Famous Diamonds

Famous Diamonds

Famous diamonds often have complex and even controversial histories because of the secrecy surrounding such stones.

The Hope Diamond

The most notorious of all diamonds, Hope is known as 'the blue diamond of the crown'. It may have had a long and illustrious history before it became associated with a run of bad luck for its owners. Sadly, this past has been forgotten and replaced with a legacy of disaster. In 1642, French merchant traveler Jean Baptiste Tavernier purchased a crudely cut 112 3/16-carat diamond. Tavernier sold the diamond to King Louis XIV of France in 1668. Its steel blue color led to its alias, the "Blue Diamond of the Crown." Marie Antoinette, one of the first women to wear the diamond, met a grisly death by beheading.

Marie's misfortune may not justify a curse, but the Hope was linked to another ominous chain of events in 1830. First, the jeweler who cut the stone died soon after learning that his son had stolen the valuable diamond. As a result of his father's death, the son committed suicide. When the Hope was discovered among the young man's possessions, the man who found it allegedly died the following day.

In 1839, Henry Philip Hope assumed possession of the diamond. After inheriting the diamond, Hope's son lost his fortune. An American widow, Mrs. Evalyn Walsh McLean, acquired the diamond, only to suffer heartbreak. Her child was accidentally killed, which led to the disintegration of her family. Mrs. McLean lost her money and committed suicide shortly thereafter.

New York diamond merchant Harry Winston bought the Hope Diamond in 1949, but most customers refused to touch the cursed stone. Winston presented the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institute in 1958 DC. It remains on display today, isolated from ruining any more lives.

Excelsior

At 995.2, Excelsior may be the largest diamond ever discovered. A South African mineworker picked Excelsior out of a shovel full of gravel in 1893. Because of its irregular shape, it was cut into 21 polished stones, including a 69-carat marquise. The 1939 World's Fair featured a smaller, but still impressive, 18-carat stone cut from Excelsior.

Centenary

As long as the earth continues to produce carbon, the discovery of great diamonds will continue. Centenary made its debut in 1988, one day before diamond giant De Beers' one-hundredth anniversary. During the company's centennial banquet, the perfectly colored, 599-carat diamond was first introduced to the public. When it was found, Centenary bore little resemblance to its current incarnation. De Beers' laser equipment detected a large mass, similar to an irregularly shaped cube, in one of the walls of its mines. The stone's angular planes, not to mention a carbonic horn protruding from its top, complicated the excavation.

Only a master cutter could reveal the diamond's inner beauty without ruining the stone completely. De Beers commissioned Gabi Tolkowsky, one of the world's most renowned stonecutters. His first decision had to be where and how to cut. He finally decided that, in spite of its unusual proportions, he would cut it as one single, large diamond. This decision was not an easy one for Tolkowsky because he knew that beyond the aesthetic choice came the daunting challenge of actually cutting the stone.
Tolkowsky found himself captivated by the diamond. He grew to know each crevice of the diamond intimately. Tolkowsky did not want to use saws or lasers to cut the Centenary because he was afraid the heat and vibrations would disrupt the stone's clarity. Instead, he chose to cut the stone by hand.

One hundred and fifty-four days later, Tolkowsky had removed fifty carats of the magnificent stone. A 520-carat diamond remained in its place. After polishing, the gem weighed 273 carats. Centenary holds the distinction as the largest modern-cut diamond in the world.