Posted on 09/26/2010 5:50:58 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The Kazanjian Red Diamond, one of the most spectacular gemstones ever discovered, goes on display today at the American Museum of Natural History. Red is the rarest color in diamonds — less than 20 are known to exist in the world today. What’s more, the Kazanjian Red Diamond has an amazing back story.
The gem was discovered in the 1920s in Litchenburg, South Africa. When found, it was a hefty 35 carats uncut. A diamond broker paid a modest eight pounds per carat for it. It was later sent to Amsterdam to be cut and polished by the Goudiv brothers. At first, the youngest son balked, stating that that the stone was not worth the effort. However, the eldest and more experienced son, who had studied the stone carefully, quietly disagreed. He called in the firm’s master cutter, who studied the diamond for seven months. After cautious cleaving and polishing, the gem emerged a 5.05-carat emerald cut. In candlelight, the Kazanjian Red Diamond appears as vivid as a drop of blood splashed on a white diamond.
While the gem had been sent twice to Tiffany & Company in New York, by 1944, during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, it was discovered in Arnhem and swiftly sent to Germany, where it was hidden among other confiscated gems. After the war, the diamond merchant Louis Asscher was assigned a cache of gemstones found hidden in a salt mine near Berchtesgaden, Hitler’s retreat in Bavaria. The listing found with the stones stated diamonds “and one ruby.” Asscher immediately recognized it as the Red Diamond. It was eventually sold to Sir Ernest Oppenheimer, who sold it to the Royal Asscher Diamond Company.
(Excerpt) Read more at tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com ...
It’s the hair of course.
Also, you are a jewel of many facets.
Lump of coal?
Hey, where I work I can get those for free. ;’)
Indeed. I get tired of it, so I wear good costume jewelry and don’t mind donating it when I’m sick of it.
I didn’t get an “engagement” ring until our 15th wedding anniversary,** and it’s CZ. I kept it, one of the few items I still have.
**long story
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