Diamond Story

The Curse of the Hope Diamond

orly — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 18:44:32 +0000

The famous 45.52 carats blue Hope Diamond is believed to be the largest blue diamond in the world, this isn’t true, though. It’s actually the 4th largest. It is however, the largest dark blue.

The greatly disputed ‘curse’ of the Hope Diamond entailing a trail of death or misfortune of its owners is said to have befallen the blue gem from the very moment it was stolen by the widely traveled French jeweler Jean Baptiste Tavernier in 1642. Right after selling it to Louis XIV, Tavernier met his tragic end in his next trip to India where wild dogs ripped him into pieces. The diamond received the royal title ‘Blue Diamond of the Crown’ and new cuts that turned it into a heart-shaped stone of 67-1/8 carats.

The misfortune carried by the Hope Diamond struck again when it was inherited by Louis XVI and his queen Marie Antoinette. After a disturbing and unstable reign, both were beheaded during the French Revolution of 1789. During this French political crisis, the royal jewelries including the Hope Diamond were placed in the Garde-Meuble from where they were repeatedly stolen. With time, the rest of the jewels were retrieved but the notorious blue diamond went amiss for some time.

Before it was seen again in London, the Hope Diamond probably went into the possession of the Spanish Queen Maria Louisa in 1800. During that period, it was reshaped by the Dutch jeweler Wilhelm Fals. He died of sheer grief when the diamond was stolen by his son Hendrick, who went on to commit suicide under the cursed influence of the diamond. Thereafter, the diamond was bought by Henry Philip Hope in 1813 and has been called the ‘Hope Diamond’ since then.

The diamond left its trail of misfortunes in the Hope family by stripping it of its prosperity and leading on to bankruptcy. After the death of Henry Hope, the diamond was passed on to his grandson Lord Francis Hope who tried repeatedly to get permission from the court to sell it. In 1901, his request was finally granted when he had reached the worst stage of gambling and bankruptcy.

Meantime, the Hope Diamond claimed some more unfortunate famous victims. The Hope passed from the hands of the Russian prince Kanitowski to French actor Lorens Ladue whom he shot dead on stage. He was not himself spared by the revolutionaries who stabbed him later. Its Greek owner Simon Montharides was plunged with his family into a precipice in an automobile accident. Even the Turkish Sultan Abdul-Hamid II who possessed the Hope diamond for a short time encountered dethronement in 1909.

The Hope Diamond traveled to the United State of America with jeweler Simon Frankel and went to jeweler Pierre Cartier, who looked for a prospective buyer. His search ended with the rich and eccentric social figure Evalyn Walsh McLean, who agreed to buy it after hearing the curious tales of its cursed legacy. She was determined to turn it into a good luck charm but encountered too many family blows as its owner. Her son died in a car accident, her daughter committed suicide while her husband went insane and died in the confines of a mental hospital.

After the death of Evalyn McLean, the Hope Diamond was put to sale in 1949 and bought by a New York jeweler named Harry Winston. Perhaps affected by the tales of its curse, Winston made up his mind to donate the diamond to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, which is its present destination.

It is said that the curse of the Hope Diamond was so strong that when it was delivered to the museum in a plain brown box by the USPS mail carrier James Todd, he faced leg injuries run over by a truck. Further tragedies unfolded on Todd as his wife died of a cardiac arrest, his dog died strangled by its leash and finally his house was burnt down by a fire.

May Yohe, the actor who is supposedly the last of the Hopes; tried to build on the cursed legend of the Hope Diamond by creating a 15-episode serial – “The Hope Diamond Mystery”. The serial included her personal misfortunes caused by the possession of the Hope Diamond along with a score of fictional characters posed as the victims of the Hope Diamond curse. Although her efforts to hog limelight through the Hope Diamond did not bear fruit, the fact remains that the Hope Diamond has at its wake the tragedies of many non-famous jewelers and intermediaries who were somehow involved in its handling.

Today the home of the Hope Diamond is at the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum.

Courtesy Of – www.hottnez.com

Proposal in Park

orly — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:36:51 +0000

Take 4 minutes away from your busy day to enjoy a proposal in the park:

A Glance At Some Of The Most Expensive Jewelry On The Planet

orly — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:36:11 +0000

NECKLACE

A stunning, 75 carat pear shaped diamond necklace and it costs only about US $5 million. There is also a matching diamond ring for about $1 million.

The Blue Diamond

$7.98 million is the price for this rare and flawless blue diamond which has set a record as the most expensive precious jewel of its kind ever sold. The gem, which is 6.04 carats and sparkles with an unusual blue hue and was purchased at a Sotheby’s auction in Hong Kong.

Chopard Blue Diamond Ring

Blue diamonds are among the rarest of naturally colored gems. That’s why this oval-shaped diamond ring, with triangular-shaped diamond shoulders and a pave-set diamond band in 18-carat white gold, will set you back about $1.7 million per carat with a total price tag of $16.26 million.

Heart of the Kingdom Ruby

This 40.63-carat, heart-shaped Burma ruby, mounted on a 155-carat diamond necklace, claims top spot in the British jeweler’s collection. The diamond necklace can be transformed into a tiara. The stone is accompanied by two independent Swiss laboratory reports that verify its rarity and value of $14 million.

Diamond Drop Earring by Harry Winston

Every year Harry Winston, the ‘jeweler to the stars lends out hundreds of millions of dollars worth of jewelry so that the stars can shine for the Oscars. In 2006 the House of Winston created a pair of ‘Extraordinary Diamond Drop Earrings’ consisting of two pear-shaped diamonds in a platinum setting totaling 60.1 carats. Considered the world’s most expensive earrings they are valued at $8.5 million USD.

Magnificent Diamond and Emerald Necklace

A virtual cascade of white and green, this Magnificent Diamond and Emerald Necklace from Chopard’s “Haute Joaillerie” collection hold 191-carats worth of Columbia’s most beautiful emeralds on there, completely set by 16 carats of rose-cut and drop-shaped diamonds. Though officially “price upon request,” an educated guess is about $3 million-plus.

Regal Pear Shape Diamond Pendant

Tiffany’s Majestic Diamond Necklace with a fluid design that lies softly on the neck– this choker evokes breathtaking glamor, with a 41.4-carat, pear-shaped diamond accompanied by a multitude of round and pear-shaped diamonds. Each stone is top-of-the-crust in color and clarity, of course, as is the pretty blue box it comes in. Valued at 2.5 million.

Emerald Cocktail Ring

Made by Chopard’s this bold cocktail ring–with half-moon diamond shoulders holding up a 33.02-carat solitaire emerald on a pave-set diamond and platinum band is heavily priced at 2.14 million.

Novo Yellow Diamond Ring

This 25.27-carat novo yellow diamond ring set in platinum and yellow gold from Tiffany’s is available both in stores and on their online catalog makes ordering from home easy at $1.35 million.

Inspired By – internetmoment.com

Quick Backtrack: History Of The Wedding Ring

orly — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:27:48 +0000

As chance has it, the oldest recorded exchange of wedding rings comes from ancient Egypt, about 4800 years ago.

In early Egypt, the ring was linked with the supernatural, a never-ending band linked with eternal love. For the Romans later, the ring’s acceptance by a young lady was a binding, legal agreement and the girl was no longer free. Today we accept the ring as part of a religious ceremony when we marry in church.

The Untold Story of the World’s Biggest Diamond Heist

orly — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:57:34 +0000

A fascinating look at the World’s Biggest Diamond Heist. Filled with twists of fate, smarts and luck…both good and bad.

In February 2003 Italian thieves were accused of breaking into a vault two floors beneath the Antwerp Diamond Center and making off with at least $100 million worth of loose diamonds, gold, jewelry, and other spoils. The vault was thought to be impenetrable. It was protected by 10 layers of security, including infrared heat detectors, Doppler radar, a magnetic field, a seismic sensor, and a lock with 100 million possible combination. The robbery was called the heist of the century, and even now the police can’t explain exactly how it was done.

Watch Video: http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1815813330?bctid=15404460001

Courtesy of wired.com

Have You Ever Heard Of Mourning Jewellery?

orly — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:23:31 +0000

There was a huge fashion for mourning jewellery which highlights how sentimental the Victorian age was. The initial months of mourning were unadorned by jewellery of any kind. As the mourning rituals increased, mourning jewellery developed as a fashion item. Jet jewellery was worn a great deal by Queen Victoria after Prince Albert’s death.

Jet from Whitby, North of England was set into mourning pieces. All types of material that were black were used and almost all included a lock of the dead loved one’s hair. Hair was also plaited, braided or twisted very tightly until it became hard and thread like. To many of us living in the twenty first century the use of hair is an unattractive side of some antique jewellery.

Taken From: www.fashion-era.com

With this ring, I thee shed…

orly — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:42:43 +0000

Okay here is a crazy concept. The Divorced Ring (see image below).

The divorce ring was inspired by 2 divorcée’s who wanted togive people a matter-of-fact way to announce their status in life.

They developed an Irish Clannagh like ring that they pegged the Divorced Ring.

“It’s not promoting divorce,” says Harold Thompson, co-founder ”but if you’re in a situation, whether dating or married, and it’s not a good situation, then you need to get out of it.”

The design is simple: a thick gold band with a break in the center and three bands of white gold on one side. One band for the year you met your ex. One band for the year you married. One band for the year of the divorce.

What will they think of next?

Incerpts from this article taken from www.starnewsonline.com

Submit Your Favorite Jewelry Story HERE

orly — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:34:43 +0000

We all have a favorite…what’s yours?

What’s your favorite piece of jewelry and Why?

Share your stories and pics to WIN!

July Birthstone – July

orly — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:58:26 +0000

Astrological Sign: Cancer, Leo

Meaning: The Ruby’s rich red color represents love, passion and fire. Some have said that the July birthstone gets its color from an everlasting eternal fire, which cannot be extinguished

Healing properties of Ruby: Ruby brings love, confidence, loyalty, and courage. It instills stamina, vitality and strength. A good stone for removing blocked energies in the reproductive system. It re-energizes one after exhaustion. Also good for balancing the blood’s sugar. It also helps to reduce negative thought patterns.

Sources of Ruby: Burma, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Kenya, Tanzania, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the United States. Rubies can even be found in ancient literature. In Exodus (Ex. 28:17) the breastplate of the high priest held twleve precious stones, one of which was a sadius, the ancient word for ruby.

Interesting Facts: Ruby is second only to diamond in terms of hardness and durability.

Called the “Rajnapura” or King of Gems by the ancient Hindus in India, July’s birthstone is one of the most treasured gems throughout history. Considered to have magical powers due to the stones deep red color and glow, rubys were worn by nobility as a way to ward off, and warn of approaching, evil, others thought it was a drop of the heart blood of Mother Earth.

The July Birthstone was said to be able to cause a pot of water to boil if the gem was thrown in. Healers have used rubies to cure various ailments, such as indigestion. It represents love and carries the red ray. Some say that it allows them to overcome fear

Nicolas G. Hayek – The Man Who Brought Us The Swatch Watch Has Died

orly — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:00:06 +0000

Nicolas G. Hayek, founder and chairman of the board of directors of the Swatch Group, died Monday at the age of 82. Hayek is credited with reviving the global interest in buying a wristwatch with the introduction of low cost, vividly designed watches that had wide mass appeal for teens and adults alike.

Hayek unexpectedly passed away due to heart failure during work at his beloved Swatch Group, according to a company release.

After years of dominating the global watch industry, Swiss watch makers lost their appeal to Japanese manufactured watches. The emergence of Swatch turned that around and practically saved the Swiss watch industry.

“Hayek’s extraordinary vision enabled him to realize and ensure the sustainability of a strong watch making enterprise with high Swiss added value. He is rightly recognized as a leading entrepreneur in this country,” the company said Monday.

“With the right personnel decisions, Mr. Nicolas G. Hayek also ensured that his ideas and beliefs will live on and that continuity is guaranteed in regard of shareholders, board of directors and the group management board,” the company added.

Courtesy of idex online