Diamonds have captivated humans for centuries because of their rarity and beauty. This blog will list some of the most captivating diamonds that have been found and cut throughout history. Most of these were unethically sourced during colonization periods.
- Burgess Diamond: A 22-ct. South African diamond found in September, 1907, at Klipdam No. 1.
- Cuiabá Diamond: A diamond weighing 60 ¾ ct. and of a fine clear light rose color, found at Cuiabá, Minas Gerais, Brazil, a locality which rarely yields stones larger than 20 ct.
- Cullinan Diamond: Found at Premier mine, South Africa, Jan 25, 1905; weight before cutting. 3106 cts., or about 1.3 lbs. Named for Sir Thomas Cullinan, discoverer of the mine. Given by Transvaal Government to Britain’s King Edward VII in 1907 and cut in 1908 by Asscher in Amsterdam into 9 major gems and 96 small brilliants. The Cullinan I, also called the Great Star of Africa, 530.2 ct., is mounted in the British Imperial Sceptre. The Cullinan II, the Lesser Star of Africa, weight 317.4 cts., appears in the Imperial State Crown. Both are on permanent display in the Tower of London. Seven other major gems cut from Cullinan belong to the Royal Family.
Worth Today: Cullinan I is approx.. 400 million dollars
- Dan Campbell Diamond: A 192 ½ ct. South African diamond found at Gong Gong in April, 1916.
- English Dresden Diamond: A 119 ½ ct. rough diamond from Minas Gerais, Brazil, which was acquired in 1857 by E. H. Dresden and cut into a drop-form brilliant of 76 ½ ct. It was then sold to the Gaekwar of Baroda.
Worth Today: approx. 248 million dollars
- Eugénie Diamond: An oval 51 ct. brilliant first heard of as the property of Catherine II of Russia and given by her to Potemkin. Acquired by Napolean III as a gift for his bride, the Empress Eugénie, it was sold to the Gaekwar of Baroda after the collapse of the Empire, reputedly for $75,000.
- Florentine Diamond: A yellow diamond, also known as the Austrian Yellow and the Tuscany, which was seen and described by Tavernier. A light yellow, 137.27 ct. double rose, it was stolen from the Austrian royal family about 1920.
- Golden Dawn Diamond: A 133-carat diamond found in the Vaal River in 1913 which was cut into an American-cut brilliant of 61 ½ carats.
- Hope diamond: The best-known of the gems of this famous collection. A fine blue diamond, 45.52 ct. in weight, once in the Hope collection and sold in 1911 to Edward B. McLean of Washington, D.C. It was purchased by Harry Winston and in 1948 was presented by him to the Smithsonian Institution, to encourage the formation of a national gem collection that might rival the British Crown Jewels. The stone is probably the larger portion of one bought by Tavernier and sold to Louis XIV in 1668. Stolen in 1792, it was never recovered but turned up in 1830 and believed to be the principal part of the original pear-shaped French gem.
- Idol’s Eye Diamond: Semi-round, blue tinged diamond, present weight 70.20 cts., acquired in 1962 by Harry Levinson, Chicago jeweler. Earlier owners: Prince Rahab of Persia, British East India Company, Sultan Abdul Hamid II of Turkey, Harry Winston, Mrs. May Bonfils Stanton of Denver.
- Jonker Diamond: A flawless 726 ct. diamond found in1934 by Jacobus Jonker in alluvial deposits at Elandsfontein, near Pretoria, S.A. about three miles from Premier mine. It was cut in New York by Lazar Kaplan and Sons into 12 stones, the largest of which, weighing about 125 ct., is also known as the Jonker diamond.
- Jubilee Diamond: An irregularly octahedron-shaped diamond found in 1895 at the Jagersfontein mine weighing 650.08 ct. and known at first as the Reitz diamond, after F. W. Reitz, the then president of the Orange Free State. The finished 245 ct. brilliant cut from it was renamed the Jubilee diamond in 1897, in honor of the sixtieth anniversary of Queen Victoria’s accession to the throne.
- Lesotho Diamond: Brownish 601.25-ct. rough diamond, “larger than a gold ball,” found in May 1967 by Ernestine Ramaboa in Lesotho, southern Africa. Bought by Harry Winston and cut by 1969 into 18 gems, the largest being an emerald cut of 71.73 cts.
- Light of Peace diamond: 435-ct. rough diamond discovered in 1969, probably in Sierra Leone; bought by Zale Corporation and cut during white gems totaling 172.83 cts. The largest of them, the 130.27 ct. “Light of Peace,” is the second largest pear-shaped diamond in the world.
Worth Today: Aprrox. 10 million
- Philip II Diamond: A large diamond, supposedly purchased by Philip II in 1559, weighing 47 ½ ct. According to Boethius DeBoot (1609), it was the largest diamond seen up to that time in Europe.
- Polar Star Diamond: A famous Indian diamond, now in Russian possession, said to weigh about 40-ct.
- Presidente Vargas diamond: A large 726.60 ct. shapeless diamond found in Brazil in 1938 on the Rio San Antonio and named for the Brazilian president. It has been cut into a number of small stones.
- Sancy Diamond: A famous Indian diamond of 55 carats, bought by Nicholas de Sancy in Constantinople about 1580; later associated with Henry III and Henry IV of France, James I and Charles I of England, Cardinal Mazarin and French crown jewels.
- Taylor-Burton Diamond: Pear-shaped, 69.42 ct. diamond bought at auction by Cartier of New York in October of 1969 for $1,050,000 and immediately resold to actor Richard Burton as a gift for his wife, Elizabeth Taylor. The stone, a 240.8-ct. rough found in the Premier mine in 1967, had been cut by Harry Winston.
Worth Today: amount undisclosed but sold in 1978 for 5 million dollars
- Williamson Diamond: Deemed the finest pink diamond in the world, a 54-carat rough given in 1947 to Princess Elizabeth by Dr. John T. Williamson; she had it cut into a 23.60-carat brilliant.
The Source from this blog comes from Jewelers Dictionary, 3rd Edition by Donald S. McNeil
Daniela Barquet is the 4th generation owner of her family's jewelry store located in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico since 1965. The business tradition was started by her great-grandfather, Issac Barquet, in 1920. Daniela graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor's in the History of Art and Architecture and a Minor in Italian Studies. Daniela continues to grow under the mentorship of her father, Natalio Barquet Perez, who is a renowned, certified jeweler in Puerto Rico.
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Daniela Barquethttps://coquieloriginal.com/author/nataliobarquetgmail-com/
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Daniela Barquethttps://coquieloriginal.com/author/nataliobarquetgmail-com/
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Daniela Barquethttps://coquieloriginal.com/author/nataliobarquetgmail-com/
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Daniela Barquethttps://coquieloriginal.com/author/nataliobarquetgmail-com/
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