| World Famous Diamonds 1. This is a multi part article | | | | cutter to align facets so precisely that the flow of light |
| and is strictly for educational purposes. | | | | into and out of a diamonds can be completely |
| Agra Diamond | | | | controlled. In 2001 this diamond was slowly cut from |
| The first recorded history of the Agra Diamond in 1526 | | | | 14.89 to 13.42 carats over a six-week period. The key |
| when Babur the first Mogul emperor was reported to | | | | to a beautiful diamond is by cutting the diamond for |
| have received the diamond from the family of the slain | | | | maximum light output and not size and in the case of |
| Raja of Agar. Many stories surround the diamond | | | | the American Star this was achieved. |
| from the mid 1500 to 1891 including one story where a | | | | The Amsterdam - No Picture |
| horse was forced to swallow the diamond so it could | | | | The Amsterdam is reported to be a synthetic black |
| be smuggled out of India to England. None of the | | | | diamond weighing 33.74 carats and is completely black. |
| stories can be validated until 1891 when the diamond | | | | It was sold in 2001 for $352.000 setting a world record |
| was documented to be in the position of Edwin | | | | for the highest price paid for a black diamond. |
| Streeter. | | | | The Archduke Joseph |
| Today the Agra Diamond has been graded as a | | | | Named after the Archduke Joseph August of the |
| naturally colored Fancy Light Pink and weighs 28.15 | | | | Hapsburg dynasty is a 76.45 carat diamond from India. |
| carats. It was last sold for about $6,900.000 to the | | | | It was sold in Geneva in November of 1993, for |
| SIBA Corporation of Hong Kong. | | | | $6,487,945. |
| Ahmadabad | | | | The Arcots |
| The Ahmadabad Diamond is named after the capitol | | | | Named after the town of Arcots the diamonds were |
| of the Indian State of Gujarat and it is believed to have | | | | reported to have been given to Queen Charlotte in |
| been purchased by a French gem merchant called | | | | 1777 by Nawab of Arcot. The largest was 38.6 carats |
| Jean Baptiste Tavernier in the 1600s. The Ahmadabad | | | | and was re-cut in 1959 to 30.99 carats and the smaller |
| Diamond has been graded by the GIA a D-color and | | | | was re-cut to 18.85 carats to gain greater clarity and |
| weighs 78.86 carats, and is cut in an antique-pear | | | | brilliance. They largest of the Arcots was set in a |
| shape. It was purchased in1995 by Robert Mouawad, | | | | pendant and later sold in 1993 to Sheik Ahmed Hassan |
| for $4,324,554. | | | | Fitaihi, the Saudi Arabian dealer. |
| Allnatt | | | | The Ashberg - No Picture |
| This 101.29-carat cushion cut its color having been | | | | It is believed to be of amber-color and cushion shaped |
| certified by the GIA as Fancy Vivid Yellow, VS2 clarity, | | | | weighing about 102.48 carats. It is reported to have |
| is named after its former owner, Alfred Ernest Allnatt. | | | | been part of the Russian Crown Jewels. In 1959 it was |
| The American Star | | | | sold to a private buyer whose name was not |
| The EightStar company of California wanted to prove | | | | revealed. It went on auction again in 1981 but the |
| that optical perfection of the round brilliant diamonds | | | | diamond failed to reach its reserve price and was |
| could be obtained by using an exclusive light-tracking | | | | withdrawn. |
| instrument called a FireScope which allows a diamond | | | | |