Napoleon Diamond Necklace

Napoleon Diamond Necklace

One of the most spectacular all-diamond pieces of jewelry in the Smithsonian Insitution is the Napoleon necklace. Thought to have originally been owned by Catherine the Great of Russia, it was presented by the Emperor Napoleon of France to his second wife, Marie-Louise of Austria on the birth of their son in 1811.
The silver and gold set necklace contains172 diamonds weighing 275 carats - 28 oval and cushion-cut diamonds, dangling 19 briolette-cut oval and pear shaped diamonds and accented by small, round diamonds and diamond set motifs in a silver and gold setting.
The diamonds are cut in "old mine" style, the precursor to the modern brilliant cut, and have a high degree of fire (flashes of color as the stone moves in light), but less brilliance due to less light refraction through the top of the stone.
The necklace has an estimated total gem weight of 275 carats, and the largest single diamond on it weighs approximately 10 carats. When Marie-Louise died in 1847, the necklace was given to her sister-in-law, Archduchess Sophie of Austria, who removed two stones to shorten the necklace. Earrings were made with the two removed stones, the whereabouts of which are unknown.
In 1872, the necklace was bequeathed to the Archduchess' son, Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria. In 1948, Archduke Ludwig's grandson, Prince Franz Joseph of Liechtenstein, sold the necklace to a French collector who then sold it to Harry Winston in 1960. Marjorie Merriweather Post obtained the necklace from Winston and donated it to the Smithsonian Institution in 1962.
It's difficult to value a piece like this in today's market. However, in 1993, the auction house Christie's in Geneva sold another necklace that Napoleon had given to Marie-Louise that was composed of rubies and diamonds. This necklace sold for $13 million.

Victoria Transvaal Diamond

Victoria Transvaal Diamond

The Victoria-Transvaal is a 67.89-carat, brownish-yellow pear shaped stone. It was cut from a 240-carat crystal that was found in the Transvaal, South Africa.
The first cutting produced a 75-carat 116-facet stone that measured 1 x 1³/8 inches; a recutting retained the same length and width, but reduced the depth to better proportions, making it more brilliant.
The diamond has been featured in several Hollywood films, including a Tarzan episode from 1952 titled Tarzan's Savage Fury, and in leading exhibitions in the United States and Canada.
The necklace was designed by Baumgold Brothers, Inc, and consists of a yellow gold chain with 66 round brilliant-cut diamonds, fringed with ten drop motifs, each set with two marquise-cut diamonds, a pear-shaped diamond, and a small round brilliant-cut diamond (the total weight of the 106 diamonds is about 45 carats). The configuration of these stones makes them look like small angels! The necklace was donated by Leonard and Victoria Wilkinson in 1977 to the Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C.
Other colored diamonds in the Smithsonian Collection include the 8.30-carat Shepard Diamond. This stone is from South Africa, and was acquired by the Smithsonian Museum in exchange for a collection of small diamonds that had been seized as smuggled goods by the United States Customs Service. The diamond is named for the Smithsonian employee who helped facilitate the transaction.
An extremely rare red diamond resides at the Smithsonian as well. This is the De Young Red, a 5.03-carat, brilliant cut red diamond. The main kite-shaped facets on the crown are divided in two, giving the stone more brilliance than a standard round brilliant cut. The stone is not pure red but has a slight brown hue, which makes it appear like a fine red garnet and indeed, it was once purchased as such at an estate sale. It is the third largest red diamond in the world, after the Moussaieff Red (5.11 carats) and the Red Diamond (5.05 carats).

Diamonds pendant

Happy Diamonds ‘Happy Hearts’ pendant

Crafted in rose and white gold

Metal Information : Gold
Item Category : Pendants
Stone Information : Diamond
Quantity : 1

Pendant from Disney Fine Jewellery

This pendant is from Disney Fine Jewellery, a popley group venture. It is made up of platinum, gold and diamonds

Metal Information : Platinum, Gold
Item Category : Pendants
Stone Information : Diamonds
Quantity : 1

The Blue Hope Diamond

The Blue Hope: 45.52 carats

A dark, steely blue stone from India, the diamond eventually named the Hope Diamond is more notorious than any other diamond. It was originally purchased by a French merchant traveler, who sold it to King Louis XIV in 1668. Set in gold and suspended on a neck ribbon, the king wore the "Blue Diamond of the Crown" or "French Blue" on ceremonial occasions. During the French Revolution in 1792, when Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette attempted to flee France, the French Blue was stolen.
Evidence suggests that it was acquired in the early 1800s by King George IV of England, and likely sold at his death in 1830 to help pay off his debts. The diamond was subsequently purchased by Henry Philip Hope, from whom it takes its name. While in the possession of the Hope family, the diamond acquired its grim reputation for bad luck: The entire Hope family died in poverty.
Henry Thomas Hope's possession of the diamond was uneventful. However, one of his heirs who came to own it, Lord Francis Hope, was in financial difficulties due to a penchant for gambling. After numerous attempts (and despite the opposition of other family members) he finally succeeded in selling the Hope diamond in 1901. The diamond was purchased by a New York diamond merchant, Simon Frankel. At this point, the diamond was said to be involved in several bizarre events, although none have been substantiated.
First, a French broker by the name of Jacques Colot was said to have bought the stone before becoming insane and committing suicide. Next, a Russian or Eastern European prince, Ivan Kanitowsky, supposedly loaned or gave the diamond to an actress at the Folies Bergère, who was shot the first time she wore it. The prince himself was stabbed to death by revolutionaries; a Greek jeweler who sold the diamond to the Sultan of Turkey was thrown over a cliff while riding in a car with his wife and child. Again, it is difficult to separate the fact and fiction.
It is known that after several owners, the Hope diamond was sold by Cartier's to Mrs. Evalyn Walsh McLean of Washington, D.C. Some researchers believe it was Pierre Cartier who popularized the story that the stone brought misfortune to its owners - and anyone who touched it.
Mrs. McLean was the daughter of Thomas F. Walsh, who amassed a fortune in gold mining. She spent her early childhood in mining camps in Colorado and South Dakota, but was later educated in Washington D.C. and in Europe. She married Edward Beale McLean, son of the owner of the Cincinnati Enquirer and the Washington Post.
Although Mrs. McLean refused to believe in the legendary Hope "curse" she also endured a number of family tragedies. Her brother died young; her nine-year-old son was run over by a car and killed; her ex-husband drank heavily and died in a mental institution; and her only daughter died of a drug overdose at age 25. Mrs. McLean never recovered from the latter tragedy, and passed away only a year later. Upon her death, Mrs. McLean's extensive jewelry collection was purchased by Harry Winston Inc. of New York City. After exhibiting it among other notable gems for the next 10 years, the firm donated it to the Smithsonian Institution, where it remains one of its premier attractions.

The Regent Diamond

The Regent: 140.50 carats

This great stone, originally a diamond rough of 410 carats, was said to be discovered in 1701 by an Indian slave near Golconda. Golconda was a mountain fortress and a center for trading in India that included a diamond storehouse. The diamond was first owned by William Pitt, the Prime Minister of England, but the circumstances surrounding his acquisition of the gem have been called into question several times. Pitt arranged for the stone to be cut into its current cushion-shaped brilliant by the only person in England considered capable of the task, which took two years. The result was a stunning gem that is considered the most perfectly cut of all the celebrated diamonds of old.
The Regent is characteristic of the finest Indian diamonds, and has a beautiful light blue tinge. Known at the time as the Pitt, the diamond was sold to the Duke of Orleans, Regent of France, who was at first hesitant to purchase the gem because of the perilous state of the Treasury. Ultimately, the Duke of Orleans relented, and shortly thereafter, the stone was renamed "The Regent." Later, it was set in the coronation crown of King Louis XV, and later in a headband worn by his Queen. Many of the French Crown Jewels were reset numerous times at the behest of the queen. Sadly, in September 1792, the Regent and other great diamonds in the Crown Jewel collection were stolen, some disappearing forever. Fortunately, the Regent reappeared in a Paris attic a year later. After coming to power in 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte ordered the diamond set in his sword hilt, which he carried at his coronation two years later. Today, the Regent can be admired at the Louvre in Paris.

The Centenary Diamond

The Centenary: 273.85 carats

The 100-year anniversary of De Beers Consolidated Mines coincided with the fortuitous discovery of an extraordinary diamond rough. At its centennial banquet, the De Beers chairman announced the recovery of "a diamond of 599 carats 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.'"
The Centenary diamond was found at South Africa's Premier Mine on July 17, 1986 using an electronic x-ray recovery system. In its rough form, the stone resembled an irregular matchbox, with angular planes, a prominent, elongated protrusion at one corner, and a deep concave on the largest flat surface. Clearly, it would be daunting to cut, with no obvious approach readily apparent.
It took a master cutter three years to transform the stone into the largest modern-cut flawless diamond. The Centenary has 75 facets on top, 89 on the bottom and 83 on the girdle, for a total of 247. The amazing result was achieved using a combination of some of the oldest cutting methods and the most sophisticated technology. Today, this marvelous gem, exemplifying the ultimate in fire and brilliance for which the diamond is prized, is part of the British Crown Jewels. It was presented at the Tower of London in 1991, where it is on permanent display.

The Orlov Diamond

The Orlov: 300 carats (original rough)

The history of this famous diamond is characterized by legend, fact, speculation and theory. But it is considered one of the most important items in the Treasures of the USSR Diamond Fund, one of the world's greatest collections of gems and jewelry. The USSR Diamond Fund comprises many of the historical jewels that were amassed by the rulers of Russia before the Revolution of 1917, along with exceptional diamonds unearthed in the former Soviet Union during the last three decades.
The Orlov's shape has been likened to half of a pigeon's egg. It has roughly 180 facets and is mounted in the Imperial Scepter, fashioned during the reign of Catherine the Great. The Orlov has been confused with the Great Mogul, a fascinating Indian gem that apparently disappeared without a trace. Another account holds that the earliest known fact about the Orlov is that it was set as one of the eyes of an idol in a sacred temple located in the South of India. Another tale suggests that it was set as the eye of God in the temple of Sri Rangen, and was stolen by a French soldier disguised as a Hindu.
The stone takes its name from Count Grigori Grigorievich Orlov, a Russian nobleman and army officer who caught the fancy of the Grand Duchess, destined to become Catherine the Great. Catherine ascended to the throne after her husband was dethroned and murdered in a coup carried out with the help of Orlov. After she purchased the stone, it was set beneath the golden eagle. Another legend suggests that upon entering Moscow, Napoleon sought the gem, which was concealed in the tomb of a priest in the Kremlin. Reportedly, when one of Napoleon's lieutenants attempted to secure the Orlov, the invaders were cursed by the ghost of the priest, and Napoleon and his bodyguards fled empty-handed.

The Taylor-Burton

The Taylor-Burton: 69.42 carats

As many people today remember, this was the spectacular pear-shaped diamond the late actor Richard Burton bought as a gift for his fifth wife, Elizabeth Taylor. The stone came from a rough piece of 240.80 carats that was purchased by Harry Winston. Once it was cut, the larger piece yielding the pear-shaped stone was sold to Mrs. Harriet Annenberg Ames, whose brother, Walter Annenberg, was the American ambassador in London during Richard Nixon's presidency. Mrs. Ames felt uncomfortable wearing such a large diamond, and sent it to auction in New York in October, 1969.
The diamond was purchased at auction for a then-record $1,050,000, with the understanding that it could be named by the buyer. Cartier of New York proved the successful bidder and immediately christened it "Cartier." However, the next day, Richard Burton bought the stone for Elizabeth Taylor for an undisclosed sum. She first wore the gem as a pendant at Princess Grace's 40th birthday party in Monaco.
In 1978, following her divorce from Mr. Burton, Miss Taylor announced that she was putting the diamond up for sale, with the proceeds dedicated to building a hospital in Botswana. Due to the tremendous costs of showing it, prospective buyers were required to pay $2,500 just to inspect the diamond. Miss Taylor eventually sold the Taylor-Burton for a reported figure of $5 million in 1979. The gem was last seen in Saudi Arabia.

The Sancy Diamond

The Sancy: 55 carats

This pear-shaped stone with a confused heritage disappeared during the French Revolution in 1782. It was originally owned by Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, who lost the diamond in battle in 1477. It was named after a later owner, Seigneur de Sancy, a French Ambassador to Switzerland during the late 16th century. There are numerous questions regarding how Mr. Sancy obtained his diamond, but most likely, he acquired it on his travels in the Far East.
Nicholas de Sancy served two French monarchs loyally: He loaned the diamond to the French king, Henry III, who strategically placed it on his cap to conceal his baldness. It was also pledged by Sancy for the purpose of raising troops in Switzerland. He employed his diamond again on behalf of his sovereign, now Henry IV, the first of the Bourbon dynasty. By 1596, Sancy himself was in need of money and eventually sold the large diamond to King James I of England. In 1625, Charles I disposed of other diamonds but retained the Sancy, which was taken by Queen Henrietta Maria along with other jewels in the Royal Treasury. It later came into the possession of Cardinal Jules Mazirin, acting First Minister of the Crown, who bequeathed the Sancy and another stone to the French Crown. Following the French Revolution, a stone believed to be the Sancy found its way to a Spanish nobleman, and eventually in 1828 to Prince Nicholas Demidoff, whose family owned industries and silver mines in Russia. The Sancy passed to his son, who gave it to his Finnish bride.
Following additional travels around the world, the Sancy was purchased by William Waldorf Astor in the 1890s for his wife, Lady Astor. Lady Astor, the first woman to sit as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons, wore the Sancy set in a tiara at numerous state occasions. In 1978, the four Viscount Astor sold the Sancy, reputedly for $1,000,000. It is now on view at the Louvre in Paris.

The Dresden Green Diamond

The Dresden Green: 41 carats

This almond-shaped stone is the largest apple-green diamond known. Its green color is attributed to the crystal’s close contact with a radioactive source at some point in its lifetime. The Dresden Green, which probably originated in a rough crystal of 100 carats or more, is unique among world-famous gems for not only its color, but also its elongated shape. The Dresden Green gets its name from the capital of Saxony where it has been on display for more than 200 years.
Although of Indian origin, nothing was known of the diamond until Frederick Augustus II of Saxony purchased it at the Leipzig Fair in 1743 for about $150,000. Set in an elaborate shoulder knot, the stone was exhibited with the other Crown Jewels of Saxony in the famous Green Vaults under the Dresden Palace. After World War II, these gems were confiscated by the Russians, but they were returned to Dresden in 1958, and are again on display in the palace.