DIAMONDS, DIAMONDS AND MORE DIAMONDS!!!!!! :)
The Millenium Star!!!
- OMG IT’S THE MILLENIUM STAR!!!
Millennium Star
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Weight | 203.04 carats(40.608 g) |
|---|---|
| Color | Grade D Colorless |
| Cut | Pear Brilliant |
| Country of origin: | Zaire |
| Mine of origin | unknown |
| Date discovered | 1990 |
| Cut by | Steinmetz Group |
| Original owner | unknown |
| Current owner | De Beers |
| Estimated value | £200 000 000 |
The Millennium Star is a famous diamond owned by De Beers. At 203.04 carats (40.608 g), the world’s second largest known top-color (D), internally and externally flawless, pear-shaped diamond.
The diamond was discovered in the Mbuji-Mayi district of Zaire (Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1990 in alluvial deposits; uncut, it was 777 carats (155.4 g). It was purchased by De Beers during the height of the country’s Civil War that took place in the early to mid-nineties. It took over three years for workers of the Steinmetz Diamond Group to produce the classic pear form. The actual cutting was done using lasers.
It was first displayed in October 1999 as the centerpiece of the De Beers Millennium diamond collection. The collection also includes eleven blue diamonds totaling 118 carats (23.6 g) and The Heart of Eternity. They were displayed at London’s Millennium Dome over 2000. There was an attempt on November 7, 2000 to steal the collection, but at the time of the attempted theft a replica was in place instead. Crime journalist Kris Hollington wrote a book called Diamond Geezers (ISBN 1843171228) about the attempted theft. The book also features a detailed history of the Millennium Star.
The largest cut white (D) diamond by weight is the 1991 modified heart-shaped 273.85 carat (54.77 g) Centenary Diamond.
OMG IT'S THE CENETARY DIAMOND!!!
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Weight | 273.85 carats(54.6 g) |
|---|---|
| Color | Grade D Colorless |
| Cut | Modified Heart-shaped brilliant |
| Country of origin | South Africa |
| Mine of origin | Premier Mine |
| Date discovered | July 17, 1986 |
| Cut by | Gabi Tolkowsky |
| Original owner | De Beers |
| Current owner | Unknown |
| Estimated value | at least USD 100 million |
The De Beers Centenary Diamond is, at 273.85 carats (54.6 grams), the third-largest diamond to have been produced in the Premier Mine. The Centenary Diamond is rated in color as grade D color by the Gemological Institute of America, which is the highest grade of colorless diamond and is internally and externally flawless. It was named the Centenary Diamond as it was presented in the rough for the Centennial Celebration of De Beers Consolidated Mines on May 11, 1988. The Centenary Diamond was unveiled in final form in May 1991.
Discovery
The Centenary Diamond was discovered in the Premier Mine on July 17, 1986 using their X-ray imaging system. The original rough was 599 carats (119.8 g) and it was presented on May 11, 1988 in the Centennial Celebration of the De Beers Consolidated Mines. As then-chairman Julian Oglivie Thompson said, “We have recovered at the Premier Mine a diamond of 599 carats (119.8 g) which is perfect in color – indeed it is one of the largest top-color diamonds ever found. Naturally it will be called the Centenary Diamond.”
Cutting the Centenary
Cutting such an immense and valuable diamond required expertise and a considerable investment. Gabi Tolkowsky was chosen to head the team responsible for cutting the Centenary Diamond, along with Geoff Woolett, Jim Nash and Dawie du Plessis, assisted by a specially picked group of engineers, electricians and security guards to facilitate in the work on Centenary Diamond.[1][2] There was a special room designed underground in the De Beers Diamond Research Laboratory in Johannesburg, South Africa for the sole purpose of working on the Centenary Diamond with design specifications including strength and stability so as to preclude mechanical vibration and temperature variation to minimize any mitigating factor that might interfere with the cutting of the Centenary Diamond.
The initial efforts were done by hand rather than with a laser or saw so as not to heat or vibrate the diamond. After cutting and removing 50 carats (10 g) of cracked material over 154 days, the team was left with an egg-shaped gem of approximately 500 carats (100 g). Thirteen different designs were presented to the De Beers board, with a strong recommendation for what became the eventual modified heart-shaped design. The shape was described as, “Effectively, the Centenary Diamond is shaped like a heart-shape, but it does not have a groove. The image the team had in mind was a shape which would adorn the turban of a Sultan or a Maharaja.”
The statistics
The Centenary was completed in February 1991, weighing 273.85 carats (54.770 g) with its dimensions measuring 39.90 × 50.50 × 24.55 mm. The final gem had 247 facets: 164 on the stone proper and 83 on the girdle. While the stone has never been publicly appraised for value, it is known to have been insured at over US$100 million at the time of its unveiling in May 1991. The stone was loaned to the Tower of London, where it was displayed for a number of years. It is believed that De Beers no longer owns the Centenary, but the current owner is unknown. Gabi Tolkowsky has said that he believes that the gem has been sold and De Beers declines comment, citing its anonymity policy.
References
- Gems and Gemology: The Quarterly Journal of the GIA. “This Week in Gem History: The Centenary Diamond “. Retrieved April 14, 2005.
- Ryan Thompson’s Famous Diamonds Page. “The Centenary Diamond”. Retrieved April 14, 2005.
- Ryan Thompson’s Famous Diamonds Page. “Letter from Gabi Tolkowsky, Master Diamond Cutter”. Retrieved April 14, 2005.
- GIA Newsroom “Gabi Tolkowsky Addresses GIA Students”. Retrieved April 14, 2005.
- The World of Famous Diamonds. “The Centenary”.
- AM Diamonds. “Famous Diamonds: The Centenary Diamond”. Retrieved April 14, 2005.
I HOPE BY THE END OF THIS SUMMER SO I CAN TOTALLY SHOW OFF TO MY CLASSMATES…I’LL BE SUPER-PROTECTIVE ABOUT IT LIKE IF IT WAS MY CHILD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! )
I gave my 14 carrat anklet away to my friend who then lost it!!!!!! « That One Crack In The Wall–Why Do I Hear A Sudden Meowing?… said,
J 12 08 at 6:22 p
[...] J 12 08 at 6:22 p (Uncategorized) ya i was at my friend’s party and she said “do you have my present?” and i then realized that i had bought her nothing…so i relied on my ankle…AND THE WORST PART IS THAT THAT WAS THE CLOSEST THING THAT MY FAMILY HAD TO RICHESSES.. I SHOULD HAVE SOLD IT FOR CASH THEN BOUGHT SOMETHING BETTER…OH WELL! I STILL JUST NEED 600 BUCKS TO BUY THAT RING…(SEE THE POST BELOW THIS ONE OR JUST CLICK ON THIS LINK OR JUST COPY AND PASTE THIS: http://larmesnaturelles.wordpress.com/2008/07/13/diamonds-diamonds-and-more-diamonds/! [...]