FAMOUS DIAMOND

Today a handful of diamonds have come to be known as symbols of history, legacy and magical lore. They own grand names to mark their significance and behind each of these spectacular diamonds lay a rich, magnificent story of history, discovery and technical achievement.

De Beers Millennium Star

A diamond so flawless and so great in size that the world's diamond experts cannot put a price on it. Discovered in the Republic of the Congo , De Beers mined the Star in the early nineties. It took over three years for their diamond cutters to shape the stone with lasers. What emerged was the world's only internally and externally flawless, 203-carat, pear-shaped diamond.

The Koh-i-Noor

No stone on earth has as rich and fascinating a history as the Koh-i-noor. The lineage of this great diamond began in 1304 when it was held by the Rajah of Malwa. This was a time when possession of such a gem symbolized the power of an empire. In fact, it has been said that he who owns the Koh-i-noor rules the world. In 1738, after successfully invading Delhi , the next conquest of Nadir Shah of Persia was to acquire the great stone. Legend has it that a member of Emperor Mohammed Shah's harem informed Nadir Shah that the jewel was kept hidden in the emperor's turban.

Later that night, when Nadir Sha h unfolded the host's turban he discovered the gem. Upon seeing it he exclaimed, "Koh-i-noor," meaning "mountain of light." Nadir Shah then brought the jewel back to Persia . There it remained until 1849 when the British annexed the Punjab and took possession of it.

Three years later, after a public viewing in London , crowds expressed disappointment in the lack of brilliance in the stone. So it was decided that the gem be re-cut to accentuate its brilliance, thereby reducing its size from the 186-carat diamond to its present size of 108.93-carats.

In 1853, there was some question as to whether Queen Victoria would return the grand stone for fear of the misfortune it was rumored to bring. She answered the query by having it mounted in a tiara, joining more than two thousand other royal diamonds.

Toady the legal ownership of the Koh-i-Noor still remains a wrangle among world leaders vying for its possession.

Cullinan

In 1905, as miners filed out after a long day in South Africa 's Premier mine, one miner noticed what appeared to be a shiny object lodged in the earth. With nothing more than a pocket knife, he pried it lose from the ground and presented it to his mine manager. This humble discovery is regarded today as one of the greatest diamond discoveries of all time.

When no buyers were found for the great stone, it was decided that the diamond would be made into a gift for King Edward VII of England . It was decided that the great stone would be cut into two smaller stones: Cullinan I and Cullinan II. The larger of the two (Cullinan I) was renamed the "Great Star of Africa." The cutting of the Cullinan was so successful that the two new gems became part of the Crown Jewels of England .The Cullinan II, humbly measuring 1.7 x 1.5 inches, was handsomely set in the brow of the British Imperial State Crown.

The Taylor Burton

Richard Burton presented Elizabeth Taylor with one of the world's largest and most beautiful diamonds. If any gem could be noticed next to the beauty of Elizabeth Taylor it was this 69-carat, pear-shaped diamond.

The stone was unearthed at the Premier mine of South Africa in 1966. And it was Harry Winston who cut and polished the rough stone from its original size of 244-carats. It has been moving in and out of auction houses, and the last recorded sale was to an anonymous Saudi buyer for $3,000,000.

The De Beers Diamond

It was not long after De Beers Corporation set about the business of mining diamonds that their first major discovery surfaced. A stone weighing 428.5-carats was unearthed from the Kimberly mines of South Africa . At 228.5 carats after its polishing it was thought to be the worlds largest cut diamond in 1889. It has the honor of being the fourth largest cut diamond in the world.

electrical conductivity

Other specialized applications also exist or are being developed, including use as semiconductors: some blue diamonds are natural semiconductors, in contrast to most other diamonds, which are excellent electrical insulators.^[21] The conductivity and blue color originate from the boron impurity. Boron substitutes for carbon atoms in the diamond lattice, donating a hole into the valence band.^[21]

Substantial conductivity is commonly observed in nominally undoped diamond grown by chemical vapor deposition. This conductivity is associated with hydrogen-related species adsorbed at the surface, and it can be removed by annealing or other surface treatments.^[22][23

Properties of good diamond

The Four most popular factors used to measure diamond quality are: Color, Carat, Clarity and Cut. Topics to discuss are Diamond Color Clarity Grade, Diamond Grades Quality Information & Diamond Grade Scale. Color: (The color used in this diagram is for presentation purposes and is not actual color.) Many experts name color as the number one consideration in choosing a diamond. A diamond's color is graded on an alphabetical scale from D-Z, with D being absolutely colorless and Z being light yellow. Beyond "Z", a diamond is considered to be an exotic or "Fancy" color. DIAMOND COLOR SCALE D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Colorless Near Colorless Faint Yellow Very Light Yellow Light Yellow Since color differences can be so subtle, they are impossible to determine by the untrained eye. To grade a diamond, gemologists often place it on a white background next to another diamond that has been previously graded. If all other factors are equal, the less color in a diamond or the higher color rating, the more valuable a diamond becomes. Likewise, as the amount of color increases, the price of a diamond decreases (though this does not necessarily reduce the beauty of a diamond.) Clarity All diamonds have identifying characteristics, but most are invisible to the naked eye. To view a diamond, experts use a 10x magnifying loupe which allows them to see the appearance of tiny crystals, feathers or clouds. These natural phenomena are called inclusions.There are five categories in class that anyone interested in purchasing a diamond should be aware of when grading clarity. DIAMOND CLARITY SCALE FL IF VVS1 VVS2 VS1 VS2 SI1 SI2 I1 I2 I3 Flawless- Internally Flawless Very Very Slightly Imperfect Very Slightly Imperfect Slightly Imperfect Imperfect FL (Flawless) - IF (Internally Flawless) Flawless Diamonds reveal no flaws on the surface or internally are the rarest and most beautiful gems. Internally Flawless Diamonds reveal no inclusions and only insignificant blemishes on the surface under 10x magnification. VVS1 - VVS2 (Very, Very Slightly Included) Very difficult to see inclusions under 10x magnification. These are excellent quality diamonds. VS1 - VS2 (Very Slightly Included) Only looking through a 10X loupe can pinpoint the inclusions in this category and are nearly impossible to see with the naked eye. These are less expensive than the VVS1 or VVS2 grades. SI1 - SI3 (Slightly Included) Diamonds with inclusions easily identified under 10x magnification. Finding flaws in this category with the naked eye is difficult. The gems in this category maintain their integrity, depending on the location of the inclusions. I1 - I3 (Included) Diamonds with inclusions which may or may not be easily seen by the naked eye. The flaws on the stones in this category will have some effect on the brilliance of your diamond. Carat: (This diagram is for presentation purposes and is not to scale) Carat is often confused with size even though it is a measure of weight. The cut of a diamond can make it appear larger or smaller than its actual weight. One carat is the equivalent of 200 milligrams. One carat can be divided into 100 "points". A .75 carat diamond is the same as 75 points or a 3/4 carat diamond. Since larger diamonds are rarer than smaller diamonds, the value rises exponentially with carat weight. Cut Cut actually refers to two aspects of a diamond. The first is its shape (round, marquise, etc) the second is how well the cutting has been executed. A diamond's cut will most certainly influence its fire (the lovely rainbow colors that flash from within) and brilliance (the liveliness and sparkle), as well as its perceived size and even, to some degree its apparent color. Different cuts reflect light in different angles. A diamond must be cut in a geometrically precise manner to maximize its brilliance.

Diamond Color: Degree to which a diamond is colorless Diamond Clarity: Presence of inclusions in a diamond Diamond Carat: Weight of a diamond Diamond Cut: Angles and proportions of a diamond Browse our exquisite Diamond Jewelry, Diamond Initial Pendants, Diamond Hoop Earrings, Diamond Ankle Bracelets and Diamond Charms.