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 Famous Diamonds
Among the most well known diamonds is the
Hope. This 45.52 carat steel blue diamond
is currently on display at the Smithsonian.
The legends of the ill-fortune and curse
bestowed on the possessor of the Hope
Diamond are many. This diamond was
donated to the Smithsonian in 1958. The
Hope was originally a rather flat, blocky
110-carat rough.
The Dresden Green stands out among the
natural colored diamonds. It is the largest
green diamond in the world weighing
40.70 carats. This diamond
is historic, large
and has a natural green color with a slight
blue overtone. These facts make it virtually
priceless.
The Conde Pink is a pear shaped and
weighs 9.01-carats. This pink diamond was
once owned by Louis XIII.
The Tiffany Yellow diamond a beautiful
canary-yellow octahedron weighing 287.42
in the rough (metric) carats discovered in
either 1877 or 1878 in South Africa. The
gem after cutting boasts the extraordinary
weight of 128.54 carats. And until recently,
was the largest golden-yellow in the world.
The Koh-I-Noor ( Mountain of Light ) is now
among the British Crown Jewels. This
diamond weighs 105.60 carats. First
mentioned in 1304, it is believed to have
been once set in Shah Jehan's famous
peacock throne as one of the peacocks eyes.
The Agra is graded as a naturally colored
Fancy Light Pink and weighs 32.34 carats.
It was sold for about 6.9 million in 1990.
Since this sale, it has been modified to a
cushion shape weighing about 28.15 carats.
The Transvaal Blue is pear cut. This blue
diamond weighs 25 carats. It was found in
the Premier Diamond Mine in Transvaal,
South Africa.
The Great Chrysanthemum was discovered
in the summer of 1963, in a South African
diamond field. This 198.28-carat fancy
brown diamond appeared to be a light
honey color in its rough state. However,
after cutting, it proved to be a rich golden
brown, with overtones of sienna and burnt
orange.
The Taylor-Burton Diamond is a pear-shaped
69.42 carat diamond. Cartier of New York
purchased this diamond at an auction in
1969 and christened it "Cartier." The next
day Richard Burton bought the diamond
for Elizabeth Taylor. He renamed it the
"Taylor-Burton". In 1978, Elizabeth
Taylor put the diamond up for sale.
Prospective buyers had to pay $2,500
each to view the diamond to cover the costs
of showing it. Finally, in June of 1979, the
diamond was sold for nearly $3 million dollars.
How Diamond Prices Are Determined
Pricing most products is quite easy. Determine how much it costs to make the item, how much it costs to market that item, and then mark it up by 15 - 30% or more. Simple, right? Well, pricing diamonds isn't quite that simple. There...
Judging Diamond Quality
What to Look For If you want to begin judging diamond quality, you must first learn and understand the 4 C's, which are four characteristics of diamonds that give the gem stone it's overall value. The 4 C's for judging diamond quality include...
Diamond Scams
When it comes to diamonds, there are numerous scams to avoid. Most scams are minor, but there are some major ones that come up from time to time concerning the buying and selling of diamonds. Scams occur simply because most people who...
Diamond History
Diamond history varies greatly depending on your source of documentation, as diamond history is as rich in myths and folklore as it is in physical facts and records. Diamond history is one filled with mythical stories, such as one where snakes...
How to Buy Diamond Engagement Rings
There is much to consider when purchasing a diamond - especially diamond engagement rings! The tradition of presenting a woman with a diamond engagement ring when proposing began in 1477 when Archduke Maximilian presented a diamond...
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