| The Diamond remains, not only a romantic
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| | of this fateful jewel. After a time it
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| gem of great beauty, but a legitimate
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| | came to Runjeet Singh, King of Lahore who
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| trading item on commodity markets and is
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| | wore it on his arm between two smaller
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| an established trade in the world's
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| | diamonds. He bequeathed it to the Shrine
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| toughest financial markets of London and
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| | of Juggernaut but it was later presented
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| Europe. As a commercial commodity
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| | to Queen Victoria by Lord Dalhousie on
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| diamonds are very popular because of
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| | the annexation of the Punjab and sent to
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| their controlled value internationally,
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| | London in 1850. The Indians believed the
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| mainly by De Beers, who held the monopoly
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| | stone would bring misfortune until
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| for a long time.
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| | restored to the line of Vira-maditya. It
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| Aesthetically, it is because of its
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| | was re-cut in England which decreased its
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| purity that it captures immediate
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| | size. Its present location is unknown.
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| attention. There is no other known
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| | Napoleon wore the famous Regent diamond
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| substance as hard in the mineral world,
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| | in the hilt of his sword. The Regent
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| yet once the stone is cut and faceted it
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| | stone was originally found by a slave who
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| possesses a brilliance which seems to
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| | concealed it by hiding it in the folds of
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| hold the potential for the reflection of
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| | the bandage he was wearing over a wound.
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| all the colors of the rainbow. It is
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| | It was stolen from him and he was thrown
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| understandably symbolic of human fidelity
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| | into the sea. The diamond was sold to a
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| and truthfulness and of enduring virtues
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| | dealer named Jamchund for £1000. Then
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| and is expected to demonstrate a
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| | it was purchased by Thomas Pitt,
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| commitment to these values at the time
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| | grandfather of the Earl of Chatham who
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| when couples become engaged to be
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| | purchased it for £20,400. By 1717 it
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| married. This custom is so well
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| | was sold to the Regent of France for
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| established, that it is difficult to
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| | £135,000. 410 carats in its natural
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| concede that any other stone will oust it
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| | state - after cutting, which took 2 years
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| from its supreme status. It is
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| | to complete, it was reduced to 137 carats
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| anticipated that marriages will last to
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| | and was perfectly white without spot or
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| endure as the diamond - and this is
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| | flaw. During the French Revolution the
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| re-enforced by the marketing slogan
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| | diamond was stolen form the public
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| "diamonds are forever".
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| | treasury. Twelve years later it was
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| In fact this purest of all substances of
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| | recovered and set in the imperial diadem
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| the earth has been formed by the
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| | of France.
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| processes of nature's laboratory deep in
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| | Another which has stirred the imagination
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| the earth, sometimes to 150 km, which
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| | of many is the blue Hope Diamond, with
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| allow the blackest of all substances,
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| | its reputation of bringing back luck - a
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| pure carbon, to be transmuted into the
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| | reputation which is claimed to be
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| clear 8 faced crystal which confronts us
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| | unfounded. It is 45.52 carats in size
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| in seeing a diamond, which is later
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| | and thought to be now in the U.S.. This
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| transformed and made exquisitely lovely
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| | famous Hope Diamond was originally owned
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| through skilled expert faceting, into a
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| | by Tavernier, the French traveler born in
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| brilliant.
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| | Paris in 1605. In 1668 after time in the
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| Diamonds are cut with the aid of diamond
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| | East, he sold it to Louis XIV. The
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| dust. Diamonds possess luminous
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| | Duchess de Montespan, the royal mistress,
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| properties after exposure to sunlight and
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| | prevailed upon the King to be allowed to
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| glow in a darkened room, to fluoresce in
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| | wear the dazzling gem at a Court Ball.
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| ultraviolet light and also after
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| | From that time it attracted disaster. It
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| friction.
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| | was later worn by the unfortunate Marie
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| Melting diamonds and other stones in
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| | Antoinette and also lent it to the
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| alchemical processes is known in the
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| | Princess de Lamballe. But both suffered
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| ancient Ayurvedic science. This process
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| | execution by the guillotine. Some
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| is considered to produce a cardiac tonic
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| | believe that it was the blue diamond
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| and when added to other medicines
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| | which brought them bad luck. It
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| enhances therapy, with the best of the
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| | disappeared for 30 years but was later
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| elixirs curing many serious diseases.
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| | found in possession of a lapidary of
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| In France in the fifteenth century, Louis
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| | Amsterdam, whose son stole it but then
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| IX decreed that no-one who was not of
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| | committed suicide. It passed to a
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| royal blood could wear diamonds. At that
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| | Frenchman named Beaulieu who took it to
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| time they were engraved but not known to
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| | London and sold it to a dealer Daniel
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| be cut and polished until 1496.
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| | Eliason and then died mysteriously the
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| Diamonds occur either colourless and
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| | following day. Mr. Henry Thomas Hope was
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| clear or tinted. The most prized quality
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| | the next purchaser, paying Eliason
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| has a slight blue tint. The tinted
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| | £18,000 for it. The stone remained in
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| "champagne diamonds" have been well
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| | the Hope family until 1901 when Sir
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| marketed and have proven popular in
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| | Francis Hope sold it to a diamond
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| recent years. Diamonds with yellow color
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| | merchant, who resold it to an American,
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| are generally quite de-valued. Diamonds
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| | who sold to M. Jacques Colot who sold it
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| with small flaws also sell quite cheaply.
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| | to a Russian Prince who was stabbed to
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| Rarely found are blue diamonds, green
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| | death. The French dealer from whom he
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| and even pink diamonds, with the latter
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| | purchased it ended his own life. A Greek
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| marketed by Argyle with great success.
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| | merchant met with a violent death after
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| There is also a very rare red diamond.
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| | selling the diamond to Abdul Humid, the
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| The unusual colored ones are generally
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| | ex-Sultan of Turkey, who narrowly escaped
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| considered to have more commercial value
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| | with his life after losing his throne. A
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| but those who believe in the traditional
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| | New York jewellers next bought the gem.
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| value place greater importance upon the
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| | It was believed to have been lost with
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| pure, clarity of the colourless jewel.
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| | the ill fated Titanic but later seems to
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| Diamonds are found in many places of the
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| | have been established as being owned by
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| world, Borneo, Brazil, South Africa,
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| | Mr. McLean, an American millionaire. One
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| Siberia, China, Canada, India and in
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| | wonders - what has happened since?
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| recent centuries, Western Australia.
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| | Most attempts to create artificial
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| There are some interesting stories about
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| | diamonds were unsuccessful until General
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| some of the famous gems... One of the
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| | Electric in 1954 was able to produce the
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| largest is that which belonged to the
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| | conditions which resembled those found
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| Rajah of Matan and weighed 318 carats.
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| | 350 km deep in the earth. They produced
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| The Pitt Diamond weighed 410 carats in
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| | diamond crystals which are now being
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| the rough but was reduced to only 137
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| | exported all over the world. Industrial
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| carats when cut. In 1720 it became part
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| | quality diamonds produced naturally are
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| of the French crown jewels and was later
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| | considered of less value than these
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| pawned by Napoleon to the Batavian
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| | synthetic diamonds in meeting
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| government to finally be incorporated
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| | manufacturer's needs. In 1962 synthetic
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| into the crown of Napoleon III.
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| | Diamonds of up to 1 carat were produced
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| Excelsior was discovered in 1893 and was
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| | in Japan by the Toshiba Electric Company
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| 969 carats but only 364 carats after
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| | by a simpler process but they were of
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| cutting.
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| | industrial not gem quality. Industrial
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| The largest diamond ever found was the
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| | diamond drills are used in various
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| Cullinan in 1905 in the Transvaal, South
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| | industries and in cutting through
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| Africa. It weighed 3,106 carats. In
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| | concrete and masonry. Diamond blades are
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| 1908 it was cut into 9 large and 96
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| | now in demand for use in micro-surgery.
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| lesser stones. Two of the largest are in
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| | Creation of artificial diamonds require
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| the British Crown Jewels.
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| | enormous pressures and high temperatures
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| The Koh-in-oor, or Mountain of Light, is
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| | and to this point in time have only been
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| claimed to be the oldest large diamond
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| | moderately successful in Russia, Ireland
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| and dates back to 59 BC. The founder of
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| | and South Africa making industrial
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| the Mogul Empire, Baber, reported it to
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| | quality stones, not gemstones. But who
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| have come into the treasury at Delhi from
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| | would not prefer to have the opportunity
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| the conquest of Malwa in 1304, after
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| | to appreciate and to benefit by the
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| passing through many Indian rulers'
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| | sterling qualities of a beautiful natural
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| hands. It was thought that the safety of
| |
| | jewel?
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| the dynasty depended upon the possession
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