The Centenary

As long as the earth produces carbon, the discovery of great diamonds is guaranteed. Proof in point is the Centenary, a perfectly coloured, 599-carat diamond discovered in 1988, and announced to the world at the De Beers 100th anniversary banquet.

The diamond was discovered when De Beers' laser equipment detected a large mass in one of the walls of its mines. In order to bring it to life as a polished diamond, a master cutter had to be found. The irregular shape of the rough stone meant that only the most skilled craftsman 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 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 cutting. When asked about his work on the Centenary, Tolkowsky described himself as being taken over by the diamond. There was not a crevice of the stone that he did not know 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. So instead, he opted for the time-honoured method of kerfing (cutting) by hand.

One hundred and fifty-four days later, Tolkowsy had removed fifty carats of the magnificent stone. What remained of the original "matchbox" stone was a 520-carat diamond. Once the polishing was complete, this amazing gem weighed 273 carats.

While "The Great Star of Africa" and "The Lesser Star of Africa" actually surpass it in size, the Centenary holds the distinction of being the largest modern-cut diamond in the world.

Cullinan

In 1905, after a hot day in South Africa's Premier mine, a miner noticed a shiny object lodged in the earth. With nothing more than his pocket-knife, he prised it lose and presented it to his manager. This humble beginning is one of the greatest diamond discoveries of all time.

Once found, the question was what to do with a diamond the size of a very large grapefruit. When no buyers were found, it was decided to present it as a gift to King Edward VII of England. Interestingly enough, even the king was at a loss what to do with a stone so large. Logic soon prevailed and the great stone was cut into two smaller stones: Cullinan I and Cullinan II. The larger of the two (Cullinan I) was renamed the "Great Star of Africa."

It's worth noting that while the newly divided stone was nowhere near its original size, it was still massive (measuring 2.3 x 1.7 inches at its broadest points). The cutting of the Cullinan was so successful that the two new gems became part of the Crown Jewels of England. King Edward's royal jewellers even went so far as to redesign the setting of the sceptre in order to accommodate the Great Star of Africa. The Cullinan II, humbly measuring 1.7 x 1.5 inches, was handsomely set in the brow of the British Imperial State Crown.

Koh-i-noor

No stone on earth has as rich and fascinating a history as the Koh-i-noor. Its lineage began in 1304 when it was held by the Rajah of Malwa. This was a time when possession of such a gem symbolized the power of an empire. In fact, it has even been said that he who owns the Koh-i-noor rules the world.

As one might expect, the struggle for the Koh-i-noor was fierce. In 1738, after invading Delhi, Nadir Shah of Persia sought to acquire the great stone. Legend has it that a member of Emperor Mohammed Shah's harem informed Nadir Shah that the jewel was kept hidden in the emperor's turban.

So, at a victory celebration, Nadir cunningly suggested that he and the emperor partake in a well-known oriental custom whereby the two leaders would exchange turbans. The act would signify brotherly ties, sincerity and eternal friendship. Refusal would have been a great insult to the conquering hero.

Later that night, when Nadir Shah unfolded the host's turban, he discovered the gem. Upon seeing it he exclaimed, "Koh-i-noor," meaning "Mountain of Light." The jewel was taken back to Persia where it remained until 1849 when the British annexed the Punjab and took possession of it.

Three years later, after a public viewing in London, crowds expressed disappointment at the lack of brilliance in the stone. It was decided that the gem be re-cut to accentuate its brilliance, thereby reducing its size from the 186-carat diamond to its present size of 108.93-carats.

In 1853, there was debate as to whether Queen Victoria would return the grand stone for fear of the misfortune it was rumoured to bring. She answered the query by having it mounted in a tiara, joining more than two thousand other royal diamonds.

Recently, the legal ownership of the Koh-i-noor has once again been brought into question as world leaders vie for its ownership. But then, considering the history of the Koh-i-noor, perhaps that is how it will always be...

Taylor-Burton

Perhaps the most sensational story told about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton is one that happens to be true. Yes, he did give her one of the world's largest and most beautiful diamonds, appropriately named the Taylor-Burton.

If any gem could be noticed next to the beauty of Elizabeth Taylor, it was this 69-carat, pear-shaped diamond. The stone was unearthed at the Premier mine of South Africa in 1966. And it was Harry Winston who cut and polished the rough stone from its original size of 244-carats.

When the gem went up for auction in 1969, it was Cartier who first obtained it. The very next day Richard Burton purchased the diamond for his wife, for an undisclosed sum of money. Although Ms. Taylor is known for her love for diamonds, she put the Taylor-Burton up for auction 10 years later. The proceeds from the sale went to fund a hospital in Botswana.

The last recorded sale of the Taylor-Burton was in 1979 for nearly $3 million to an anonymous buyer in Saudi Arabia.

The Hope Diamond

In most circumstances, the recipient of a diamond would consider herself lucky - unless, of course, the diamond is the world-renowned Hope. Does this beauty bring bad luck to anyone who owns it? Or is the misfortune coincidence?

Believers in the ominous lore of the Hope generally point to the fate of its earliest owner, Marie Antoinette. Considering what happened to her (and her head), one might suspect the diamond is cursed.

The Hope was linked to further tragedy in 1830. First, the jeweller who cut the stone died of grief on learning his son had stolen it. Then when the son heard about his father's demise, he killed himself. And, when a man discovered the Hope among the young man's possessions, he himself was rumoured to have died the very next day...

For further evidence of the Hope's dark powers, consider the story of the Follies Bergere star that was shot on stage the very first time she wore it. And the woe goes on... The famous jeweller, Cartier, sold the infamous Hope to Mrs. Evelyn Walsh, who believed that anything that brought bad luck would have the opposite affect on her.

Now while the diamond had no ill affects on Mrs. Walsh, her family did, however, suffer a series of personal tragedies, including the death of Mrs. Walsh's brother, son and daughter.

Knowing all this, why would anyone want to own the Hope? For that answer, one need only see the gem. Its sapphire-like dark blue colour gives it an uncommon beauty, which has proved more irresistible than its reputation. So unique is the stone that it is impossible to establish its true value.

The actual name Hope was not given to the stone until it was acquired by the banking family, Hope and Co, in 1762. In 1958, Harry Winston presented the 44.5-carat Hope diamond to the Smithsonian in Washington DC. Finally, its natural beauty may be enjoyed without running the risks of owning it.

The spoonmaker’s diamond

The spoonmaker’s diamond is 86 carats in weight and ranked among the most 22 reputable diamonds of the world. Surrounded by a double-row of forty nine old mine cut diamonds and well spotlighted, it takes the appearance of a full moon lighting a bright and shining sky amidst the stars. It is thought that the 49 brilliants were ordered or arranged by Mahmud II. These brilliants provide an additional beauty to the Spoonmaker's Diamond and increase its value by as much again.

Various stories are told about how the Diamond entered in the Ottoman Place. Yet the most recent and potentially the most possible hearsay is as follows: In 1774, a French officer called Pigot purchases this diamond from the Maharajah of Indian’s Madaras and takes it to France. After some while, he puts it out for sale, Napoleon’s mother buys it and carries it in her chest for a long time. However, when Napoleon is exiled, she is forced to sell the diamond to rescue her son. Right at that time, an officer serving to Ali Pasha of Tepelena in France purchases the diamond for 150 thousand gold coins and takes it to the pasha.

During the reign of Sultan Mahmud II, Ali Pasha of Tepelena is killed for his rebel against the state; the whole property holding of the pasha is confiscated and sent to the Ottoman Palace. Hence, the Spoonmaker’s Diamond purchased from Napoleon’s mother reaches the Ottoman treasury.