Information and History of Diamonds

The Cullinan Diamond, the largest rough gem-quality diamond ever found at 3106.75 carats. It was cut into 105 diamonds including the Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa (530.2 carats) and Cullinan II or the Lesser Star of Africa (317.4 carats).
The Cullinan Diamond, found by Frederick Wells, surface manager of the Premier Diamond Mining Company in Cullinan, Gauteng, South Africa, on January 26, 1905, is the largest rough gem-quality diamond ever found, at 3,106.75 carats (621.35 g). Although a carbonado found in Brazil weighed more than 3,600 carats (720 g), no gem-quality material could be extracted from it. The stone was named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, the owner of the diamond mine.

Sir William Crookes performed an analysis of the Cullinan diamond and mentioned amongst others its remarkable clarity but also a black spot in the middle. The colors around the black spot were very vivid and changed as the analyzer was turned. According to Crookes this pointed to severe internal strain. Such strains are not uncommon for diamonds, and have actually resulted in causing diamonds to explode when reaching the surface, or even in the pockets of the miners due to the exposure to the miner's body warmth.

The stone was bought by the Transvaal government [1] and presented to King Edward VII. It was cut into three large parts by Asscher Brothers of Amsterdam, and eventually into some 11 large gem-quality stones and a number of smaller fragments. At the time, technology had not yet evolved to guarantee quality of the modern standard, and cutting the diamond was considered difficult and risky. In order to enable Asscher to cut the diamond in one blow an incision was made, half an inch deep. Then a specifically designed knife was placed in the incision and the diamond was split in one heavy blow. The diamond split through a defective spot which was shared in both halves of the diamond.

"The tale is told of Joseph Asscher, the greatest cleaver of the day," wrote Michael Hart in his book Diamond: A Journey to the Heart of an Obsession, "that when he prepared to cleave the largest diamond ever known, the 3,160-carat Cullinan, he had a doctor and nurse standing by and when he finally struck the diamond and it broke perfectly in two, he fainted dead away."

The largest polished gem from the stone is named Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa (Picture), and at 530.2 carats (106.04 g)[2] was the largest polished diamond in the world until the 1985 discovery of the Golden Jubilee diamond (545.67 cts), also from the Premier Mine. Cullinan I is now mounted in the head of the Sceptre with the Cross. The second largest gem from the Cullinan stone, Cullinan II or the Lesser Star of Africa, at 317.4 carats (63.48 g), is the third largest polished diamond in the world and is also part of the British crown jewels, as it forms a part of the Imperial State Crown. Both gems are on display at the Tower of London, as parts of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.

In 1905, transport from South Africa to England posed a bit of a problem with regard to security. Detectives from London were placed upon a steamer ship that was rumoured to carry the stone, but this was a diversionary tactic. The stone on that ship was a fake, meant to attract those who would be interested in stealing it. The actual diamond was sent to England in a plain box via parcel post. [3]

Rumours abound of a second half of the Cullinan diamond, as there are certain indications that the diamond was part of a larger crystal. It is suggested that before Frederick Wells sold the diamond to Sir Thomas Cullinan he broke off a piece which sized in at about 1,500 to 2,000 carats (300 to 400 g). If this were true, the original Cullinan diamond would have weighed approximately 5,000 carats (1 kg). [4]

This diamond, like the Kohinoor, was mined at the Golconda mines in southern India, and found its way into the possession of the mughal emperors. In 1739, the adventurer Nader Shah of Persia invaded India and sacked Delhi; the booty he garnered from the mughal treasury included the Darya-i-noor, in addition to the Kohinoor and the Peacock throne. All of these treasures were carried to Persia by Nader Shah and the Darya-i-noor has remained there ever since.

After Nader Shah's death, the Darya-ye Noor was inherited by his grandson, Shahrokh Mirza. It then passed into the possession of Alam Khan Khozeimeh, and later, of Lotf Ali Khan Zand, a member of Iran's Zand dynasty. Agha Mohammad Khan, founder of Qajar dynasty, defeated the Zands, and thus the Darya-e-noor came into the possession of the Qajars. Fath Ali Shah Qajar had his name inscribed on one facet of the diamond. Later, Nasser-al-Din Shah Qajar often wore it on an armband. He apparently believed that this diamond had been one of the those adorning the crown of Cyrus the Great. When armbands fell from royal fashion, he wore the diamond as brooch. On occasion, the gem would be left in the care of high personages of the land, as a sign of honor. It was eventually kept hidden in the Golestan Palace treasury museum until Mozzafar-al-Din Shah Qajar's time -- this monarch wore it as a hat decoration while visiting Europe in 1902.

Reza Shah, founder of the Pahlavi dynasty, wore the diamond as a decoration on his military hat during his coronation in 1926, and it was used in Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi's coronation ceremony in 1967.

Possible association

In 1965, a Canadian team which was conducting research on the Iranian imperial jewels concluded that the Darya-e-Noor may well have been part of a large pink diamond that had been studded in the throne of the mughal emperor Shah Jehan, and had been described in the journal of the French jeweller Tavernier in 1642, who called it the "Diamanta Grande Table". This diamond may have been cut into two pieces; the larger part is the Darya-e-noor ("Sea of Light"); the smaller part is believed to be the 60 carat (12 g) Noor-ol-Ein diamond, presently studded in a tiara belonging to the Iranian imperial jewel collection.

The Golden Jubilee is currently the largest faceted diamond in the world. Since 1908, Cullinan I, also known as the Great Star of Africa, had held the title, which changed following the 1985 discovery of a large brown diamond of 546 carats (151 g) in the prolific blue ground of the Premier mine in South Africa; the diamond would later be cut and named The Golden Jubilee, with an as-of today unsurpassed weight of 545.67 carats (109.13 g).

The Premier mine was also the origin of the Cullinan diamonds in 1905, as well as other notables such as the Taylor-Burton in 1966 and the Centenary in 1986.

The "Unnamed Brown", as the Golden Jubilee was first known, was considered something of an ugly duckling by most. It was given to Gabriel Arellano (DCW) by De Beers for the purpose of testing special tools and cutting methods which had been developed for intended use on the flawless D-colour ("colourless") Centenary. These tools and methods had never been tested before, and the "Unnamed Brown" seemed the perfect guinea pig; it would be of no great loss should something go amiss.

To the surprise of all concerned, what resulted was a yellow-brown diamond in a fire rose cushion cut, outweighing Cullinan I by 15.37 carats (3.07 g). The stone remained largely unknown to the outside world, as the Golden Jubilee's sister, the Centenary, had already been selected and promoted to herald De Beer's centennial celebrations in 1988.

The unnamed diamond had earlier been brought to Thailand by the Thai Diamond Manufacturers Association to be exhibited in the Thai Board of Investment Exhibition in Laem Chabang. There was a mile-long queue to see the diamond, which outshone all other exhibits.

While the current whereabouts of the Centenary are unknown, the Golden Jubilee is known to have been purchased from De Beers by a group led by Henry Ho of Thailand in 1995. The diamond was brought to Pope John Paul II in the Vatican to receive the papal blessing. It was also blessed by the Supreme Buddhist Patriarch and the Supreme Imam in Thailand. The Golden Jubilee Diamond was named by King Bhumibol Adulyadej and given to him in honour of his 50th coronation anniversary. It was initially planned to mount the Golden Jubilee in the royal scepter. A subsequent plan was to have it mounted in a royal seal.

The Golden Jubilee Diamond has been exhibited at Henry Ho's 59-story Jewelry Trade Center in Bangkok, the Central Department Store in Lard Prao, Thailand, and internationally in Basel (Switzerland), Borsheims in Omaha, USA (owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc.), and Gleims Jewelers in Palo Alto, USA. It is now located in the Royal Thai Palace as part of the crown jewels.

Diamonds were formed under immense heat and pressure hundreds of miles below the sea level. Volcanic explosions forced them upwards after nearly 100 million years of formation. The diamonds were formed more than 70 million years ago when volcanic explosions brought this diamond bearing ore to the surface. After the cooling of the magma, it solidified into a blue mass, or kimberlite, where the precious rough diamonds are still found today. Rated 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness, diamonds are the hardest substances on earth, but their appeal goes far beyond durability.

Approximately 250 tons of ore must be mined and processed in order to produce a single, one-carat, polished, gem-quality diamond. This is what makes them so valuable and unique. The first diamond mining endeavors were undertaken nearly 4000 years ago in ancient India . Modern mining started in the 19 th century in South Africa . Botswana , Russia , South Africa , Angola , Namibia , Australia and Zaire are among the top diamond producing nations, accounting for nearly 80% of the world's rough diamond supply.

Aura of Diamonds

The cultural alignment with diamonds has been there throughout the centuries. The ancient Greeks and Romans believed diamonds were tears of the Gods and splinters from falling stars. Then, the Hindus attributed so much power to these precious stones they went so far as to place diamonds in the eyes of some of their statues .

Diamonds were thought to bring about luck and success and also change the course of astrological events. Many ancient people wore diamonds as charms believing in their ability to heighten sexual prowess and attract others. Plato even wrote about diamonds as living beings, embodying celestial spirits.

Diamond rings have been witnesses to the talismanic power of diamonds in the middle and dark ages. In the middle Ages and Renaissance period, every ring set with a precious stone was not considered so much as a piece of jewelry, but more as an amulet that conveyed magical powers like fearlessness and invincibility upon the wearer. This myth laid the groundwork for monarchs to begin wearing diamonds as symbols of power.

Diamonds today are cherished for their astonishing natural beauty and their aura of being such a special and magical gift. As of today a diamond is more than just a jewel it is the ultimate symbol of love.

Cleaning and Protecting a Diamond
To make sure that the luster and sparkle in your diamond is retained over the years it has to be cleaned periodically. The cleaning process can be illustrated by the following methods:

• Professional Cleaning
Having a professional opinion is the best option. The inputs might help you to know the condition of your diamond or diamond jewelry.

• Handle your Diamond sparingly
Diamonds are natural magnets for grease; they're not easy to keep clean. Handling a diamond with your fingers provides enough oils from your skin (the type of "grease" that mostly affects diamonds) to alter the way your diamond looks. So less use means your diamond remains clean and sparkling.

• Mild liquid detergent
Soak your jewelry in a small bowl of warm, soapy water made with any mild liquid detergent. Gently brush the diamond jewelry with a soft toothbrush while it is in the suds. Then, rinse each piece under warm running water. Pat it dry with a soft, lint-free cloth. Make sure to always stopper your sink.

• Household Ammonia
To keep your diamond jewelry always looking beautiful soak the diamond in an ammonia-based household cleaner (such as window cleaner) overnight, once or twice weekly. In the morning, remove the diamond from the cleaner and brush it with a soft, clean toothbrush (one that has not previously been used in any way, and that you reserve exclusively for cleaning your diamond) to remove any leftover dirt. Take extra care to brush the back of the diamond as this will be the area that has collected the most oil and dirt. Swish in the solution a second time, rinse and drain on tissue paper.

• Jewelry Cleaner
Use any reputed brand name jewelry cleaner and use it according to the instructions given on the label.

• Avoid harmful solutions
Chlorine (as in household bleach) or abrasives (such as household cleansers or toothpaste) should never be used when cleaning diamonds, especially those which are set in jewelry. These erode some of the metals often used in diamond settings, and may loosen prongs, or even dissolve the metal completely.

• Ultrasonic Cleaner
By sending high frequency sound waves through a detergent solution, ultrasonic cleaners cause vibrating fluid to remove accumulated dirt and grime. However, they can also shake loose stones from their mounting, so this method shouldn't be used on fragile settings (or estate jewelry), and is best undertaken by a professional jeweler.

Glossary of Diamond Jewelry Terms:

Abrasion:
Tiny nicks along facet junctions, producing white fuzzy lines instead of sharp crisp facet edges.

Baguette:
A step cut in the shape of a small rectangular stone which may be tapered at one end.

Bearded girdle or Bearding:
Tiny, numerous, hair like fractures extending into the stone.

Bezel:
A facet on the Crown, or upper part of the Diamond above the Girdle.

Blemish:
Surface imperfection external to the Diamond.

Bort:
Industrial grade diamonds

Bow-Tie Effect:
An effect caused by a shadowy area visible in some fancy shapes, caused by light leaking out the bottom of the Diamond.

Bruise:
An inclusions consisting of surface crumbling, often accompanied by tiny, root like feathers.

Burned Facet:
This facet may appear whitish, or burnt, as a result of the cutter polishing the facet "against the grain".

Carat Weight:
The metric carat, which equals 0.200 gram, is the standard unit of weight for diamonds and most other gems. If other factors are equal, the more a stone weighs, the more valuable it will be.

Cavity:
An inclusion consisting of a large or deep opening in the stone.

Chip:
A tiny piece missing caused by normal wear and tear, or by cutting.

Clarity:
A stone's relative position on a flawless to imperfect scale. Clarity characteristics are classified as inclusions (internal) or blemishes (external). The size, number, position, nature, and color or relief of characteristics determines the clarity grade. Very few diamonds are flawless, that is, show no inclusions or blemishes when examined by a skilled grader under 10X magnification. If other factors are equal, flawless stones are most valuable.

Cloud:
A group of tiny white inclusions which result in a milky or cloudy appearance.

Coated Diamond:
A diamond colored by a surface coating which masks the true body-color; the coating may be extensive (entire pavilion, for example), but is more often limited to one or two pavilion facets or a spot on the girdle.

Color:
Grading color in the normal range involves deciding how closely a stone's body color approaches colorlessness. Most diamonds have at least a trace of yellow or brown body color. With the exception of some natural fancy colors, such as blue, pink, purple, or red, the colorless grade is the most valuable.

Crown:
The upper part of the diamond above the girdle. It consists of a large flat area on top called a table, and several facets below it.

Culet:
The smallest facet at the bottom of the diamond.

Cut:
The proportions and finish of a polished diamond (also called make). Cut can also mean shape, as in emerald cut or marquise cut. Proportions are the size and angle relationships between the facets and different parts of the stone. Finish includes polish and details of facet shape and placement. Cut affects both the weight yield from rough and the optical efficiency of the polished stone; the more successful the cutter is in balancing these considerations, the more valuable the stone will be.

Emerald cut:
A step cut, usually rectangular.

Extra Facet:
A facet placed without regard for symmetry and not required by the cutting style.

Facet:
Plane, polished surface of a diamond.

Faceted Girdle:
Sometimes cutters polish the girdle into 32 or more facets.

Fancy Diamond:
A diamond with an attractive natural body color other than light yellow or light brown.

Feather:
A separation or break due to either cleavage or fracture, often white and feathery in appearance.

Flaw:
An imperfection of a stone.

Fracture:
A crack on the Diamond's surface.

Girdle:
The outer edge or the widest part of the diamond forming a band around the stone.

Grain Center :
A small area of concentrated crystal structure distortion usually associated with pinpoints.

Hardness:
Mineral's resistance to scratching on a smooth surface. Mohs scale of relative hardness consists of 10 minerals, each scratching all those below it in scale and being scratched by all those above it.

Hue :
Pure, spectral (prismatic) color. Hues include gradations and mixtures of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet and purple.

Included Crystal :
A mineral crystal contained in a diamond.

Inclusion:
Imperfection internal to the Diamond.

Internal Graining:
Internal indications of irregular crystal growth. May appear milky, like faint lines or streaks, or may be colored or reflective.

Irradiated diamond:
A diamond which has been exposed to radiation.

Knot:
An included diamond crystal which reaches the surface of a polished diamond.

Laser Drill Hole:
A tiny tube made by a laser. The surface opening may resemble a pit, while the tube usually looks needle-like.

Loupe:
Magnifying glasses usually of 10X.

Melee:
Small Diamonds less than .20 carat.

Mohs scale:
The ten-point scale of mineral hardness, keyed arbitrarily to the minerals talc, gypsum, calcite, fluorite, apatite, orthoclase, quartz, topaz, corundum, and diamond.

Natural:
Part of the rough Diamond remaining on the Diamond, having survived the cutting process. This is usually the sign of a good cutter attempting to maximize the weight retention of the rough Diamond.

Needle:
A long, thin included crystal which looks like a tiny rod.

Nick:
A notch near the girdle or a facet edge.

Off-Make:
A poorly proportioned Diamond.

Old European Cut:
Early round cut similar to the Round Brilliant Cut, but carrying a very small table and heavy crown. Not as popular today because it does not return the same brilliance as the modern brilliant.

Pavilion:
The bottom part of the Diamond, below the girdle.

Pinpoints:
Miniscule spots internal to a Diamond. A cluster of pinpoints can form a cloud.

Pit:
A tiny opening, often looking like a white dot.

Point:
100th of a carat.

Polish Lines:
Tiny parallel lines left by polishing. Fine parallel ridges confined to a single facet, caused by crystal structure irregularities, or tiny parallel polished grooves produced by irregularities in the surface.

Polish Mark:
Surface clouding caused by excessive heat (also called burn mark, or burned facet), or uneven polished surface resulting from structural irregularities.

Rough Girdle:
A grainy or pitted girdle surface, often with nicks.

Round Brilliant cut:
The most common cut containing 58 facets. Also the most brilliant cut, in terms of most efficient use of light to increase brilliance and fire, hence the name.

Saturation:
A color's position on a neutral to vivid scale.

Scratch:
A linear indentation normally seen as a fine white line, curved or straight.

Spread stone:
A Diamond with a large table and a thin crown height.

Surface Graining:
Refers to surface indication of structural irregularities. May resemble faint facet junction lines, or cause a grooved or wavy surface, often cross facet junctions.

Tone:
A color's position on a colorless-to-black scale.

Treated Diamond:
A diamond with a body color induced by some form of artificial irradiation, often in conjunction with controlled heating (known as annealing).

Twinning Wisp:
A cloudy area produced by crystal structure distortion, usually associated with twinning planes.