From the brightest ones to those that belonged to sovereigns, from those judged as “perfect” to the heaviest ones, which experts have been forced to divide into several parts . We are talking about the most expensive diamonds in history, those that are not only able to amaze for their brightness, but above all for their value.
Many of these have been auctioned off, but some still belong to rulers such as Queen Elizabeth of England, while others are kept in museums. Among these there is even one that hides a terrible secret, a dark magic that no one would ever seem to have been able to defeat.
Others, on the other hand, hide a fascinating history, they have had different owners, which have followed one another over the centuries and up to today . Regardless of their history, as well as the various journeys they have had to undergo, often passing from one continent to another, undoubtedly these are jewels with very high figures.
Cullinan diamond: a split stone
It is called “Cullinan” because the miner who found it suggested that it be named in honor of the owner of the mine, Sir Thomas Cullinan. It was Thomas Evan Powell who found him on January 26, 1905, who could not fail to notice him immediately, given his amazing brilliance.
As soon as it was extracted, the stone was examined by an expert on the subject, Frederick Wells, who in those years was directing the Premier mine in Pretoria and it was known that it was of 3106 carats. The value of this gem has now reached 400 million dollars, but a few years after its discovery, in 1908, the diamond was divided into 105 smaller ones .
Throughout history it was first bought by the government of Pretoria, to then be given to King Edward VII of England as a gift for his birthday. It was the Asscher firm of Amsterdam that reduced it to smaller parts.
The “Centennial” diamond: perfection
Many call it “Centenary” while others simply “De Beers”. Both the names of this diamond derive from “De Beers Centenary”, a denomination entrusted to it by the company that analyzed it for the first time, noting that it had 273.85 carats, all with perfect cut and high brilliance.
To make this gem so famous is the fact that the GIA gemological institute has decided to indicate it with the grade “D” which is the highest ever and which indicates that the jewel is free from imperfections both internally and on the external surface.
Its discovery took place in 1986 in the Premier Mine, in African territory, and it weighed a good 120 grams. For this reason, De Beers, after analyzing it, decided to have it cut by the most expert gem-cutter in the world of those years: the Belgian Gabi Tolkowsky. The value of this precious object is 100 million dollars, undoubtedly a mind-boggling figure.
The Koh-i-Noor diamond: the most expensive of all
“Koh-i-Noor” means “Mountain of light” in the Persian language and currently belongs to the Queen of England. Its value is not known exactly, but it would seem that it is worth well over 1 billion euros . Its history is very interesting, which begins with the date of its discovery, which took place in 1294.
Those who were lucky enough to own it were really numerous and were above all noble or great warriors, who then lost the gem during some defeats in the war. Only in 1850 the precious jewel was found and was later confiscated by the British East India Company. At 105.6 carats, it remains one of the most famous and expensive diamonds in the world.
Hope diamond: the unfortunate stone
Also called “Hope Diamond”, its meaning is as particular as its history. First of all, the translation is “Diamond of Hope”, but in reality it has nothing that can give us hope for something positive, also because the stone is particularly known for its bad luck.
To demonstrate all this is the fact that almost all those who were its owners, even for a short time, died either from suicide or from sudden illnesses of inexplicable origin. Those few who survived unfortunately found themselves having to face very serious problems. This vicious circle of tragedies started from the moment the precious diamond was stolen in India, from the very sacred temple it was in. Some say it was its creator, jeweler Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, who cast the spell. Today the unfortunate jewel is located at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington and it is said that the spell that surrounds it is still active, so no one dares to sell it. Its value is 250 million dollars.
