Types of diamonds
KOH-I-NOOR
The first mention of this diamond is the 1304th In its time the world's largest diamond, weighing 108.93 carats and was an oval shape. Be found in India, in the state of Andhra Pradesh. For a long time, became the property of many Indian and Persian rulers, who led him cruel battles. He was part of the famous peacock throne, where he was placed into one of pávích eyes. In 1877, the British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli named Queen Victoria "Empress of India", was a stone thrown into the newly constructed British royal crown, which is part of the day. The legend says that the diamond brings bad luck or even death to every man who wears it and becomes its owner. Women on the contrary brings happiness.
The Great Star of Africa
It is the largest polished diamond in the world. It weighs 530.20 carats and has 74 facets. He polished the largest ever found Cullinan diamond weighing 3106 carats, which in 1905 found by Frederick Wells lead mining in the Premier Mine in South Africa Transválu. Cullinan vybrousila company Asscher Brothers of Amsterdam, where one of the brothers Joseph stones measured more than 6 months before you cut the smaller the required pieces. This gave rise to 9 large 92 small stones, which are famous Cullinan I - IV, as well as the Koh-I-Noor, planted the British royal jewels, currently stored in the Tower of London.
Centenary
Was discovered in July 1986 in the mines Premiere Mine. In its raw form weighed 599.10 carats. Master cutter Gabi Tolkowski on it with a tiny band of helpers worked for almost 3 years so that it eventually vybrousil one of the largest diamonds in the world, which is the latest cut, high color and no inclusions. His weight of 273.85 carats is hone and has 247 facets. In May 1991 he was kept in the Tower of London. Although never officially set its price, was insured for 100 million U.S. dollars. The current owner is not known.
Orloff
It is expected that at the time of its finding in India was around 300 ct. Today is part of the Russian diamond treasure in Moscow. One legend says that its original location was in a prominent Indian temple Sriangam. Here was placed in one eye statue representing God Vishnua. From this point, however, was stolen by French soldiers disguised as Hindus. In Amsterdam he bought a former lover of Russian Empress Catherine the Great, Count Grigory Orloff, who gave him a 90 000 pounds. As a gift from the count it had put into czarina czarist scepter. The count for his gift came from the queen's palace of marble, but the love of his beloved empress never regained. When in 1812 Napoleon fought against Moscow court officers hid him in the tomb of the deceased monk. Napoleon diamond tracked, but when you try to transfer the deceased's spirit appeared and Napoleon's troops fled from the tomb without stone.
The Idol's Eye
Shaped drop-cut stone has the weight of 70.20 carats. It is said that in his time served as a ransom paid by the ruler of Kashmir for the Princess Rashid Sultan of Turkey, which has been kidnapped. The first official mention of the diamond dates back to 1865, when he appeared at auction at Christie's London courtroom. There he bought a mysterious Ottoman Sultan Abd al-Hamid II, which, however, he took his servant. Stone then appeared on the end of the 2nd World War II, after several peripeteias ended up in the hands of a publisher's daughter Denver Post, May Bonflis Stanton, who him to death solely to take breakfast.
Regent
The diamond was discovered in 1701 a kind of Indian slave. In its raw form the 410-ct. Its former owner was the English Prime Minister William Pitt, who had it cut into the stone weighing 140.50 carats, while for years he lent his name. This diamond came to be called "Pitt". Sanding lasted more than 2 years.
But later changed to its owner and name. In 1717 he bought the Duke of Orleans, who was a minor at the time of Louis XV. regent of France. Duke had the stone put into the coronation crown of French kings, and from then until now, the diamond called the "Regent". After the French Revolution, his new owner was very Napoleon Bonaparte, who had it put into the hilt of his sword. Today, Diamond is part of the collections of the Paris Louvre.
The Blue Hope
Is the most famous diamond. One of its owners was the French King Louis XIV, who had the stone polish 112ct diamond weighing 67.5 carats. However, during the French Revolution was stolen and for decades has disappeared. Appeared only in 1830 in London, where he bought the Henry Thomas Hope. Just after the stone bears his name today.
For a family wealthy Londoner but eventually became a symbol of misfortune. This is a died in poverty. Then he met a similar fate as its next owner, Edward McLean. After purchasing a diamond McLean lost a son who died under the wheels of a car at the age of 9 years, broke up his family, he lost all the savings and eventually committed suicide. Currently, this stone is in the collections of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington. It weighs 45.52 carats.
The Sancy
The diamond-cut shaped drop weighing 55 carats. First was the owner the Duke of Burgundy Charles de Bold, who have lost it during one of the battles in the 1477th Bears his name as a diamond to its next owner, the French diplomat de Sancym that in the 16th century was the Ottoman Empire.
French diplomat stone lent to the French King Henry III. He wore it located in the cap, which he covered his bald head. His successor, Henry IV. Had only loaned the diamond, but even in 1664 was sold to the English King James I. In 1688, along with fleeing the English King James II. back on French soil, in Paris. During the French Revolution, disappeared and appeared after the revolution in Spanish nobleman, from which it came into possession of Prince Nicholas Demidoff, whose family owned several silver mines in Russia.
After further complicated trips around the world, the stone in the late 19th century became the property of the first woman in the English Parliament, Lady Astor Waldorf. In 1978 it heir 4th generation family William Waldorf Astor has sold for a record sum of $ 1 million. Brilliant is now in the Louvre collection in Paris.
Taylor - Burton
In 1969, this stone shaped like a teardrop and weighing 69.42 carats was sold at auction. His new owner was New York Cartier, who immediately christened it "Cartier." However, the very next day he bought an American actor Richard Burton for his equally famous wife, actress Elizabeth Taylor for an undisclosed price. Thus was renamed Diamond Taylor - Burton.
His debut was at a charity ball, which in mid-November 1972 was held in Monaco, where he had Taylor neck as a pendant. In 1978, but the American star said that the stone offers for sale, with the proportion utržených money is spent on the construction of a hospital in Botswana. Only in their examination if the potential buyer had to pay $ 2,500. In July 1979 the diamond was eventually sold for $ 3 million. The latest report about him in Saudi Arabia.
Hortensia
The peach-colored diamond has 20 carats and its named after Hortense de Beauharnais, Queen of Holland, which was stepdaughter of Napoleon Bonaparte. Polished by the documents preserved in the 1678th Stone had been part of French crown jewels. After looting the royal treasury in 1792, for a long time lost and was found along with another diamond "Regent" in the attic of a house in Paris Les Halles district. Now the two pieces included in the collections of the Louvre, Paris.