Ten of the Most Famous Diamonds and Who Owns Them
There are more than three hundred fifty named diamonds famous for their histories.
The Cullinan, is the largest cut diamond in the world. It was found in South Africa and was named for the owner of the mining company. The Cullinan diamond was 3106 carats, and was cut into 105 stunning diamonds. The largest was named the "Star of Africa" and is 530 carats by itself. In 1907 this diamond was given to King Edward VII of England, and set into the Royal Scepter. It is kept, along with the other Crown Jewels, safely in the Tower of London.
The Cullinan II is 317.40 carats. The color is white and is the cushion-shaped diamond in the center-front of the Imperial State Crown of Great Britain. It is also in the Tower of London with the British Crown Jewels.
The Dary-i-Nur is 186 carats, is pink and is in the Iranian Treasury. It is the largest uncut diamond in the world. Its name means "Sea of Light".
The Dresden Green is 41 carats; it is green, and a very rare type ila diamond of extraordinary quality. It gets its name from the city of Saxony where it had been on display for 200 years. The Dresden Green is now on display at the Albertinium Museum in Dresden.
The Hope Diamond is 45.52 carats, is blue, and is in the Smithsonian Institute. According to legend, a curse was placed on the large, blue diamond after it was stolen from an idol in India. Whether you believe in curses or not, the diamond has had a fascinating past ? it was owned by King Louis XIV, stolen during the French Revolution, sold to pay gambling debts, owned and worn almost daily by an American heiress, sold and worn to raise money for charity, and finally donated to the Smithsonian Museum.
The Hortensia is 20 carats, is peach colored and is in the Louvre. It is one of the crown Jewels of France, and was owned by Louis XIV. It was named after Hortense de Beauharnais, Queen of Holland, who was the daughter of the Empress Josephine, the stepdaughter of Napoleon Bonaparte and the mother of Napoleon III.
The Kohinoor is 108.93 carats, white and is located in the Tower of London. As with many of the most famous diamonds, there is a curse of death and destruction attached to it. Its name means "Mountain of Light" and legend has it that it actually comes from another diamond also rife with legend, called the "Great Mogul" which was said to have weighed 244 carats and mysteriously disappeared in 1665. The Kohinoor was owned by the first sultan of Mogul, and passed down through generations, until it was given to Queen Victoria. It was recut and now rests in the crown of Queen Elizabeth.
The Orloff is 189.62 carats. It is thought to have weighed about 300 carats when it was discovered. For a while, it was confused with the Great Mogul diamond. One of the legends of the Orloff is that it was set in the eye of a god statue in the temple of Sri Rangen, and stolen by a French soldier dressed up like a Hindu. He is said to have escaped by swimming down a raging river during a storm. It was eventually sold to Prince Gregory Orloff. In an attempt to win back her heart, he gave it to Catherine the Great, who collected lovers and precious gems with equal passion. She had the diamond mounted on top of the double eagle in the Imperial scepter. It is in the Russian Diamond Fund, Moscow.
The Spoonmaker Diamond has many legends associated with it. (It supposedly got its name when the owner--who is said to have found it sitting on top of a pile of garbage --bartered it to a spoonmaker for three wooden spoons.) More likely is that it was purchased by a Frenchman named Pikot, who bought it from the Maharajah of Madras in India. He took it to France, but was robbed. The diamond ended up at an auction, and was bid on by the notorious Casanova. It was finally bought by Napoleon's mother, Letizia Ramolino, who later sold her jewelry to help her son escape from Elba. It was bought again by an officer of Tepedelenli, and put into the treasury. When Tepedelenli was killed during a revolt, the entire treasury went to the Palace of Turkey, and the Spoonmaker's Diamond, now called the "Kasicki" is there.
The Taylor-Burton Diamond is a 69 carat pear-shaped white diamond that was originally called the "Cartier Diamond" after the jeweler paid $1,050,000 for it at an auction. Richard Burton purchased it the day after the auction for Elizabeth Taylor. She later renamed it the Taylor-Burton diamond. Ms. Taylor wore the diamond publicly at a party for Princess Grace's 40th birthday party in Monaco. She sold the diamond in 1978 and used the funds to build a hospital in Botswana. The diamond was later purchased by Robert Mouawad.
Read more about Diamond Myths, Legends & History at HomeGiftShopper.com
© 2005, Kathy Burns-Millyard. This article is provided courtesy of Home Gift Shopper: A premier resource for quality Gift Ideas. This article may be republished as long as it remains unchanged, this notice stays intact, and all links are made live.
 Google News Updated : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 08:05:30 GMT Kilpatrick's rise and fall - Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press - BY BILL McGRAW • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • September 5, 2008 Kwame Kilpatrick entered the mayor's office with extraordinary gifts -- charisma, savvy, flair, pedigree, connections, ambition and chutzpah -- everything a 31-year-old needed to make a ... Video: A Timeline of Detroit Mayor's Text Scandal Detroit’s Mayor Will Leave Office and Go to Jail Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:27:50 GMT UN warns of Haiti flooding crisis - BBC News
BBC News - Several hundred thousand people need help in Haiti, which is suffering severe flooding after being hit by a series of tropical storms, the UN says. Attempts to Aid Desperate Haitians Hindered by Floodwaters Storms line up to slam western Atlantic, southeastern US Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:05:26 GMT Stocks: A Terrible Thursday - BusinessWeek
BusinessWeek - Major US indexes each tumbled nearly 3% as worries intensified over the health of the economy. All eyes are on Friday's jobs report Market players were probably wondering Thursday why they bothered to come back from their summer vacations. Stocks Are Broadly Lower Tracking Falls on Wall Street Stocks slide on economic worries Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:53:27 GMT Jesse Jackson hospitalized for stomach pains - Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune - By Jeremy Gorner | Chicago Tribune reporter Rev. Jesse Jackson was being treated Thursday in Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago after falling ill. Video: Rev. Jesse Jackson Hospitalized Jesse Jackson hospitalized after stomach pains Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:00:48 GMT Tropical Storm Hanna aiming for Massachusetts - Boston Globe
Boston Globe - By Andrew Ryan and Martin Finucane, Globe Staff Tropical Storm Hanna is expected to churn up the Atlantic coast and lash Massachusetts this weekend with winds gusting up to 50 mph near the coast and up to four inches of rain. Video: Hanna Nears US, but Stronger Ike Looms Area departments gearing up for Hanna's arrival Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:23:14 GMT House committee widens probe of Vytorin safety - International Herald Tribune
International Herald Tribune - AP TRENTON, NJ: A House committee investigating the safety and effectiveness of the popular cholesterol drug Vytorin and one of its components is turning up the heat on the drug's makers. Many Questions About Vytorin Drug Scare Shenanigans Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:32:18 GMT Arthritis Drugs Linked to Risks From Infection - New York Times
New York Times - By AP WASHINGTON (AP) - The Food and Drug Administration ordered stronger warnings Thursday on four medications widely used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other serious illnesses, saying they can raise the risk of possibly fatal fungal infections. Deaths Heighten Arthritis Drugs Warning Nation Digest 4 arthritis drugs get tougher warnings Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:38:34 GMT Amazon RSS |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... Are you a fashion trend-watcher?Do you spend a lot of... Read More Men and women have worn costume jewellery since the Romans... Read More The Kilt has been the target of many a joke... Read More When we think beads, we normally think of bracelets, anklets,... Read More It's been said that silver jewelry makes a person look... Read More Summer is here so it's time to freshen up that... Read More Jewelry, whether fine or costume, has been a part of... Read More "Two thousand dollars for one suit?! Are you crazy? I... Read More It hasn't been all that long since vintage stockings became... Read More Teenagers are a fickle bunch. At that stage of physical... Read More There are plenty of basics you can pick up that... Read More "A diamond is forever," as the old saying goes. The... Read More Want to make or wear impressive costume jewelry, but running... Read More Over the past year, handbags have quickly become the most... Read More Samuel L. Jackson has a Kangol hat. Jude Law always... Read More I still can't understand it. After all these years, I... Read More There is a never ending supply of quality sunglasses options... Read More Change is a funny thing. When seasons change, so do... Read More "There are so many styles of swimwear to choose from,... Read More Rhinestones have a glittering past. Originally rhinestones where referred to... Read More Have you been searching for that certain piece of jewelry... Read More If you are like me and many others the warm... Read More The custom of wearing charm bracelets dates back thousands of... Read More Narciso Rodriguez was born in New Jersey in 1961 to... Read More "Following the crowd" is something that we have all been... Read More
Adsense
websites
The Mindful Shopper: Learning From Your Trendy Mistakes
Vintage Costume Jewellery Sparkles Again
A Kilt is More than Just a Skirt for Men!
Beaded Earrings Cultivate an Exotic and Sultry Look
Fashionable Silver Earrings for Anytime and All the Time
Fruity Fashion Picks & Tricks for Summer
Vintage Costume Jewelry: Yesterdays Fashion Today
Men?s Fashion - Designer Suits
Stockings ? Getting a Leg Up, Again
Teen Jewelry Fashion Exposed
Fashion Basics That Wont Break The Bank
Diamond Earrings: Superiority and Endurance
Jewelry of Semi-Precious Stones: Stylish Things of Beauty
Which Type of Handbag Suits Your Body Type?
How to Develop Your Own Personal Fashion Style
A Country Boys View on Fashion
The Skys the Limit when it Comes to Buying Sunglasses Online
My Shopping List: Shoes, Dress, and a Hairdresser
Flattering Swimwear for Everyone ? Yes, Even YOU!
Rhinestones Have A Glittering Past
Freshwater Pearl Necklace Sets Foundation for the Perfect Look
Women?s Guide: Fashion Trends for Summer 2005
History of Charm Bracelets
The Charming Narciso Rodriguez
Fads and Fashions
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
Sunglasses Options are Plentiful
Protecting your eyes from the sun's harmful rays is very... Read More
Why Fashion Matters
Fashion has suffered its share of browbeating and scorn. To... Read More
Earrings Are A Fashion Statement!
Earrings are an important part of every woman's wardrobe, whether... Read More
Stylin? Safety Glasses Are Hot to Look At
What do you think of when you hear the words... Read More
Anklets Ahoy!
"Hail to that foot of the lusty beloved which hits... Read More
The Truth About Platinum
Is platinum a new metal? After all, in the... Read More
Earrings The Ultimate Fashion Statement
Earrings are an important part of every woman's wardrobe, whether... Read More
Man Earring: a macho look in jewelry fashion
These days, there is a call for more "metrosexuals," or... Read More
7 Keys to Powerful First Impressions
Image Development is the science and art of creating a... Read More
Womens Sandals Add a Touch of Elegance and Sex Appeal to Your Feet
Womens sandals are no longer simply the rubber thong style... Read More
Eyewear Lens Technology Makes Wearing Eyewear a Pleasant and Fashionable Experience
Modern eyewear technology gives more eyewear lenses and eyewear frame... Read More
Handbag and Purse Trends 2005
Handbags are becoming the most popular fashion accessory on the... Read More
Tips to Clean Silver Jewelry
Sterling silver is easy to care for if you follow... Read More
Plus Size Fashion Tips: What?s Hot this Summer
The sun is sizzling, and so will you this season!... Read More
Disposable Color Contacts - Are They Any Good?
The days when color contacts were unbelievably expensive are long... Read More
What Your Handbags Say About You
You can tell a lot about a person from the... Read More
After the Kilt Sniggers - Comes the Tartan Question
I want a kilt - can I have it in... Read More
A Kilt is More than Just a Skirt for Men!
The Kilt has been the target of many a joke... Read More
Kennith Cole Shoes
The Kenneth Cole men's shoes Reaction collection offers men everything... Read More
Why Ladies Craze for Women?s Sandals?
Talking about sandals in front of women is absolutely a... Read More
Gianni Versace: A Fashion Success!
Gianni Versace was born in 1946 in Reggio, Calabria, in... Read More
Sparkle and Shimmer With This Seasons Metallic Fabrics
The fashion world is buzzing this year as metallic fabric... Read More
Cat Jewelry: Freeing the Inner Feline
"Cats are possessed of a shy, retiring nature, cajoling, haughty,... Read More
The History of Costume Jewelry
There is virtually no difference between costume jewelry and antique... Read More
The Royal Blue Contact Lens Really Stands Out
Have you always wanted to have sparkling baby blues but... Read More
Fashion & Style |