Large diamonds are exceptionally rare and only about 80% of all harvested diamonds are gemstone quality. Most of the well-known diamonds that have been deemed famous are not always the highest quality or the most beautiful. The diamonds that are the most famous are usually famous due to the interesting stories behind the diamond itself.
The Great Star of Africa is listed as the largest cut diamond ever. It is shaped like a pear & weighs in at a eye-popping 530.20 carats. It is part of the royal scepter and is kept along with the other crown jewels in the Tower of London. It was cut from the Cullian, a 3,106 carat diamond crystal that was used to create 96 smaller diamonds. The diamond legends tells that there may be another half of the Cullian whihc would have been one large diamond crystal.
The Orloff diamond is bluish green in color and is an exceptionally pure gem that has an interesting history. The myth says that the large stone was first seen as the diamond eye of a Hindu idol. It was stolen by someone who just took one of the eyes because the thief was afraid of the consquences. It was passed on to the Russian Count Grigori Orloff. It is now housed in the Russian Diamond Treasury located in Moscow.
The Centenary Diamond was first seen by the world in 1986 and it contains 247 facets and weighs in at 273.85 carats. It is the world’s largest, most modern cut and flawless diamond in existence today. It took three years to craft this diamond. The diamond was unveiled at the Tower of London in 1991. While never appraised it is commonly believed that the diamond is easily worth more than $100 million dollars.
The Taylor-Burton Diamond was first discovered in the Premier Mine in South Africa in 1966. It was 240.80 carats and was cut into a pear shaped 69.42 diamond. This stone is beyond price because of the famous celebrity who owned it. Richard Burton, the famed actor, bought the diamond for this wife at the time, Elizabeth Taylor. It is said he paid over a million dollars for it. After Richard Burton passed away, Elizabeth Taylor sold the stone to charity for $2.Eight million dollars and arranged for the diamond to be shown in a museum.
The Regent Diamond is commonly thought to be one of the most beautiful diamonds. It was first discovered in 1698 in India. It was finally sold to Philippe II, a French prince, in 1717. The diamond was used in the royal crown and also as an adornment in the hat of Marie Antoinette. It was stolen during the revolution but recovered a short time later. The diamond could be found on Napoleon Bonaparte's sword until his death. Today it can be found in the French Royal Treasury at the Louvre.
Diamonds always seem to hold great mystery and mystic. People throughout the ages have cherished and coveted this precious gemstone. Diamonds and their legends will live on until eternity. Post by DanforthDiamond.com, your engagement ring experts.
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