Diamonds are wonders of the earth having enormous beauty and features that no other jewels can compete with. Diamonds are not very rare stones, but their restricted circulation in the marketplace has made them very pricey. Small diamonds are to be found at all jewelry stores, but there are a number of diamonds that have made history with their impressive color, shape, size or well accomplished cut. Here are just a few of the most famous diamonds the world has seen.
[1] Cullinan Diamond
The Cullinan Diamond is probably one of the best-known diamonds due to the fact that it was the biggest diamond in the rough ever found, weighing 3106.75 carats back in 1905. This large gemstone was cut into several valuable pieces, namely the Cullinan I and others, today being part of the British Crown Jewels. The legacy of the Cullin stone goes back to the days before cutting a diamond was associated with precision, and being cut into pieces was no easy task for the Asscher brothers who made a large incision in the diamond before breaking it with a large blow. The defective spot was shared between each half of the diamond.
[2] The Cullin Centenary Diamond
The largest flawless and colorless cut diamond in the world is the recently discovered Centenary Diamond, weighing 273.85 carats. This heart shaped diamond gets its name from the Centennial Celebration of De Beers Consolidated Mines, an event where the diamond was presented in the rough. With much prestige and accolade the diamond is considered both flawless, unique and easy on the eye. Although well out of the reach of young couples and even celebrities, the Cullin Centenary Diamond is often compared to others that failed to attain its great stature.
[3] Millennium Star
The second largest colorless gemstone is the Millennium Star, being currently owned by De Beers as well. This diamond displays a beautiful pear shape and weighs 203.04. Found in Zaire in the early 90s the the diamond was 777 carats uncut. The diamond was cut into its pear shape, as it is today, using lasers. The diamond was nearly stolen whilst taking refuge in the Millennium Dome in London during the year 2000. The plot was unsuccessful, and to this day the diamond belongs to its original owners.
[4] Golden Jubilee
A popular naturally colored diamond is the Golden Jubilee. The thing that makes this special is not just its brownish color, but more importantly its number of carats, altogether 545.67 in its final cushion cut form. Presently, the Golden Jubilee is the largest known diamond. It is a dark sensuous brown and was in fact named the ‘Unknown Brown’ until it adopted the name that is used today. One compliant of many is the fact that no great photos exists today because of the previous owners. Many would love to see a more detailed picture, however lets hope that is still to come.
[5] Koh-i-Noor
Next up is the Koh-i-Noor, which is said to be the most valuable gem in the world. At some point, this diamond of Indian origins was the largest diamond known to man. The Koh-i Noor has a great history behind it and it is said to bring luck to women who wear it and misfortune to males. Although its ownership at certain points has been unclear, the Koh-i Noor was once seen as the pinnacle of glamour and prestige being the largest diamond in the world. Many prior owners felt that prestige would be bestowed on them by default if they were able to hold it in their hands.
[6] Ocean Dream Diamond
The Ocean dream Diamond is the only natural diamond of a Fancy Deep Blue Green color rated by the Gemological Institute of America. It is probably the rarest diamond in the world, not least for its color but also its other attributes. It is currently owned by the Cora Diamond Corporation. and was displayed along-side other famous stones at the Smithsonian’s “The Splendor of Diamonds”.
[7] Tiffany Yellow
Another colored diamond is the Tiffany Yellow, which was made famous by the movie bearing the name of the stone: Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Whether or not they do indeed serve breakfast at Tiffany’s is yet to be known. It is believed that the stone was found in either 1877 or 1878. For over 100 years it has still remained at the pinnacle of all things illustrious.
[8] The Heart of Eternity
The Heart of Eternity is part of a highly rare class of colored diamonds. It was graded as Fancy Vivid Blue and it mesmerizes with this fantastic natural color as well as its heart shape. Such vivid blue is not only rare, but also an oxymoron in the context of the heart shape in which it is cut. With deep sensual connotations and a value of around $500,000 per carrot it is no wonder The Heart of Eternity makes it in the top ten most astounding diamonds that we have been blessed with by mother earth.
[9] The Pumpkin Diamond
The Pumpkin Diamond is a relatively small gemstone (5. 54 carats), but its color makes it unique. The Fancy Vivid Orange is believed to be the largest of this hue. The intensity of color can not be fully described in words, but its richness could compel a person with the highest level of ignorance towards diamonds and aprreciation of their beauty.
[10] Regent Diamond
Last but not least, the cushion shaped Regent Diamond is highly renowned because of its history. The story goes that it was found in India, sold in France and served for the coronation of Louis XVI, the hat of Marie Antoinette and the sword of Napoleon Bonaparte. The origination of the Regent Diamond is also somewhat ironic considering its value today. It was found by an Indian slave, who needless to say, did not manage to benefit from the gem. In fact he lost his life to it, when an English Sea Captian decided to take his life to acquire it. It is now valued at just under $1 Million, however some speculate it could sell for much more than that.
While these famous beauties are owned by well-off collectors or prestigious museums, you can still admire them and go to a store and get a smaller version of a diamond that will make your day.
Filed under Diamonds by on Feb 17th, 2007. Comment. 
When it comes to purchasing a diamond ring, there are many settings available. However, a precious gem characterized by its beauty, transparency, and brilliance requires a precious metal accordingly.
There are no written rules to select a precious metal or semi-precious metal for a diamond setting. Through the times, one metal has been the favorite over other popular choices. Gold has been always at the top of favorite metals for engagement rings.
Even though, whether for budgeting or personal preference, silver, and palladium are affordable alternatives to gold, in which the white color enhances the appearance of a diamond. However, if you are going to spend a considerable amount of money purchasing a diamond for your fiance why not select platinum?
In jewelry, there are three precious metals; gold, silver, and platinum, which is the rarest and most expensive among all of them. The enduring nature of diamonds combines perfectly with the harder metal, platinum, which is considered the diamond’s best friend.
Platinum rarely causes allergic reactions, resists tarnish, and its silver-like color, helps diamonds to receive better light reflection, regardless of the chosen cut. In the United States, platinum is marked as PLAT, being 95% pure. In other countries around the world, platinum quality is not below 85 to 95%.
Out of curiosity, platinum is also used in coinage. Issues struck in platinum are the pattern of the American half-dollars of 1814 and modern platinum Eagles in dollars. Because platinum is an extremely rare metal, King Louis XV of France declared that platinum is the only metal that fit for a king.
Platinum was first found in South America by Spanish explorers surveying the region in the 18th century. It occurs naturally in copper and nickel ores, as well as native in some deposits. The name of platinum comes from the Spanish word “platina”, meaning little silver.
However, the Italian humanist Julius Caesar Scaliger described in his writing from 1557 some of the first deposits of platinum found in mines across the region running from Mexico to Panama.
Used in a diamond setting, the purity of platinum, free of yellowish hue or alloy, guarantee that the diamond’s brilliance will not be tinged, contrarily this metal enhances the gem’s sparkling appearance. Platinum also has a natural luster unaffected by time or weather conditions, which density, durability, and resistance becomes a lifetime protection for a lifelong gem.
The crown of Queen Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the Queen Mother, was manufactured in platinum for her coronation as Princess Consort of King George VI at the Westminster Abbey in 1937. This platinum crown is decorated with precious gems, including the Koh-I-Noor diamond in the middle front cross, and Queen Victoria’s 17-carat diamond, a present given by the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire in 1856.
Placed in the Queen Mother’s coffin during her funeral in 2002, today, this famous platinum crown is on display at the Jewel House in the Tower of London as an undeniable symbol of the beautiful alliance between diamonds and platinum for all settings, but especially for engagement rings.
Filed under Diamonds, Platinum by on Feb 17th, 2007.
Nobody could imagine that a piece of crystalline carbon is the most valued of all gems. Diamonds are the hardest known natural material resulting from mineral carbon. The Diamond is named after the Greek world “adamas”(unconquerable) because of its characteristics, diamonds are mostly used in jewelry, but there are numerous industrial applications in which they are also used.
Diamonds are the most costly gem among other mineral stones, and for many centuries an icon of love, symbolizing a relationship as strong as the gem itself. In its pure form, diamonds occur naturally in nature and can be found transparent and opaque, formed by tetrahedral bonded carbon atoms with high refractive index and moderate dispersion.
However, you can only find diamonds deep down in the earth, where high pressure and temperature of our planet propitiate its creation. This occurrence is usually found not less than 180 kilometers below the earth’s surface. At such a depth, crystalline carbons are formed with metals, molten rocks, and other materials, with temperatures ranging from 1100º C to 1400º C.
Depending on the region and circumstances surrounding the mines, prime mineral carbon may receive in the mantel small amounts of different substances that result in diamond impurities, such as sulfur and nitrogen that give color or special characteristics to diamonds that devaluate or increase the cost of a gem.
White diamonds with impurities losses value but not hardness. A pink diamond is the rarest of all the gems and of course, is higher in cost than the price regular white diamonds, having the same characteristics except their color. Although, the hardness of all diamonds is undoubtedly their main quality, those from the Australian regions of New England and New South Wales are claimed to be the hardest diamonds in the world.
Diamonds can only be polished using diamonds, hence this one of its uses in industry. After polishing the mineral carbon, the resulting diamond is usually a very small perfect to semi perfect gem piece. Cutting the gem is extremely meticulous because the hardness of a diamond may vary in accordance with the direction of the cut.
Shaping a diamond can be complicated and requires a skilled artisan to do such task. Shape can also make the price of a diamond fluctuate enormously. Round brilliant cuts are usually priced by weight, but other shapes can be costly due to the complexity and the presence of color or imperfections in the surface can also influence in the value of diamonds.
Perfection of shapes based on either empirical or mathematical analysis can give a crystalline carbon a fancy facet and proportions arrangements that make diamonds a rare and costly piece. Diamonds resulting from secondary or alluvial deposits are usually opaque and covered by a gummy coat.
In industrial applications, diamonds are used as electric semiconductors and insulators especially rare blue. In addition, diamonds are used to polish and drill hard materials, including other types of jewelry pieces. In the early 1900s, diamonds were found useful in drilling for oil, although, the technique was first applied by the Chinese in 1100 BC to drill for water.
Today, diamonds are used in countless applications, and they are still the most popular gems.
Filed under Diamonds by on Feb 17th, 2007.