Most Famous Diamonds

By Author: Aden Parker
Total Articles: 32
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The diamonds below are not to be found at the jeweler’s store. First of all they’re too expensive but also safely put away in places you won’t get into without buying a ticket first.

Hope Diamond
This 45, 52 carat diamond was probably cut form a stolen stone. The most famous diamond in the world first appeared in 1830 and was sold to the banker H. Ph. Hope. It was once part of the French crown jewels and is since 1958 displayed in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.

Star of Africa
The 530, 20 carat Star of Africa is cut from the famous Cullinan diamond (with 3106 carat the biggest rough diamond even found) and is therefore also known as the Cullinan I. Diamond cutter Asscher in Amsterdam cut the stone with 104 other stones in 1908. De Star of Africa is placed in the royal scepter of England and is kept in the Tower of London.

Tiffany
The 128, 51 carat Tiffany was found in South Africa. The weight is 287, 42 carat and was cut in Paris with no less than 90 facets. The famous jeweler house Tiffany in New York has it now. Breakfast at Tiffany’s, anyone?

Dresden ...
... Green Diamond
The roots of the 41, 00 carat Dresden Green Diamond is unknown, but it’s said that it’s originated in India. Friedrich August II from Saksen bought the stone in 1742 for 400.000 taler. The Dresden Green Diamond is displayed in Grünes Gewölbe in Dresden.

Sjah
The 88,70 carat Sjah is from Iran and has partly polished facets. The diamond was gifted to the Russian Tsar Nicolas 1 in 1829 and is displayed at the Kremlin in Moscow. Three names of historic rulers are engraved in the rock since then.

Florentiner or Toscaner
The history of the 137, 27 carat isn’t very clear, because it insists of legends and folklore. But at one point in 1657 the diamond was owned by the Medici’s in Florence. It then appeared in the crown of the Habsburgers (in the 18th century) and was then used as a broche. Though not like the one your grandmother wears. If only!

Sancy
With 55 carat the Sancy is the highlight of the private collection of the English Aster family.
In 1470 it’s said to have been worn by Carl the Bad, and then in 1570 by the French duke De Sancy in Turkey.

Cullinan IV
The Cullinan IV is a 63,60 carat and one of the 105 stones cut from the original Cullinan. Like the Star of Africa it’s kept in the Tower of London as part of the royal collection.

Nassak
The Nassak is a 43,38 carat. Originally it was more than 90 carat but after a re-cut in New York it’s now almost half it’s carat weight. It was found in India and is now in private ownership.

Koh-j-Noor
Originally the Koh-i-Noor (108,93 carat) was round, but via Indian royalty and Persian Sjah it was re-cut and ended up in the English royal collection. It was a gift to Queen Victoria from the British East Indian Company in 1850. The Koh-j-Noor is kept in the Tower and was placed in the crown of Queen Elizabeth.

The most famous diamanten are obviously not placed in gouden ringen. In fact you need to pay to see them! But why...?