The History of Black Diamonds

In medieval Italy, the Black Diamond was seen as the "stone of reconciliation". Wave a Black Diamond in the face of the spouse with whom you've just had a spat...and all will be well again. A rather expensive way to patch things up you may well say. I say, for those of you going to therapy...trying to work your way through things...try a Black Diamond.

Let us leave the world of myth however, and enter into a brief history of reality. The Black Orloff...also known as the "Eye of Brahma". This stone gets its name from the Russian Princess Nadia Vyegin-Orloff who owned it during the mid-eighteenth century. It was also part of a shrine in India in the nineteenth century. It was exhibited, in the early fifties, at the American Museum of Natural History. It is the most famous of the Black Diamonds. It is a cushion shape, weighing 67.50 carats. Once owned by Harry Winston, it was sold, mounted in platinum, for $300,000.00. Later, Sotheby's New York acquired it and sold it for around $100,000.00. Clearly, the steal of the century folks.

Amsterdam is in the Northern most part of Europe and home to the Amsterdam Diamond. This diamond is a Pear Shape stone weighing 55.85 carats and given this name in honor of the city of Amsterdam's 700 anniversary.

And then there's the Black Star of Africa...a 202 carat stone which is deemed to be the largest colored-diamond in the world. It was on exhibit in Tokyo in 1971 and was valued at 1.2 million dollars U.S.

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