The most famous diamonds in the world. Best offshore services Famous rough and polished diamonds

During an evening walk, the mine manager, Frederick Wells, noticed a point on the wall of the quarry sparkling in the rays of the setting sun. The point was 9 meters from the top edge of the quarry. Soon, the mine workers recovered a diamond measuring 100 x 65 x 50 mm. Later it turned out that the diamond was a fragment of a larger crystal, which, unfortunately, was never found.

The wonder was shown to everyone at a bank in Johannesburg. The price of the diamond was so high that for several years there was no buyer for it. There were even offers to chip in to buy a stone - a shilling from each resident. However, another use was found for the precious find: after the Boer War, the rulers of the Transvaal Republic, as a sign of reconciliation, decided to present an expensive gift to the King of England, Edward VII. In 1907, the diamond was bought for 150 thousand pounds sterling and presented to the king for his birthday.

It should be noted that even at the prices of those years, the cost of the find was at least 8 million pounds. Today, the value of a rough diamond would be equal to the value of 94 tons of gold. Before transporting the stone to England, it was insured, a special ship was rented with a safe cabin and an entire army of vigilant guards. However, if clever robbers did steal the cargo, it would plunge them into shock: after all, a dummy of the Cullinan would fall into their hands. While real stone arrived in England in a regular postal parcel.

The new owner did not appreciate the gift at first, calling it “glass.” In 1908, it was decided to break the Cullinan diamond into pieces and cut it, for which the stone was sent to the Asskor brothers, famous jewelers from Amsterdam. Before breaking the stone into pieces, Josef Asskor studied it for almost six months. But even having determined the point of application of the first blow, he himself did not dare to take this blow, entrusting the matter to the student. At the moment of delivering the decisive blow, Josef Asskor fainted from excitement. But the calculation turned out to be correct. Upon completion of all the work, almost 4 years later, two large, seven medium and ninety-six small diamonds of extraordinary purity saw the light of day.

The largest piece of the diamond was cut into a pear shape (530.2 carats) and was called the “Star of Africa”, or “Cullinan-I”. Today it is the most famous and largest diamond - it adorns the top of the royal scepter of Great Britain.

The second fragment took on the shape of an “emerald”; it weighs 317.4 carats, is named “Cullinan II” and adorns the British crown...

From the parts of the diamond remaining after processing the first two diamonds, two more large diamonds were cut: “Cullinan-III”, 94.4 carats, and “Cullinan-IV”, 63.65 carats, and smaller diamonds were called “Small Stars”. Africa."

Cullinan V, also a very famous diamond

Now a little more than 34% remains of 3106 carats - 1063.65 carats. It is unknown whether such losses are explained by imperfect technology or hidden defects in the stone.

Damn "Black Orlov"

Its origin and steel-gray color remain a mystery. Some suggest that it was previously a 195-carat Eye of Brahma stone set into a statue in the Pondicherry area. Others believe that this diamond was kept in a casket by the Russian princess Nadezhda Orlova. Meanwhile, a princess with that name never existed. In addition, a black diamond has never been mentioned in India, where the color is considered an omen of evil. Finally, the square step cut of the stone appeared no earlier than a hundred years ago! Wherever the Black Orlov, which currently weighs 67.50 carats, came from, New York jeweler Winston displayed it as a curiosity and then set it, along with other diamonds, in a platinum necklace that has been used many times. from hand to hand. It was last sold at Sotheby's in New York.

The mystically beautiful black diamond "Orlov" has a dark past. It is shrouded in secrets and rumors, and “Orlov” itself has a bad reputation as a cursed stone, but at the same time it illuminates the creative path of the best jewelers. And, of course, there are always people willing to pay a lot of money for it.

"Koh-I-Noor"

This famous diamond can rightfully be called “historic”. Its history goes back not one hundred or two hundred years, but twenty centuries (56 BC). According to Indian legend, a child was found on the banks of the Yamuna River; a beautiful diamond burned in his forehead; this was “Koh-i-Noor”. The elephant driver's daughter picked up the newborn and brought him to the court. This child was none other than Karna, the son of the Sun God. The stone, whose net weight was then 600 carats, was installed on the statue of the god Shiva in the place of the third eye, which brings enlightenment.

This diamond was first mentioned in chronicles in 1304. It then belonged to the Raja of Malwa. Then, for two centuries, nothing was known about the stone. It was only in 1526 that it was discovered among the treasures of Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty. The Mughals kept the stone for two hundred years, until 1739, when the ruler of Persia, Nadir Shah, sacked Delhi. However, the legendary diamond was not among the spoils of war: the defeated Shah hid it in the folds of his turban. But Nadir Shah turned out to be more cunning. According to custom, the winner organized a magnificent feast in honor of the enemy, at which former enemies exchanged their turbans as a sign of peace. Thanks to this ploy, Nadir Shah made the most of his triumph. After the assassination of the Shah in 1747, his son, who inherited the stone, preferred, according to legend, to die under torture, but did not give up the legendary diamond.

Then “Koh-i-Nor” changed owners many times, ended up in the hands of Afghans, Sikhs, and in 1849 it was kidnapped by the British who captured Lahore. The diamond, under the strictest security, was sent aboard the Medea to London, where it was presented to Queen Victoria on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the East India Company. He appeared before the eyes of Her Majesty's subjects at the 1851 World Exhibition at the Crystal Palace. However, the stone did not create a sensation: due to its Indian cut, its shine was rather dull. The Queen summoned the famous diamond cutter Voorzanger from the Koster company from Amsterdam and ordered him to cut the “mountain of light.” This cut, which reduced the weight of the diamond from 186 to 108.93 carats, brought him unfading worldwide fame. Now "Kohinoor" is inserted into the Royal State Crown.

"Eureka" - the diamond that brings war

Some famous diamonds brought death to their owners, while others became real talismans that protected against all sorts of troubles and misfortunes. But few stones can boast that they started a real war, because of which thousands of people died. The most interesting thing is that the weight of this diamond is very small - before processing it weighed 21.25 carats, and after - only 10.73. And it’s not even the story of its discovery that is surprising, but the revolution the crystal called “Eureka” made in the world. A guy named Erasmus Jacobs lived with his family near the Orange River, on the De Kalk farm, near the town of Hopetown. Looking for a stick on the river bank to clear a drain. The young man noticed among the pebbles shiny pebble. Which was so beautiful that the boy took it to the farm and gave it to his sister Louise.

As it turned out later, near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange rivers, in a mountainous region called Western Griqualand, diamonds were found very often. But most of them were small and had a yellowish tint, which reduced their price. However, this did not stop all seekers of adventure and easy money from rushing here at breakneck speed. Of course, the British could not ignore these lands and tried to forcibly annex the Boer lands to their colonies. The Boers finally gathered their strength and, raising an uprising, expelled the invaders from the country, but the British retained Western Griqualand.

England declared war under the plausible pretext of violation of human rights by the Boers themselves, and, having assembled an army of half a million against 80 thousand Boers, waited for the first blow. Having turned to the arbitrator and not receiving an answer, the Boers inflicted it themselves. The difficult war cost the Boers 4,000 killed on the battlefields, 26,000 old men, women and children who died of starvation and behind barbed wire, and 20,000 wounded. On May 31, 1902, peace was signed in Vereeniging, depriving this freedom-loving people of independence. And at that moment no one thought that this whole war began because of a small stone called “Eureka”.

"Regent" The bloodiest gem.

Regent (“Pitt”), one of the famous historical stones, the largest (weight 136.75 carats) of the diamonds stored in the Louvre. Found in the Golconda mines in India in 1700 by a Hindu slave who cut his thigh and hid the stone in the wound under a bandage. An English sailor promised a slave freedom for a diamond, but after luring him onto the ship, he took the stone and killed him. He sold the diamond for 1,000 pounds sterling to the English governor of Fort St. George Pitt, whose name the stone was called until 1717, when the Duke of Orleans, regent of France, bought the stone for Louis XV for 3,375 thousand francs.

In 1792, during the looting of the royal palace, the stone disappeared, but was later found. The Republican government of France pledged the diamond to the wealthy Moscow merchant Treskoff; It was bought by General Bonaparte (Napoleon I), who ordered it to be inserted into the hilt of his sword. In 1886, during the sale of treasures of the French crown, the Regent was bought for 6 million francs for the Louvre Museum.

"Shah"

One of the famous historical stones, a diamond (weight 88 carats), is kept in the Diamond Fund of Russia in Moscow. The stone is engraved with inscriptions in Persian telling about its previous owners: in 1591 the diamond belonged to Burhan Nizam Shah II of the Mughal dynasty, in 1641 to Jahan Shah, in 1824 to Shah Qajar Fath Ali, ruler of Persia. The diamond is not cut, but only polished; part of the natural faces of the octahedron has been preserved. Its shape is elongated, with a deep circular groove cut at one end for hanging the stone.

The stone hung over the Mughal throne for a long time as a talisman. In 1829, after the defeat of the Russian embassy in Tehran and the murder of the poet and diplomat A. S. Griboyedov, a delegation led by the son of the Shah Khosrow-Mirza was sent to St. Petersburg. Among the “redemptive gifts”, Nicholas I was presented with an ancient diamond on behalf of the Shah.

The famous Orlov stone

The Orlov Diamond, presented by Grigory Orlov to Empress Catherine II as a sign of his ardent love for her in 1775. The diamond is known from the time when it was inserted into the eye of the Idol that adorned the Brahma Palace in India, and was later given to Shah Nadir.

The Orlov diamond has a slightly bluish-green tint. It adorns the imperial scepter and measures 32mmX35mmX31mm. According to legend, when the Russians expected Napoleon to capture Moscow in 1812, the diamond was hidden in the grave of a priest. However, Napoleon deliberately sought out the place where the diamond was hidden, and when he reached for it, the ghost of a priest appeared from the grave, casting spells at Napoleon's army. Thus, Napoleon escaped without touching the diamond. The diamond is kept in the Kremlin's diamond fund.

The Mystery of the Hope Diamond

The Hope Diamond is one of the most famous historical diamonds. It is currently kept at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (Washington, USA). The mass of this blue diamond is 45.52 carats. Geometric dimensions of the stone: 25.60 x 21.78 x 12.00 mm. The diamond is cut into a cushion shape.

The Hope Diamond is surrounded by the largest number of “sinister” secrets and has a “bad” reputation. It is also called “Tavernier Blue”, “Blue Diamond of the French Crown”, “French Blue”, “Blue Frenchman”, “Blue Hope”...
The history of the famous Hope Diamond begins in the mid-17th century, when the famous French merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier acquired a large blue diamond weighing 112 3/16 carats (about 115 carats in modern metric). This stone was clumsily cut and shaped like a triangle. Experts agree that the diamond was most likely mined at the Kollur mine in Golconda (India).

In 1668, Tavernier sold this stone to King Louis XIV of France. In 1673, the court jeweler recut it into a 67-carat diamond (about 69 carats in modern metric).

At that time, no one had yet thought about the curse of God hanging over the owners of the diamond. But for the first time they started talking about it after this stone “brought with it” the plague. Terrible disease overtook Europe just after the appearance of an unusual crystal, so the clergy dubbed the stone cursed. The first “victim” of the diamond is considered to be Tavernier himself, who was torn to pieces by dogs on one of his regular trips.

The king's favorite soon fell out of favor, and the diamond returned to Louis XIV. Once again, while dancing at a ball, the “Sun King” stepped on a rusty nail and died of gangrene. After his death, the diamond passed to Marie Antoinette. The beautiful diamond interested Princess Lamballe and the queen gave it to her to wear. After the diamond returned to its owner, the princess was killed. And after some time, Marie Antoinette was beheaded.

Passing from hand to hand and depriving people of their lives, the stone was finally bought by the Irish banker and collector Hope, in whose honor it received its name.

Sultan Abdul Hamid II, who bought the Hope diamond for his wife, after some time lost his beloved wife, who fell into the hands of rapists and murderers. And later the Sultan himself lost his life in exile, after he was overthrown from the throne by his subjects. The next owner of the stone was the Russian prince Korytkovsky (in another version Kandovitsky), who presented the diamond to the Parisian dancer Ledu. However, the curse overtook them too, when after some time the prince shot his mistress in a fit of jealousy, and he himself fell victim to an assassination attempt. The Spaniard who later owned the blood diamond drowned. Just like the married couple in the movie Titanic.

In the end, “Hope” went to Evelyn Walsh McLean, a Washington socialite who first dedicated a stone in the church, which did not protect her loved ones from misfortune. The husband became an alcoholic and ended his days in a mental hospital, the first son was hit by a car in early childhood, and the daughter committed suicide by swallowing pills. And after the death of her grandmother, who bequeathed her jewelry to her grandchildren, her beloved granddaughter died at the age of 25.

The cursed diamond was sold to the cynical and non-superstitious jewelry dealer Harry Winston. Why the curse did not touch him is still a matter of debate. Maybe because he didn’t believe in it, or maybe because by putting the diamond on public display he was collecting money for charity? But Harry didn’t take the risk for long, so he sent the diamond by mail. This is how one of the most famous and “bloody” diamonds ended up in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, thus parting with all its owners. How to consider the history of this stone - a beautiful legend, a fatal curse or a chain of coincidences - is up to you, but at the moment few people want to own this diamond.

The Hope Diamond is considered the largest blue diamond in the world. It was he who first showed people that blue diamonds can, under certain conditions, become red-red, like a flame.

A puzzle that has plagued scientists for years is why a diamond continues to glow red for several seconds after the stone is illuminated with ultraviolet light (photo by John Nels Hatleberg).

Diamond Golden Jubilee (gold brown)

Discovered in 1986 in South Africa, this diamond, which was originally called the Unnamed Brown, weighed 755.5 carats. Because of his gold brown The diamond had a brilliant and magical aura about its heart.

This is a child of South Africa and one of the most famous creations of Gabi Tolkowsky, who cut the stone. For a very long time, the brown-yellow diamond was called Unnamed Brown. But in 1997, the stone was purchased as a gift to the Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej on the 50th “golden” anniversary of the monarch’s reign. It was then that the stone finally got its name. The price of the diamond is unknown.

"Incomparable" Incomparable Diamond

This diamond, called Incomparable, was found in the early 1980s in the Congo. The weight of the diamond is 890 carats. The Incomparable Diamond is exhibited at the Royal Ontario Museum (Canada). It is the third largest diamond ever cut in the world. The weight of this diamond, after cutting, is 407.08 carats. The noble golden-yellow color and large mass of the stone have long secured its title as one of the rarest diamonds in the world.

Diamond The Centenary

The Centenary Diamond was discovered on July 17, 1986 in the Premier mine, South Africa. The rough weight of the stone was 599.1 carats. The discovery was announced during the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the world's most famous diamond mining company, De Beers. Jeweler Gabi Tolkowski spent almost three years processing the diamond. The result was amazing: “Centenary” is a diamond of perfectly clear water and impeccable polishing. It weighs 273.85 carats. In May 1991, the jewel was insured for more than $100 million. The Centenary is preserved in the Tower of London and is part of the British Crown Jewels.

The most beautiful stones, which since ancient times have inspired people to exploits and crimes - these are diamonds. More precisely, their processed versions are diamonds. These jewels are rarely found in nature. Large specimens are so rare that humanity keeps their stories in its memory. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the top 5 most famous gems.

The Cullinan Diamond

This treasure was found on January 25, 1905 in the Transvaal province of South Africa. Its weight was 3106ct or 621.2 g. The crystal was distinguished by the complete absence of defects, cracks and mineral inclusions. The most striking thing is that it was part of another, larger sample, which, unfortunately, could not be found.

The South African miracle received its name in honor of Sir Thomas Cullinan, who owned the mine. The cost of the stone was so high that there were no buyers for it for several years. By today's standards, this unprocessed specimen would cost 94 tons of gold!

The first owner of this treasure was the British King Edward VII. However, the capricious monarch did not appreciate the scale of this natural miracle, calling it “a piece of glass.” He ordered the jewelers to make several smaller ones from it. After some time, the Cullinan turned into 2 large, 7 medium and 96 small diamonds of perfect clarity.

The largest of the stones is called the "Star of Africa" ​​or "Cullinan I" and adorns the top of the scepter of British monarchs. It has a pear-shaped cut and a size of 530.2ct, which allows this gift of nature to hold the world championship.

The Koh-i-Noor Diamond

The name of this multifaceted ideal is translated as “Mountain of Light.” In its uncut state it weighed over 800ct. South India is considered its homeland. The owner of this treasure was the founder of the Mughal dynasty himself.

The diamond occupied a central place on the ceremonial Peacock Throne of ruler Shah Jahan. This Indian prince became famous for building the luxurious Taj Mahal mausoleum for his beloved. IN different times The “Mountain of Light” was owned by: the Persian Shah Nadir, the founder of the Afghan royal Durrani dynasty, the Indian Raja Ranjit Singh and his descendants.

The “Mountain of Light” was presented as a gift to Queen Victoria, and after her death it took pride of place in the royal crown. In 1852 they decided to recut it. As a result of this procedure, the crystal lost 40% of its mass (from 191 to 108.9ct). In addition, it has become less interesting historically, having lost its original form.

Star of Yakutia Diamond

This crystal was found in 1973. Its mass is 232ct. Interestingly, in the English De Beers catalog it is listed under the name “50 Years of Aeroflot”. This name was given initially. However, the then Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Alexey Kosygin, insisted that he receive a more sonorous name.

Today, the “Star of Yakutia” is kept in the Kremlin’s Diamond Fund. Unlike other famous gems, this one cannot be cut. Therefore, everyone has the opportunity to admire the pristine “star” beauty.

Orlov (The Orlov Diamond)

"Orlov" was the pride of the Romanov dynasty. Its size is 189.62ct. The cut diamond crowns the scepter of the imperial house and has a rather mysterious past.

According to one version, he was kidnapped in 1747 from the throne of the Persian Shah Nadir. Another version claims that the jewel was found in the jungle on the ruins of an ancient Indian temple. This was the third eye of the statue of the god Brahma.

The diamond was brought to Russia by the Armenian merchant Lazarev in 1768. He sold it to Count Grigory Orlov for 400 thousand rubles. The imperial favorite presented the jewel to Catherine II. This is truly a gift worthy of a great woman!

The Pitt or Regent Diamond

It is believed that this crystal was found in 1701 in India, on the banks of the Kistina River. The uncut weight was 410ct. Legend has it that a slave who found the stone hid it in his wound. After this, he secretly made his way onto a ship bound for England and offered the captain half the price from the sale of the diamond. However, the cruel sea wolf decided otherwise: he threw the slave overboard and appropriated the booty for himself. The jewel was purchased by William Pitt, the commandant of Fort St. George in Madras. In honor of him, the stone received its second name. The new owner cut it and sold it to the French monarch. So the diamond passed to the regent of France, Philip II of Orleans. After that, it was owned by all the royals who occupied the throne.

During the French Revolution, all royal treasures were stolen. However, a year later government agents found and returned the jewelry. Napoleon decided to decorate his sword with “Regent” for the imperial coronation. Today this stone is on public display in the Louvre.

We have presented to you only the tip of the iceberg famous jewelry. All major gemstones could tell exciting stories, filled with admiration and incredible adventures of their owners.

Number of diamonds weighing more than 100 carats in cut form is very limited, and the history of famous stones is often a long romantic narrative with fascinating details. So, the power Napoleon might have been shaken if he had failed to obtain a loan by mortgaging the famous Pitt Diamond that belonged to him.

All the diamonds in the worldcan't compare with a huge stone, found on January 25, 1905 at the Premier mine in the Pretoria region of the Transvaal. Diamond got its name"Cullinan » in honor of Sir Thomas Cullinan, President of the Premier Diamond Mine Company. The stone originally weighed 3,106 metric carats (621.2 grams, just over 1 1/3 pounds); Three natural facets were visible in the diamond. Judging by its shape, it was only part of an even larger stone, more than twice its size. The diamond was transparent and colorless and had only one small crack near the surface.

The largest in the world diamond "Cullinan"

This remarkable stone was purchased by the Transvaal Government and donated to King Edward VII on his birthday, November 9, 1907. Three years after it was found, the stone was transferred to an Amsterdam firm for cutting and split into two parts; The two largest diamonds were cut from these pieces.

First, which received the name from King George V "Star of Africa" has the appearance of a pandelok, a teardrop-shaped diamond, weighs 530.2 metric carats, has 74 facets; it is the largest cut diamond in the world; it was strengthened at the top of the Sovereign scepter.

From second piece, a square diamond weighing 317.4 metric carats was produced, which has 66 facets. This diamond is set into the State Imperial Crown. Two other large stones - a pandelok diamond weighing 94.4 metric carats, and a square diamond weighing 63.65 metric carats - were set in the crown of Queen Mary at her coronation in 1911. In 1959, at the exhibition "The Ageless Diamond" in London these diamonds were set into a brooch.

Diamonds" Cullinan-II", "Cullinan-III" and "Cullinan-IV" received the name "Small Stars of Africa" ​​and are treasury of the Tower of London.

Diamond "Shah"

Diamond "Shah"(88.7 ct.) , on which three inscriptions with the names of the owners are carved, was presented by the Persian Shah to the Russian Emperor as a sign of reconciliation after the murder of the Russian ambassador of the writer in Tehran A. S. Griboyedova.

Diamond "Tiffany"

Tiffany Diamond in the Bird on the Rock Jewelry

"Tiffany"- one of the most famous diamonds in the world (rough weight 287.42 carats). The diamond belongs to the New York jewelry firm Tiffany and Co.; he was exhibited for views in the window this companyThe diamond is bright yellow in color. During the diamond's existence, it was worn by only two women: Sheldon Whitehouse and Audrey Hepburn.

Diamond "Orlov"

Diamond "Orlov" in the Imperial Scepter

Famous stone "Orlov"("Amsterdam", or "Lazarev") 400 carats , is probably the most remarkable of all diamonds ever found in India. According to legend, the Orlov diamond was one of the diamonds that served as the eyes of the Brahma statue installed in the temple in Madras. The diamond was stolen in early XVIII V. a French soldier who treacherously gained the trust of the temple priest and became one of the temple guards. Whatever the actual early history of the stone, there is no doubt that in 1773 it was bought in Amsterdam from the Armenian merchant Lazarev by Prince Grigory Grigorievich Orlov and presented it to Empress Catherine II.But this is only the official version. In fact, Orlov did not buy the diamond, did not pay any money for it, and did not hold it in his hands for very long. Catherine II herself bought the stone, paying for it from the state treasury. But in order to ward off accusations of extravagance and unreasonable spending, she came up with a whole performance, and the stone was named Orlova. The news of this truly royal gift spread throughout Europe, since none of the European monarchs could boast of a diamond of this size.

"Orlov"- the largest and most famous of the seven historical precious stones of the Diamond Fund, which has adorned the Imperial scepter of Catherine the Great since 1784.

Some diamonds disappear without a trace, like the famous "Florentine" Medici family (disappeared after the First World War).

And some, on the contrary, appear under other names or with a new cut. In 1942, a 183-carat brilliant-cut diamond was sold in London under the name "Luna"; It is believed that this stone was once in the treasury of the Russian tsars and was then called the “Moon of the Mountains.”

The largest diamond of Russian origin has a completely unromantic name - “In the name of the XXVI Congress of the CPSU”, weight 342.57 carats. Found in 1981. The lemon-yellow diamond is the size of a chicken egg.

Diamond "Hope"

The Hope Diamond at the Natural History Museum.

One of the most beautiful diamonds in the world - the Hope Diamond (44.5 ct.) — blue, appeared on the market in 1830 and was purchased in London by banker G. T. Hope (hence the name). It is believed that this is a recut stone stolen during the French Revolution.

The history of the stone is covered in legends. It is believed to have been obtained from the 115-carat Tavernier Blue Diamond, which was brought to the Versailles court from India by the famous jewel hunter Jean-Baptiste Tavernier. He bought it somewhere near Golconda. It is believed that the Tavernier diamond was mined in the Collurian mines and at one time decorated the statue of goddess Sita.

After Tavernier sold his diamond to the royal jeweler, he made several smaller stones from it. One of them, which once adorned the ring of Empress Maria Feodorovna, is now kept in the Diamond Fund. The other had a weight of 69 carats and appeared in the inventories of the royal treasures as the “blue crown diamond” or “blue Frenchman”. Louis XIV is believed to have worn it around his neck set in a gold pendant, and under Louis XV it adorned the royal pendant of the Order of the Golden Fleece.

In 1787, the naturalist Mathurin-Jacques Brisson borrowed the stone from the king for scientific experiments. When the royal family came under house arrest with the outbreak of the revolution in 1792, thieves entered the palace and They stole all the crown jewels, not excluding the blue diamond.

Although the history of the stone according to documents ends here, there are many guesses about its further fate. According to one hypothesis, the theft was arranged by Danton to bribe the enemies of the revolution, according to another - the stone fell into the hands of the prince regent, and then went under the hammer to cover the debts of one of his favorites.

As a rarity in purity, weight and cut, it was exhibited at the world exhibitions of 1851 and 1855. in Paris and London. Even then, suspicion arose that the stone from the Hope collection was obtained from the recutting of the French crown blue diamond. Currently, this version has received scientific confirmation.

At the end of the 19th century, the Hope Diamond was inherited by the Earls of Lincoln family. Its last British owner, Lord Pelham-Clinton-Hope, went bankrupt, after which his wife, an American actress, ran away from him with the son of the mayor of New York. Trying to satisfy creditors, the lord sold the diamond to a London jeweler. Having passed through the hands of several businessmen, the diamond was purchased in 1910 for the astronomical sum of 550 thousand francs by a jeweler Pierre Cartier, who began to spread rumors about a curse associated with the stone.

After Cartier, the diamond was owned by Evaline Walsh-McLean, the daughter of a newspaper owner. Washington Post. To pay off her debts after Walsh-McLean’s death, the stone was sold to jeweler Harry Winston, who became famous for organizing “diamond balls” in the United States and abroad. During these colorful shows, half of America learned about the diamond. Finally, in November 1958, Winston sent it by postal parcel to the Smithsonian Institution as a gift. Since then, the Hope Diamond has remained one of the “highlights” of the Smithsonian exhibition.

Diamond "Kohinoor"

"Kohinoor » They believe that famous diamond"Koh-i-Nor" ("Mountain of Light") was discovered in the mines Golcondas in South India and in its original form weighed 800 carats. The oldest stories about him probably contain more fiction than truth. They say that the stone fell into the hands of the founder of the dynasty Great Mughals, then belonged to Shah Jehan and adorned his ceremonial Peacock Throne.

The stone was shown at the Great Exhibition in 1851. By this time, the original Indian cut was still preserved, but in 1852, under the supervision of the royal mineralogist James Tennashg, the stone was recut into a low diamond (Fig. 112); its weight decreased from 191 to 108.9 metric carats. The wisdom of this act seems highly questionable. In the new form, the diamond did not achieve the exact proportions of a diamond, its play was only slightly improved; but the saddest thing is that with the loss of its original shape, the stone lost a large share of its attractiveness, ceasing to be such an interesting historical object.

Queen Victoria wore the Koh-i-Noor as a brooch; after her death, the stone was included in the royal regalia; it was fixed in the center of the front cross of the State Crown, which first belonged to Queen Alexandra and then to Queen Mary; After this, the stone was strengthened in a new crown made by Garrard and Co. for the coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother).

Diamond "Sancy"

"Sancy" (55 carats). Diamond appeared in Europe in 1570. It was purchased by the French ambassador to Turkey de Sancy (hence the name). Since 1906 it has been owned by the Astor family, London.

The history of the Sansi stone is very confusing; perhaps the stories of two or more stones are intertwined in it . There was a version that this stone belonged to Charles the Bold and was stolen from his corpse on the fatal field of Nancy in 1477 by a marauder; however, there is too little evidence to say this with certainty. The next mention of the stone dates back to 1828, when it was sold to Prince Demidov. "Sancy" was shown at the Paris Exhibition of 1867, and then it was acquired by Lord Astor as wedding gift son. The diamond was again shown in Paris at the exhibition “Ten Centuries of French Jewelry”; he's everything still belonged to the Astor family. The statement that the Sancy stone was sold at the end of the 19th century should be considered erroneous. to an Indian merchant and came into the possession of the Maharaja of Patiala; obviously we are talking about a different stone, since its weight is 60.40 carats.