Color Diamond and Largest Diamond Information plus Interesting Diamond Stories
Color Integrity
A Certificate or Grading Report is necessary to authenticate the Origin of Color of a Natural Fancy Color Diamond.
When you are looking for a Natural Color Diamonds it is important that the word “NATURAL” appears on the diamond grading report in the designated space.
Diamonds are more interesting because of their Natural Fancy Colors
More many years diamonds of rare natural colors have been sought after by the private collectors (including royalty) plus the most sophisticated collectors of luxury products.This can be explained by the fact that the value and demand for natural fancy color diamonds has been growing; fancy color diamonds have proven to be a long-term investment.
A 1-carat Fancy Intense Internally Flawless Pink diamond was once sold for $70,000 and today that diamond is worth $500,000. Luxurious status symbols, good investments, dramatic jewelry, diamonds at the heart of a good mystery – all this and more.
Just a few facts from the history of RED diamonds:
In 2006, Arygle Australian fancy color diamond tender included 63 diamonds with its total diamond production around 30 million carat. There was only 1 GIA-graded red diamond – 0.54 ct. Fancy Purplish Red, I1 clarity. Red diamonds can be also discovered in Brazil and Africa.
The most famous Brazilian red diamond is 0.95 ct. Fancy Purplish Red was purchased by a collector in 1956 and he paid $ 13,500 for the stone. This stone made a worldwide news when it was sold out at Christies in 1987 for $ 880,000 or more than $ 926,000 per carat.
In December, a 1.92 ct, Fancy Red/VS2 was sold out at a Phillips auction for $ 1,652,500 total or $ 860,677 per carat.
And finally, a 1.00 ct. red stone that was presented last year at the Millionaire show in Moscow and was sold out for 2 mln. EURO.
Green and Blue diamonds can be also considered as an excellent investment as these diamonds are extremely rare in nature, especially those with straight color like: Fancy Intense Green and Fancy Vivid Green, Fancy Intense Blue and Fancy Vivid (Deep) Blue.
Some famous stories about famous fancy color diamonds:
The Golden Jubilee, 546.67 ct.
The Golden Jubilee is currently the largest faceted diamond in the world. Since 1908, Cullinan I, also known as the Great Star of Africa, had held the title, which changed following the 1985 discovery of a large brown (yellow brown) diamond of 755 carats in the prolific blue ground of the Premier mine in South Africa; the diamond would later be cut with an as-of today unsurpassed weight of 545.67 carats. The Premier mine was also the origin of the Cullinan diamonds in 1905, as well as other notables such as the Taylor-Burton in 1966 and the Centenary in 1986. In 1995 it has been purchased from De Beers by a group led by Henry Ho of Thailand. The diamond was brought to Pope John Paul II in the Vatican to receive the blessing. It was also blessed by the Supreme Buddhist Patriarch and the Supreme Imam in Thailand.
The Golden Jubilee Diamond was named by King Bhumibol Adulyadej and given to him in honor of his 50th coronation anniversary. It was initially planned to mount the Golden Jubilee in the royal scepter. A subsequent plan was to have it mounted in a royal seal. The Golden Jubilee Diamond has been exhibited at Henry Ho's 59-story Jewelry Trade Center in Bangkok, the Central Department Store in Lard Prao, Thailand, and internationally in Basel (Switzerland), Borsheims in Omaha, USA (owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc.), and Gleims Jewelers in Palo Alto, USA. It is now located in the Royal Thai Palace as part of the crown jewels.
The Cullinan diamond, 530.20 carat
This is the largest rough gem-quality diamond ever found, 3,106.75 in rough. The largest polished gem from the stone is named Cullinan Ior the Great Star of Africa, and at 530.2 carats was the largest polished diamond in the world until the 1985 discovery of the Golden Jubilee Diamond. Cullinan I is now mounted in the head of the Sceptre with the Cross. The second largest gem from the Cullinan stone, Cullinan II or the Lesser Star of Africa, at 317.4 carats, is the fourth largest polished diamond in the world and is also part of the British crown jewels, as it forms a part of the Imperial State Crown.
Both gems are on display at the Tower of London , as parts of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. The stone was bought by the Transvaal government and presented to King Edward VII on his birthday. It was cut into three large parts by Asscher Brothers of Amsterdam , and eventually into some 11 large gem-quality stones and a number of smaller fragments.
Centenary Diamond, 273.85 carats
This is third-largest diamond to have been produced in the Premier Mine. The Centenary Diamond is rated in color as grade D color by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), which is the highest grade of colorless diamond and is internally and externally flawless. The Centenary Diamond was discovered in the Premier Mine on July 17, 1986 using their X-ray imaging system. The original rough was 599 carats, and it was presented on May 11, 1988 in the Centennial Celebration of the De Beers Consolidated Mines. As then-chairman Julian Oglivie Thompson said, "We have recovered at the Premier Mine a diamond of 599 carats which is perfect in color – indeed it is one of the largest top-color diamonds ever found. Naturally it will be called the Centenary Diamond." While the stone has never been publicly appraised for value, it is known to have been insured at over US$100 million at the time of its unveiling in May 1991. The stone was loaned to the Tower of London, where it was displayed for a number of years.
The Jubilee Diamond, 245.35 carat
Originally known as the Reitz Diamond is a colourless, cushion-shaped diamond, making it the sixth largest diamond in the world. It was originally named after Francis William Reitz, the then president of the Orange Free State where the stone was discovered, before being renamed to honour the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Victoria in 1897. The original stone, a rough weighing 650.80 carats, was discovered in 1895 at the Jagersfontein Mine in South Africa. The original stone, a rough octahedron weighing 650.80 carats, was discovered in 1895 at the Jagersfontein Mine in South Africa. A consortium of diamond merchants from London purchased it along with its even larger sister, the Excelsior, in 1896, and sent it to Amsterdam where it was polished by M.B. Barends.
The Millennium Star, 203.04 carat
The world's second largest known top-color (D), internally and externally flawless, pear-shaped diamond. The diamond was discovered in the Mbuji-Mayi district of Zaire (Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1990. It was 777 carats in rough and was purchased by De Beers during the height of the country's Civil War that took place in the early to mid-nineties. It took over three years for workers to produce the classic pear form. The actual cutting was done using lasers. It was first displayed in October 1999 as the centerpiece of the De Beers Millennium diamond collection. The collection also includes eleven blue diamonds totaling 118 carats and The Heart of Eternity. They were displayed at London’s Millennium Dome over 2000. There was an attempt on November 7, 2000 to steal the collection, but at the time of the attempted theft a replica was in place instead. Crime journalist Kris Hollington wrote a book called Diamond Geezers about the attempted theft. The book also features a detailed history of the Millennium Star.
The Orloff, 189.62 carat
(The weight is just an estimate – it hasn't formally been weighed in many years) Slightly bluish green, exceptionally pure 300 carats was found in India. This celebrated diamond can be seen in Moscow , in the Diamond Treasury of Russia. It was involved in a number of historical events and had made a very long way until it became an item of proud of the Russian museum. This gem was first set as the diamond eye of Vishnu's idol (one of the Hindu Gods) in the holy temple in Srinagar.
In the 1700s the gem had been stolen by a French deserter who sold to an English sea-captain for 2,000 pounds. Time went by and stone arrived at Amsterdam. Rumors about this diamond came to the Russian count Grigoriy Orloff (after whom it was named since then), an ex-lover of Queen Catherine the Great. Orloff purchased the diamond for 90,000 pounds and took it back to Russia for Catherine's favor where it was mounted in the Imperial Sceptre. Orloff got a marble palace in exchange for the diamond, but couldn’t get Catherine's love. Grigoriy Orloff passed away in 1783.
When Napoleon’s army approached Moscow, the diamond was hidden in the priest's tomb. The legend says that when one of the Napoleon’s soldiers was about to touch the stone, a ghost appeared and sent a terrible curse upon the army. The diamond remained untouched!
Nowadays the Orloff is one of the most prominent diamonds in one of the greatest gem collections, the Treasures of the Diamond Russian Fund, Gokran, that consists of many historical jewels that were amassed by the rulers of Russia before the 1917 Revolution.
The TIFFANY Yellow diamond, weighting 128.51 carat
The largest golden Cushion diamond ever found was cut from a rough weighted 287.42 carat. It was discovered in 1878 in the Kimberley mine in South Africa; was cut with 90 facets - 32 more than a traditional round brilliant - to maximize its brilliance. In 1877, the stone was purchased by New York jeweler. His gemologist, George Frederick Kunz examined the gem for a year before beginning to cut it. The gem was on loan to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. and was on display until 23 September, 2007.
The Earth Star, 111.59 carat
This pear shape brown stone diamond was found at the De Beers, Jagersfontein Mine in South Africa on May 16th, 1967. It comes from a rough gem weighting 248.9 carats. The Earth Star diamond has a strong brown color and extraordinary brilliance, Argyle color grading scale is reported as equivalent to fancy cognac and C7 color grade. It was exhibited along with many other notable Diamonds in the "De Beers Hall" of the mining museum in 1971. The diamond was bought in 1983 for $900,000 by Stephen Zbova of Naples, Florida http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida.
The Allnatt Diamond, 101.29 carat
This Cushion cut diamond was graded as Fancy Vivid Yellow by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) named after one of its holders, Major Alfred Ernest Allnatt. There is no exact record where the diamond came from, but there is a belief that it comes from today’s De Beer’s Diamond Mine. In May 1996, the Allnatt was resold at auction by Christie's in Geneva for $3,043,496 US.
The Allnatt was presented as part of the Smithsonian's "The Splendor of Diamonds" exhibit, together with The De Beers Millennium Star and The Heart of Eternity.
The Idol's Eye, 70.20 carat - the biggest blue diamond !
When you see the term 'a blue-white Golconda diamond', this is the type of stone being refered to. The Regent Diamond is another example of a large Golconda stone.
This 70.20 ct. Pear shape diamond may have been found at Golconda around 1600, was set in the eye of an idol before it was stolen. In 1865 was presented in a Christie’s sale in London, when it was described as "a splendid large diamond known as the Idol's Eye set round with 18 smaller brilliants and a framework of small brilliants." It was purchased by an anonymous buyer designated as "B.B.". It became known later that it was owned by the 34th Ottoman Sultan, Abdul Hamid II (1842-1918). The Idol’s Eye is the biggest blue stone ever found, possesses a slight bluish tinge.
The Taylor-Burton, 69.42 carat
This diamond became famous when purchased by actor Richard Burton for his wife Elizabeth Taylor to celebrate her 40th birthday in 1972, receiving worldwide publicity for its size and value. The original rough diamond was found in 1966 in the Premier Mine in South Africa, weighing 241 carats. It was cut to 69.42 carats in the shape of a pear. The diamond was originally owned by Harriet Annenberg Ames, who auctioned it and was subsequently purchased again for a $1,050,000. The diamond was placed the diamond necklace.
Richard Burton purchased the diamond for his wife, Elizabeth Taylor, who wore it publicly for the first time at Princess Grace of Monaco's 40th birthday celebration.
After their divorce, Taylor auctioned the diamond in 1978 for $5,000,000, which was used to build a hospital in Botswana.The stone was recut again to 68 carats.
The Sancy 55.23 ct. , a pale Yellow Diamond
It was once believed to have belonged to the Great Moguls of antiquity, but is more likely of Indian origin. It was first owned by Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, who lost it in battle in 1477. In the late 16th century, the stone was later named after a later owner, Seigneur de Sancy, a French Ambassador to Turkey. He loaned it to the French king, Henry III who wore it in the cap with which he concealed his baldness. Henry arranged to borrow de Sancy's diamond to decorate his cap. Henry IV of France also borrowed the stone from Sancy for the more practical purpose of using it as security for financing the army. In 1664, it was sold 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.
As well as the Sancy, other treasures stolen were the Regent diamond, and the French Blue diamond which is known today as the Hope diamond. The Sancy's history was renewed from 1828 when purchased by Demidoff’s family for £80,000 where it remained until 1865 when sold to Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, an Indian prince, for £100,000. He was possessing it only for a year, creating another gap in its history. It reappeared in 1867, displayed at the Paris Exposition, evaluated for one million francs; the gem then vanished again for forty years. The Sancy next surfaced in 1906 when purchased by William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor. The noble Astor family hold it for 72 years until it was sold to the Louvre for $1 million in 1978. The Sancy now rests in the Apollo Gallery, sharing attention with the likes of the Regent and the Hortensia.
The KIMBERLY champagne diamond, weighting 55.09 carat
Comes from the rough weighting 490 ct., was named after the Kimberly Mine in South Africa. Middle of the 20th century was cut to an Emerald cut 70 carats. In 1971, The Kimberly was sold to an mysterious collector from Texas.
41 carat stone, known as Dresden Green
The biggest ever known apple-green diamond of the Indian origin, there were no records of this stone until 1743 when Frederick Augustus II of Saxony purchased the diamond at the Leipzig Fair. It is named after the capital of Saxony, Germany where it has been on display for most of the last two centuries. It was in the Soviet Union after the World War II until 1958 and in the Smithsonian in Washington DC, USA in 2000, where it was displayed in the same room as the Hope diamond. The stone's unique green color is due to natural exposure to radioactive materials.This diamond is located in the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden "The New Green Vault.
The BLUE HOPE, weighting 45.52 carat
The largest ever found deep blue diamond currently housed in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in the U.S. capital, Washington, D.C.. The diamond is legendary for the curse it supposedly puts on whoever possesses it. According to the legend, a curse started when the blue diamond was stolen from an idol in India. A curse predicts bad luck and death not only for the owner of the diamond but for all who touched it. This outstanding diamond has intrigued people for centuries. Its perfect quality, its large size, and its rare color make it strikingly unique and beautiful. Add to this a varied history which includes being owned by King Louis XIV, stolen during the French Revolution, sold to earn money for gambling, worn to raise money for charity, and then finally donated to the Smithsonian Institution. The Hope diamond is truly unique and was officially recognized the ‘blue diamond of the crown.’ It was named after Henry Philip the Hope who purchased the diamond after it came to London in 1830.
The Hope Diamond appears to be a brilliant blue to the naked eye because of trace amounts of boron within the diamond. The Hope Diamond exhibits red fluorescence under ultraviolet light and is classified as a Type IIb diamond.
The Heart of Eternity diamond, weighting 27.64 carat
Was graded as Fancy Vivid Blue by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) comes from South Africa from the Premier Mine, unveiled in January 2000. The Heart of Eternity is a member of an exceedingly rare class of colored diamonds. Blue diamonds account for less than 0.1% of the output of the Premier mine, which is the only mine in the world with an appreciable production of blue diamonds. Of the ten colored diamonds that drew the highest bids, six of those ten were blue diamonds, rating values as high as $550,000 to $580,000 per carat.
The Heart of Eternity Diamond is a part of the De Beers Millennium Jewels collection, which included the Millennium Star.
The HORTENSIA weighting 20.00 carat
"It is a very nice pink colour with a slight orangy tone to it," writes Michael Hing, a jeweler from Great Britain. Michael and corresponded a number of times about the major diamonds he has examined. "You could describe it as peach-coloured, but definitely on the pink side of peach. It has good clarity but there's quite a large scratch/crack on the pavilion." Sources: Famous Diamonds by Ian Balfour and Diamond Cuts in Historic Jewelry 1381 - 1910 by Herbert Tillander. This peach color diamond was named after Hortense de Beauharnais, Queen of Holland - Josephine’s daughter and the step-daughter of Napoleon Bonaparte. After Louis XIV bought it, the Hortensia became a part of the French Crown Jewels. It can be viewed in the Louvre museum in Paris. In the 1791 inventory of the Crown Jewels it was valued at no more than 48,000 livres on account of a crack extending from the edge of the girdle to near the culet.
The Hortensia was among the jewels stolen from the Garde Meuble in September of 1792. It was found one year later in Paris. A number of jewels were found then with the Regent Diamond among them. When the French Crown Jewels were sold in 1887, the Hortensia was one of the items excluded, along with the Regent, because of their historic and artistic interest. The Sancy Diamond wouldn't join them in the Louvre until a little less than a century later.
The Pumpkin Diamond is a diamond weighting 5.54 carats
This Cushion cut diamonds was graded as Fancy Vivid Orange by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). This comparatively small diamond in fact is one of the largest Fancy Vivid Oranges the GIA reports ever graded.The Pumpkin Diamond comes from the Central African Republic mine and then imported into South Africa and later put to auction at Sotheby's. It is currently estimated to be valued at $3 million. The diamond was named "The Pumpkin Diamond" as it was sold out the day before Halloween. While it is difficult to tell exactly what status the Pumpkin Diamond currently enjoys, the official GIA web site reports it as "one of the
largest Fancy Vivid orange natural color diamonds in the world." The Color Diamond Encyclopedia, on the other hand, terms it "the world's largest fancy vivid orange diamond."
The Pumpkin Diamond was displayed as part of the Smithsonian's "The Splendor of Diamonds" exhibit, alongside The De Beers Millennium Star, the world’s largest top colour (D) internally and externally flawless pear-shaped diamond at 203.04 carat and The Heart of Eternity, a 27.64 carat heart-cut blue diamond.
Radiant 3.64 carat
The biggest Fancy Vivid Green diamond, came from the Seren Diamond's production, cut and polished by Oren Seren, in 2008 was sold to a private collector who wished to remain anonymous.
Many more diamond stories can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
Integrity of color
A Certificate – Grading Report is necessary to authenticate the Origin of Color of a Natural Fancy Color Diamond.
When you are looking for a Natural Color Diamonds it’s important that the word “NATURAL” appears on the diamond grading report in the designated space! For more information, please read our advise and information on the diamond certificate.