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