Diamonds
As irresistible and coveted as diamonds may be, have you ever stopped to wonder about the biggest and most expensive ones that have been discovered so far? Let’s count down the five priciest and weightiest diamonds ever mined:
5. The De Beers Centenary Diamond
It is a D color, internally and externally flawless diamond. This diamond was named the Centenary Diamond to mark the Centennial Celebration of De Beers Consolidated Mines in 1988 when it was presented as rough. It weighs 273.85 carats and is valued at about $100 million. It was the third largest diamond to be produced from the Premier mine in 1986. Its rough weight was an astonishing 599 carats. Those privy to its discovery were sworn to complete secrecy. You can learn more about the De Beers Centenary Diamond at http://famousdiamonds.tripod.com/centenarydiamond.html.
4. The Hope Diamond
The Hope Diamond is 45.52 carats and resides in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. It is a deep blue diamond and is classified by GIA as a Type IIB diamond. The blue that appears to the naked eye owes to the presence of trace amounts of boron in its crystal structure but shows red phosphorescence in UV light. It is worth about $350 million. You can learn more about the Hope Diamond at http://famousdiamonds.tripod.com/hopediamond.html.
3. The Cullinan Diamond
This diamond is valued at about $400 million. It is 3,106.75 carats and is the largest gem quality rough diamond ever found. It was named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, who owned the South African mine where it was found on January 26, 1905. You can learn more about the Cullinan Diamond at http://famousdiamonds.tripod.com/cullinandiamonds.html.
2. The Sancy Diamond
It is a pale yellow diamond weighing 55.23 carats and is 600 years old. It was discovered in the notable mines of Golconda, India. The value of this diamond has not been estimated and is therefore unknown. It was sold by the famed Astor family, who held it for much of the 20th century, to the Louvre in Paris, France, in 1978. You can learn more about the Sancy Diamond at http://famousdiamonds.tripod.com/sancydiamond.html.
1. The Koh-i-Noor Diamond
Another stone of inestimable and unknown value, the Koh-i-Noor (“Mountain of Light” in Persian) was discovered in the same mine as the Sancy Diamond in Golconda, India. It weighs 105.60 carats, once the largest diamond reported in the world. The Koh-i-Noor was claimed as the spoils of war repeatedly by Sikh, Mughal and Persian rulers. In 1877, it was ultimately taken by the East India Company and joined the British Crown Jewels once Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India by British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. You can learn more about the Koh-i-Noor Diamond at http://famousdiamonds.tripod.com/koh-i-noordiamond.html.
