

Legend:          Emeralds have been treasured for thousands of years. The infatuation with Emeralds dates back to ancient Egypt and Rome. It is said that Cleopatra was always adorned in Emeralds and that this was her most treasured jewelry. The earliest emeralds date from the Ptolemaic era (320-30 B.C.), but there have been discoveries of mining tools going back to Ramses II (1300 B.C.) or even before. In the Middle Ages, deposits were also uncovered near Salzburg, Austria. By the 16th Century, however, Colombia became the most celebrated diamond producer, with the stones being traded throughout South America. To the Romans, emerald was dedicated to Venus, the Goddess of Beauty, and symbolized the reproductive forces of nature. To the early Christians, it represented resurrection.

http://www.liveindia.com

Yellow Sapphire : Stone for Jupiter (PukhRaj)

This gem of Bhrashpati gives one material wealth and prosperity.It is worn to give one comforts and also status. People aspiring for administrative and political positions must wear it to give them the benefit of fate on their side. It also improves the working of liver and thus improves health and gives radiance to skin.

Ruby : Stone for Lord Sun ( Manik)

This is the gem of Sun , it improves the concentration of mind and gives lusture to the skin . This gem gives all round success in life and is the karka for leadership. This improves the leadership qualities and puts the person in forefront . It gives intellectual capabilities and improves one’s writing and speaking powers. 

Overview:          Trace amounts of chromium gives Ruby its bright red color . Ruby is a term for red gemstones derived from the mineral corundum, formed primarily from aluminum oxide.A Ruby is actually a Sapphire of red color. It is an extremeley hard and durable gemstone, well suited for all jewelry applications. Top quality Rubies are highly prized, and in larger sizes are frequently valued above all other gemstones, including Diamonds. Rubies over two carats are extremely rare and valuable.

Usage:          Considered one of the most precious and perfect gemstones, Ruby symbolizes the sun, freedom and power. It is a sacred gem to the Buddhists, and are called "tears of Buddha". Increases energy levels and it will stimulate love if worn close to the heart. It protects sensitive natures, health and wealth, controls passions. Stimulates blood circulation, gives calm sleep and takes away nightmares. Will help you if you are suffering from sadness. It's also said to be able to ward off evil spirits, protect against poisons and act as an antidote to a snakebite. 

Legend:            During the Middle Ages, the ruby was believed to have an inner fire that could not be concealed.By the time of the Renaissance, only the wealthiest individuals could dream of owning a ruby. Ruby was said to be the most precious of the twelve stones God created when he created all things and a Ruby was placed on Aaron's neck by God's command. In the ancient language of Sanskrit, Ruby is called Ratnaraj, or king of precious stones. Rubies have been highly prized gemstones throughout history.

http://www.liveindia.com

Diamond is  the King of Gems. It is one of the most powerful stones. Diamonds are crystalline forms of carbon and are the hardest stones known. It is supposed to be the most powerful when combined with other gemstones. 

Diamond is the ultimate gemstone, having few weaknesses and many strengths. It is well known that Diamond is the hardest substance found in nature, but few people realize that Diamond is four times harder than the next hardest natural mineral, corundum (sapphire and ruby). But even as hard as it is, it is not impervious. It has a broad color range, high refraction, high dispersion or fire, very low reactivity to chemicals, rarity, and of course, extreme hardness and durability. Diamond is a polymorph of the element carbon. 

Usage:  It is said to signify purity and innocence. Has always been associated with strength and good luck. Gives calm sleep and takes away nightmares. Reflects light and thought and will absorb all energies, both positive and negative. It focuses on the brain, takes away blocking and strengthens the brain function. A stone for peace. It can help you achieve material wealth and prestige

http://www.liveindia.com

Cullinan Diamonds: World's Largest Diamond

History of Cullinan Diamond

Thomas Cullinan was a building contractor from Johannesburg. He purchased the property of Willem Prinsloo, the 'Elandsfontein Farm' in South Africa, for 52,000 pounds and established a mining company on 1st December, 1902. Thomas Cullinan named the company as Premier Diamond Mining Company Limited. Cullinan had employed almost 2000 people by 1904. 

Mr. Frederick Wells was the superintendent of the 'Premier Mine'. On the evening of 26th January 1905, he was on a routine inspection and he came across a large stone on the side wall that was almost 9 meters down the surface. Initially, he considered it to be a joke by his mine friends. The weight of the stone was 1.5 pounds, and its length was 37/8 inches, width 21/4 inches and it had 25/8 inches height. He could not believe on the features of the stone and sent it for further analysis. The analysis results said that it was a gem-quality diamond that was 3,106 carats and the size was twice that of any other diamond ever found. This was a great turning point in the history of diamonds.

Mr. Frederick Wells received a prize money of 3500 pounds for the discovery of the world's largest diamond. The diamond was named Cullinan after Mr. Thomas Cullinan, the mine owner. The Transvaal government bought the diamond for 1,50,000 pounds. The then Prime Minister of Transvaal government was Louis Botha. He came up with a suggestion of gifting the Cullinan diamond to King Edward VII, which was presented to the king on 9th November, 1907, on the eve of his 66th birthday.

Cullinan Diamonds from the World's Largest Diamond

Cutting the Cullinan was the crucial task, after its discovery. The famous 'Royal Asscher Diamond Company' was run by the Asscher brothers, Abraham and Joseph Asscher, in Amsterdam. They had successfully cut the Excelsior (the largest diamond before the discovery of Cullinan) and many other large diamonds. The great responsibility of cutting of the world's largest diamond, Cullinan, was a given to the Asscher brothers. 

They studied the rough Cullinan for almost three months and prepared themselves for the big day. On 10th February, 1908, Joseph Asscher decided to cut Cullinan. On that afternoon he struck a hammer on V shaped groove that he made on the diamond, by placing a cleaving blade in the grove. The result was that the blade broke apart in two; but the diamond still remained intact. Soon, another blade was arranged and Joseph Asscher made his second attempt to cut Cullinan. He was successful in his second attempt and the diamond broke apart, just in the way he thought it would. Legend has it that Joseph Asscher fainted after cutting the Cullinan. The two parts of Cullinan weighed 1,040 carats and 1,977.5 carats each. 

Later 9 large parts and 96 brilliants of the diamond were made. There was a loss of 65% in cutting Cullinan. The time taken to polish the diamonds and giving them the desired look started on 3rd March, 1908 and continued for almost 8 months.

Cullinan I

Cullinan I is a 530.2 carats diamond and is the largest part of the original diamond. It is a pear shaped diamond. It is also called Great Star of Africa and is displayed at the Tower of London. The royal Scepter of England bears the Cullinan I.

Cullinan II

Also known as the Second star of Africa, Cullinan II is displayed at the Tower of England. It is a cushion shaped 317.4 carats diamond and is a part of British crown jewels' Imperial State Crown. Cullinan I and II were used in the coronation ceremony of King George V.

Cullinan III and IV

These diamonds were previously in the possession of Asscher brothers and were later bought to be presented to Queen Mary, on 28th June 1910. They are also called the Lesser stars of Africa. Both the diamonds form a brooch in which, the 94.40 carats, pear-shaped Cullinan III from the Cullinan IV, which is 63.60 carats and cushion shaped.

Cullinan V and VI

Cullinan V is a triangular-pear-shaped diamond of 18.8 carats and is embedded in a platinum brooch. The Cullinan VI is 11.50 carats. It was a present to Queen Alexandra by King Edward.

Cullinan VII, VIII

Cullinan VII and VIII, 8.80 carats marquise-cut and 6.80 carats cushion-cut, respectively, are parts of a brooch that also contains some other smaller diamonds of the Cullinan. This brooch is said to be very heavy, so much so that its possessor, Queen Elizabeth, was rarely seen wearing it in public. She is known to have said, "It gets in the soup".

Cullinan IX

Cullinan IX is a pear-cut, 4.39 carats diamond and was embedded in a ring that was presented to Queen Mary.

Discovery of the Cullinan, was a great treasure for the gem industry. Almost all the parts of the original Cullinan are possessed by the Royal family of England. The Cullinan still remains the largest diamond ever to be found on the earth.

http://www.buzzle.com

World's 10 Most Famous Diamonds

The Great Star of Africa

530.20 Carats - the Cullinan I or Star Africa diamond is the largest cut diamond in the world. Pear shaped, with 74 facets, it is set in the Royal Scepter (kept with the other Crown Jewels in the Tower of London). It was cut from the 3,106-carat Cullian, the largest diamond crystal ever found. The Cullian was discovered in Transvaal, South Africa in l095 on an inspection tour of the Premier Mine. The Cullian was cut by Joseph Asscher and Company of Amsterdam, who examined the enormous crystal for around six months before determining how to divide it. It eventually yeilded nine major, and 96 smaller brilliant cut stones. When the Cullian was first discovered, certain signs suggested that it may have been part of a much larger crystal. But no discovery of the "missing half" has ever been authenticated.

The Orloff

300 Carats when found, color: slightly bluish green, clarity: exceptionally pure, cut: Mogul-cut rose, source: India.

This gem may be found in the Diamond Treasury of Russia in Moscow.

There are so many historical episodes involving the Orloff. First, it may have been set at one time as the diamond eye of Vishnu's idol (one of the Hindu Gods) in the innermost sanctuary temple in Sriangam, before being stolen in the 1700s by a French deserter. However, the deserter just dug one eye from its socket, because he was terror-stricken at the thought of retribution, so he couldn't take the other. He went to Madras, and sold the stone quickly to an English sea-captain for 2,000 pounds.

The time passed, the stone arrived at Amsterdam where the Russian count Grigori Orloff, an ex-lover of Empress Catherine the Great was residing. He heard about rumors of the stone, and he bought the diamond for 90,000 pounds and took it back to Russia for Catherine's favor. The stone has been called the Orloff since then. Catherine received his gift and had it mounted in the Imperial Sceptre. She gave a marble palace to Grigori in exchange for the Orloff. However, Grigori couldn't get Catherine's love. Grigori Orloff passed away at the nadir of disappointment in 1783.

In 1812 the Russians, fearing that Napoleon with his Grand Army was about to enter Moscow, hid the Orloff in a priest's tomb. Napoleon supposedly discovered the Orloff's location and went to claim it. However, as a solider of the Army was about to touch the Orloff, a priest's ghost appeared and pronounced a terrible curse upon the Army. The Emperor, Napoleon scampered away without the Orloff.

The Centenary Diamond

273.85 Carats, discovered at the Premier Mine, in July 1986. The 'Centenary' diamond weighed 599.10 carats in the rough. Together with a small select team, master-cutter Gabi Tolkowsky took almost three years to complete its transformation into the world's largest, most modern-cut, top-colour, flawless diamond.

Possessing 247 facets - 164 on the stone and 83 on its girdle - the aptly-named 'Centenary' diamond weighs 273.85 carats, and is only surpassed in size by the 530.20 carat 'Great Star of Africa' and the 317.40 carat 'Lesser Star of Africa', both of which are set into the British Crown Jewels. The 'Centenary' diamond was unveiled, appropriately at the Tower of London in May,1991.

The Regent

140.50 Carats, although it is now surpassed in weight by other famous diamonds, the exceptional limpidity and perfect cut of the Regent give it an uncontestable reputation as the most beautiful diamond in the world. Discovered in India in 1698, it was acquired by Thomas Pitt, Governor of Madras, who sent it to England where it was cut. In 1717 the Regent purchased it from Pitt for the French Crown. It first adorned the band of Louis XV's silver gilt crown (in the Louvre) at his coronation in 1722, going then to Louis XVI's crown in 1775. Later in 1801 it figured on the hilt of the First Consul's sword (Fontainebleau, Musйe Napolйon 1st), and then on the Emperor's two-edged sword in 1812. In 1825 it was worn on the crown at the coronation of Charles x, and during the Second Empire it embellished the "Grecian diadem" of the Empress Eugenie. It can be seen today at the Louvre in Paris.

Koh-i-Noor (Mountain of Light)

105.60 Carats, an oval cut gem, now part of the British Crown Jewels. The name of this diamond means "Mountain of Light" and its history, dating back to1304, is the longest of all famous diamonds. It was captured by the Rajahs of Malwa in the sixteenth century by the Mogul, Sultan Babur and remained in the possession of later Mogul emperors. It may have been set in the famous Peacock Throne made for Shah Jehan. After the break-up of the Persian empire the diamond found its way to India. It may have traveled to Afghanistan with a bodyguard of Nadir Shah, who fled with the stone when the Shah was murdered, to be later offered to Ranjit Singh of the Punjab in exchange for military help (which was never delivered). After fighting broke out between the Sikhs and the British, The East India Company claimed the diamond as a partial indemnity, and then presented it to Queen Victoria in 1850. When the stone came from India, it weighed l986 carats; it was later recut to l08.93 carats. It was first worn by the Queen in a brooch. It was later set in the State Crown, worn by Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary, and 1937 was worn for by Queen Elizabeth for her coronation. It is kept in the Tower of London, with the other Crown Jewels.

The Idol's Eye

70.20 Carats, a flattened pear-shaped stone the size of a bantam's egg. Another famous diamond that was once set in the eye of an idol before it was stolen. Legend also has it that it was given as ransom for Princess Rasheetah by the Sheik of Kashmir to the Sultan of Turkey who had abducted her.

The Taylor-Burton

69.42 Carats, color: F-G, clarity: IF, cut: Pear-shape, source: Premier Mine, Transvaal, South Africa.

It was founded in 1966 in the Premier Mine in South Africa. The rough, which weighted 240.80 carats, was cut into a 69.42 pear shape diamond. 

As you might guess from the name, Richard Burton bought and named this stone as a gift for Elizabeth Taylor. Yes, Richard Burton bought it $1,100,000. He also named this stone as an engagement. After Burton's death in 1979, Liz Taylor sold the stone for charity and reportedly received $2.8 million. She donated in his memory to a hospital in Biafra.   It was last seen in Saudi Arabia.

The Sancy

55 Carats, it was cut in a pear shape and was first owned by Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, who lost it in battle in 1477. The stone is in fact named after a later owner, Seigneur de Sancy, a French Ambassador to Turkey in the late 16th century.  He loaned it to the French king, Henry III who wore it in the cap with which he concealed his baldness.  Henry IV of France also borrowed the stone from Sancy, but it was sold in 1664 to James I of England.  In 1688, James II, last of the Stuart kings of England, fled with it to Paris.  It disappeared during the French revolution.

The Blue Hope

45.52 Carats, the ironically named Hope diamond (named for its purchaser, Henry Thomas Hope) may have had a long and illustrious history before it became associated with a run of bad luck for its owners. It is thought to be a part of the famous Blue Tavernier Diamond, brought to Europe from India in l642. The Blue was purchased by King Louis XIV who had it cut to 67.50 carats from 112 carats to bring out its brilliance. The diamond was stolen during the French Revolution, and a smaller diamond of similar color was sold in 1830 to Hope, an English banker. After inheriting the diamond, Hope's son lost his fortune. It was eventually acquired by an American widow, Mrs. Edward McLean, whose family then suffered a series of catastrophes: her only child was accidentally killed, the family broke up, Mrs. McLean lost her money, and then committed suicide. When Harry Winston, the New York diamond merchant, bought the stone in 1949, many clients refused to uch the stone. It is now on display at the Smithosonian Institute in Washington.

http://www.studiosoft.it