Agra Diamond

The city of Agra was founded by the Mogul Emperors who made it their capitol for more than a hundred years in the 1500's and 1600's until Aurangzeb, the 6th mogul emperor transferred the seat of the monarchy to Delhi in 1658. It was in Agra that Akbar received a letter from More
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Ahmadabad Diamond
Ahmadabad, the capitol of the Indian state of Gujarat, is located 550 km north of Bombay, on the Sabarmati River. The city has long been a center for trading and cutting diamonds, both of which are still pursued there today (although to a lesser degree). One famous visitor to Ahmadabad in the 1600s was the French traveller and gem merchant, Jean Baptiste Tavernier. More
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Smithsonian

Allnat Diamond
When Porter Rhodes travelled to the Isle of Wight in 1881 to show to his fine white diamond crystal to Queen Victoria and Empress Eugénie of France, who was at that time residing nearby, he helped to dispell a myth: South African diamonds were usually yellowish in color and therefore less valuable. Both the Queen but in particular the Empress, who was knowledgable about diamonds, believed this to be true and were, therefore, surprised to examine a fine white octahedral crystal originating from the Cape Mines of South Africa. It was not until the Excelsior was found in 1893, the Jubilee in 1895.. MORE
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American Star Diamond
The American Star Diamond began life as an unnamed 14.89-carat D-color, Flawless-clarity modern round brilliant. It was bought in late 1999 by the EightStar company.. more

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Amsterdam Diamond
This rare black diamond of African origin is reported to be completely black. It weighs 33.74 carats, has 145 facets and was cut from a 55.85-carat rough. The stone was first shown in February, 1973, at D. Drukker & Zn., Amsterdam. It was auctioned off at www.christies.com in November, 2001, for $352,000, setting a world record for the highest price fetched by black diamond at auction. The stone is cut in a pear shape, with horizontally split main facets on the crown..
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Archduke Joseph Diamond
This 76.45-carat diamond gets its name from from Archduke Joseph August (1872-1962), a previous owner of the gem and a prince of the Hungarian line of the Hapsburg dynasty. The Archduke was a descendant of the Emperor Leopold II, son of Empress Maria Theresa who owned the f...MORE
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Arcots Diamond
The Hanoverian rulers of Great Britain amassed a large collection of personal jewelry and Queen Charlotte, the consort of King George III, was surely no excpetion. She received many jewels, the most notable being the diamonds she was given by the Nawab of Arcot. These inclu... MORE
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Ashberg Diamond
It is said that this amber-colored, cushion-shaped diamond weighing 102.48 carats, was formerly part of the Russian Crown Jewels. It must have been a late addition to that collection because the stone bears all the characteristics of one from South Africa. In 1934 the Russian Trade Delegation sold the diamond to Mr. Ashberg, a leading Stockholm banker. The Stockholm firm of Bolin, former Crown Jewellers to the Court of St. Petersburg, mounted it as a pendant. In 1949 the Ashberg was displayed, mounted in a necklace containing diamonds and other gemstones, at the Amsterdam Exhibition, the aim of which was to attract new workers to the diamond industry.

Ten years later the Bukowski auction house in Stockholm put the Ashberg up for sale but it failed to reach its reserve and was withdraw. Then its owner succeeded in selling the gem to a private buyer whose name was not revealed. Finally, in May, 1981, Christies auctioned the diamond in Geneva where once again it failed to reach its reserve and was withdrawn. Source: Diamonds - Famous, Notable and Unique by GIA and Famous Diamonds by Ian Balfour

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Beau Sancy Diamond
At the time of the marriage of Prince Albert of Prussia with Princess Mary of Sachsen-Altenburg in Berlin, the bridge was described in the newspaper accounts of the wedding as wearing "the crown necklace, with the celebrated 'Sancy' diamond." MORE
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Beluga Diamond
The Beluga Diamond was cut by the William Goldberg firm from a rather flat, blocky 265.82-carat rough and weighs 103-point-some carats. I am still researching it. It is the largest standard oval brilliant cut diamond in the world and appeared in an article about 'blood diam... MORE
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Black Orlov Diamond
According to the legend, the Black Orlov is said to have taken its name from the Russian Princess Nadia Vyegin-Orlov who owned it for time during the mid-eighteenth century. It is a 67.50-carat cushion-cut stone, a so-called black diamond (actually, a very dark gun-metal c... MORE
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Blue Empress Diamond
Harrods department store in London has unveiled a diamond necklace valued at around £10 million ($16 million US) which it hopes will be sold as a Christmas present. The necklace has already attracted a bid of $10 million. It is built around the Blue Empress - a rare b.. MORE.
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Smithsonian

Blue Heart Diamond
Some reports refer to this unusual diamond as the "Eugenie Blue" although it is now recognized that there is no evidence of its having been owned by the Empress. Had she owned it, wouldn't she have chosen to flee with it rather than the diamond which is named after her? How... MORE
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Blue Lili Diamond
This 30.06-carat blue diamond was cut by the William Goldberg Corporation. He named the stone after his wife, Lili. The stone's shape is a sort of tapered cushion. More details lacking.
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Blue Magic Diamond
Here is what Christies.com's auction said about the stone when it was up for auction: "A MAGNIFICENT FANCY VIVID BLUE DIAMOND RING Set with a modified pear-shaped fancy vivid blue diamond weighing 12.02 carats to the tapered baguette-cut shoulders and 18k white gold hoop...MORE
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Briolette of India Diamond
The Briolette of India is a legendary diamond of 90.38 carats, which, if the fables about it are true, may be the oldest diamond on record, perhaps older than the Koh-I-Noor Diamond. In the 12th century, Eleanor of Aquitaine, the first Queen of France and later England, bro...MORE
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Centenary Diamond
The diamond Jubilee of De Beers Consolidated Mines passed off quietly in 1948, the massive post-WWII growth and expansion of the diamond industry had barely begun, while several important sources of diamonds, including the Premier Mine, were still closed, while others rema... MORE
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Chopard (Watch) Diamond
This watch by Chopard features three heart-shaped diamonds, the pink weighs 15 carats, the blue weighs 12 carats and the white weighs 11 carats. They are set in a bracelet encrusted with clusters of white pear-shaped diamonds arrange in flower motifs, with a yellow diamond st..MORE.
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Conde Diamond
The Grand Conde is one of the most unusual of the world's notable diamonds: a light pink pear-shaped stone of 9.01 carats. Agents of Louis XIII are said to have bought the stone in 1643 after which the King presented it to Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Conde, who had distingu... MORE
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Cullinan Diamond
The Cullinan I - aka the Star of Africa. 530.20 carats. Royal Scepter with Star of Africa. (The stone can be removed from the Royal Scepter and worn as a pin or pendant.) The Star of Africa, a pear shaped diamond weighing 530.20 carats, aka the Cullinan I. It ... MORE
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Darya-i-Nur Diamond
Considered to be the most celebrated diamond in the Iranian Crown Jewels and one of the oldest known to man, the 186-carat Darya-i-Nur is a crudely fashioned stone measuring 41.40 × 29.50 × 12.15mm. The name means Sea of Light, River of Light, or Ocean of Light... MORE
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De Beers Diamond at 234.69-carat is the seventh largest in the world
Not long after the formation of De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited in March 1888, a huge light yellow octahedral crystal was found in the De Beers Mine. The gem weighed 428.50 old carats (old carats being the pre-1913 non-metric carat) and measured 47.6 mm through its long...MORE
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De Young Red Diamond
A red diamond weighing in at 5.03 carats. The cut is a round brilliant, but as you can see, the main kite-shaped facets on the crown are horizontally divided in two, giving the stone slightly more brilliance than a standard round brilliant. This stone was once bought as a red garnet..MORE
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Dresden Green Diamond
In the rough, greenish diamonds tend to occur as one of three types: a stone, often a crystal shape, possessing a light tinge rather like the color of water in a swimming pool; a stone with a dark green skin; a yellowish-green stone characterized by a degree if lubricity. ... MORE
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Earth Star Diamond
The Earth Star was cut from a rough gem weighing 248.9 carats found in the Jagersfontein Mine on May 16th, 1967. It travelled right through the recovery process until it appeared on the grease table in the recovery plant. Not surprisingly its appearance caused a commotion at the mine and to many in the diamond industry because too amoung the numerous fine diamonds found at Jagersfontein, there had been few brown gems. In all its long existence, the mine had never been known for producing large stones of this color. Moreover this specimen came from the 2500-foot level of the mine workings, which is exceptionally deep in a volcanic diamond-bearing pipe for a gem of this size to be found in.

The "Earth Star" is a 111.59-carat, pear-shaped diamond with a strong brown color and extraordinary brilliance, The exact color grade of the diamond is not known, but under the Argyle color grading scale for brown diamonds, going by the description of the diamond, it may fall under dark brown, which is equivalent to fancy cognac and C7 color grade.. MORE

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Eureka Diamond
This 10.73-carat brilliant is not, by ordinary standards, exceptional. However, it was cut from the first diamond found in South Africa and therefore has historical significance. In 1866 a shepherd boy found a small, shiny stone on the south bank of the Orange River near Ho... MORE
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Excelsior Diamond
The Excelsior I, set in an elaborate bracelet by Mouawad. On may 28th, 1971, a sad but inevitable event in mining history occurred: operations finally stopped at the Jagersfontein Mine. Not long before, the mine had celebrated its centenary, the first diamond having been...MORE
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Florentine Diamond
This cubic zirconium replica was designed and cut by Scott Sucher. Sucher said he had to use mathematics to figure out the angles and measurements of the sides of the stone because of a lack of information about it. Only Jean-Baptiste Tavernier's drawing of the stone and a ... MORE
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Golden Jubilee Diamond
Gabi Tolkowsky examines the diamond with a jeweler's loupe. The Golden Jubilee is the largest faceted diamond in the world, weighing 545.67 carats. The stone was designed by Gabi Tolkowsky, who also designed the 273.85-carat Centenary Diamond, which is the largest D-Fl...MORE
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Golden Maharaja Diamond
This large earth-hue diamond was shown at the Paris World Fair of 1937 and was later loaned to the American Museum of Natural History for 15 years (circa 1975 to 1990) by its owner, Ella Friedus. Around 1991 she sold the stone for $1.3 million. The Gemological Institute of Am... MORE
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Graff Cushion Cut Diamond
This 11.89-carat D-color, Internally Flawless cushion shaped diamond has been featured a number of times in the Graff's advertisements in the New York Times newspaper. Cushion is one of the oldest diamond cuts there is. Many of the older cushion cuts, often called Old Mine Cuts, have steep crown and pavilion main facets, a culet facet, and a small table. When Marcel Tolkowsky pioneered the modern round brilliant around 1913, the angles could be incorporated into cushion cuts, thus giving them more fire.

This is another one of those diamonds that might not be famous right now, but maybe someday. Its size is not great compared to other famous diamonds, but its fine color and clarity make it unusual, combined with its relatively uncommon cut.
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Graff Pink Supreme Diamond
This 10.83-carat pink pear-shaped diamond is (or was) owned by Lawrence Graff of London. It is Internally Flawless and probably has the term 'Purplish' in its color grade . it is a very saturated pink. Graff bought the stone at auction in November, 1993 at Christie's Geneva ... MORE
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Great Chrysanthemum Diamond
In the summer of 1963, a 198.28-carat fancy brown diamond was found in the South African diamond fields. This unusual stone was purchased by Julius Cohen, New York City manufacturing jeweler, under whose direction it was fashioned by the firm of S & M Kaufman into a 104.16-carat pear shape. ..MORE
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Gruosi Diamond
The famous Swiss jeweler Fawaz Gruosi is credited for starting the current enthusiasm for black diamond jewelry, launching the current fashion for black diamond in 1996 by creating some eye-catching collections of jewelry and watches set with black diamonds. He is now ... MORE
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Heart of Eternity Diamond
The Heart of Eternity, top, with the Excelsior Diamond bracelet, below. It was expected that some 12-million people would visit the De Beers Millennium Jewels Exhibition at the Millennium Dome in London. There they were on view in a specially designed exhibit for the...MORE
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Hope Diamond
The 45.52 carat steel blue Hope Diamond was found in India back in remote times as a rough crystal weighing 112 carats. It first came to light when Jean Baptiste Tavernier, the noted French traveler of the 17th century, was approached in India by a slave who had a very secretive manner about him.

It turned out that he had in his possession an intriguing steel blue stone which at first look seemed to be a large sapphire, but the well-experienced Tavernier soon realized it was a diamond – the largest deep blue diamond in the world..MORE

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Hortensia Diamond
King Louis XIV was respsonsible for the addition of this pale orangey-pink diamond to the Crown Jewels of France. However, the Hortensia was not one of the diamonds which the King had purchased from Jean Baptiste Tavernier, because the largest stone of this particular color...MORE
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Idol's Eye Diamond
The various published accounts of the early history of the Idol's Eye are worth of being included in A Thousand and One Nights, unfortunately, for the most part they must be considered to be entirely unauthentic. The diamond may have been found at Golconda around 1600, but seven years later it was certainly not seized from the Persian Prince Rahab by the East India Company as payment for debt....MORE
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Incomparable Diamond
The Incomparable was found in its rough state weighing 890 carats, and was found in the town of Mbuji Mayi in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) in the 1980s. It was found by a young young girl playing in a pile of rubble outside her uncle's house...MORE

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Indore Pears Diamond
The Indore Pears set as a pair of earrings. These two diamonds are linked to the Malabar Hill Murder: One evening in January of 1925 at an hour when the hanging gardens of Malabar Hill, one of the most salubrious parts of Bombay, were crowded with people, an official of ... MORE
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Iranian Yellows Diamond
These African diamonds were acquired by Nasseridin Shah on his third trip to Europe in 1889, and are collectively known as the Iranian Yellows. There are a number of collections of large diamonds on display in the Iranian Treasury, however due to security concerns, the larg... MORE
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Jonker Diamond
Occasionally a lucky digger has struck it rich and made an exceptional find. One such person was 62-year-old Johannes Jacobus Jonker who had been trying his luck at various occupations for 18 years throughout South Africa. At the time of his momentous find he was working a claim at Elandsfontein, 4.8 kilometers south of the Premier Mine...MORE
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Jubilee Diamond
This glorious colorless, cushion-shaped diamond with a weight of 245.35 carats ranks as the sixth largest diamond in the world. The original rough stone, an irregular octahedron without definite faces or shape weighed 650.80 (metric) carats; it was found in the Jagersfontein ...MORE
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Kahn Canary Diamond
Discovered in Crater of Diamonds State Park, near Murfreesboro, Arkansas in 1977, the Kahn Canary is considered to be an unnofficial symbol of the state. Bought and named by Stan Kahn of Kahn Jewlers in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, the Kahn Canary has been lent to Hillary Rodham Clinton to wear at her husband's inaugurals, both as Governor of Arkansas, and as President of the United States....MORE
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Kimberley Diamond
A Flawless, 70-carat, step cut, champagne-colored diamond that was found in the Kimberley Mine, South Africa. It was recut into this modern shape in in 1921 from a large, flat stone that was once in the Russian Crown Jewels. In 1958, the stone was again recut by it's owners, ... MORE
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Koh-I-Noor Diamond
It has been said that whoever owned the Koh-I-Noor ruled the world, a suitable statement for this, the most famous of all diamonds and a veritable household name in many parts of the world. Legend has suggested that the stone may date from before the time of Christ; theory ..MORE.
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Krupp Diamond
The Krupp last sold at Sotheby's on May 16th, 1968, for $305,000, to Elizabeth Taylor. The stone weighs 33.19 carats and is mounted in a ring. She wears it nearly every day and in every film since acquiring it; it was even animated into her special guest appearance on The ... MORE
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La Favorite Diamond
The La Favorite, a 50.15-carat D-color, VVS-2 clarity, with the potential for being flawless if it were to be slightly recut. It is set in a ring by Bulgari. The La Favorite was mined in South Africa and made its debut at the Chicago World's Fair in 1933, when it was owned ... MORE
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Millenium Star Diamond
De Beers and the Steinmetz Group has unveiled the world's rarest and arguably the most valuable set of diamonds ever put together to mark the year 2000. Stressing that 'millennia come and go, but diamonds are forever,' the diamond giant's Chairman Nicky Oppenheimer ...MORE
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Mouawad Lilac Diamond
This is a 24.44-carat emerald cut owned by Robert Mouawad. It's current estimated value is over $20,000,000. (Twenty Million Dollars.) The exact color grade and clarity has not been published, but it due to its name and the photo, it is safe to say the stone has ...MORE
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Mouawad Magic Diamond
Lebanese diamond dealer Robert Mouawad first appeared on the diamond scene in the 1970s. Soon his very presence in the sale or auction room was enough to send pulses racing when it was realized that a new, significiant player had appeared. Along with his two contemporaries, Sheikh Ahmed Fitaihi of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Laurence Graff of London, he has been responsible for some of the most astonishing record diamond prices achieved in recent years....MORE
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Mouawad Mondera Diamond
This 60.19-carat D-color Flawless diamond is owned by Robert Mouawad and was named to represent both the traditional world of the family jeweler and the new face represented by Mondera.com, the jewelry e-tailers founded by his sons. The stone was set as the center of a womans bra,...MORE
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Mouawad Pink Diamond
A radiant cut pink diamond of 21.06 carats owned by Robert Mouawad. It has an estimated value of over $12,000,000. Its exact color grade is unpublished, but it has a clarity of VS1. More details lacking
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Mouawad Splendour Diamond
This diamond is unusual because it has an 11-sided girdle, but also because it is a D-color and Flawless clarity stone. It weighs 101.84 carats, and is valued at $13,970,000. It is owned by Robert Mouawad.

At the end of 2006 the diamond was offered as the principal stone in a Victoria's Secret diamond bra, making it among several other notable Mouawad diamonds to be offered as such.
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Mouna Diamond
The Mouna Diamond weighs 112.53 carats and is VS1 clarity. When it was submitted to the Gemological Institute of America on November 9th, 1995, they stated that up until this date it was the largest Fancy Intense Yellow diamond that they had ever graded. The cushion-shaped stone is 26 mm in diameter set in a baguette-cut mount by Bulgari ... MORE
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Moussaieff Red Diamond
(Their web site with some more magnificent pieces)
The William Goldberg Diamond Corporation, famous for outstanding stones like the Premier Rose and the Guinea Star, cut this gem from a 13.90-carat rough. They transformed the piece into a spectacular red diamond weighing 5.11 carats. The GIA states, "It is the largest Fancy Red, natural color diamond that we have graded as of the date the report was issued."MORE
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Nepal Diamond
"The Ageless Diamond" exhibition sponsored by Christie's and De Beers in London in 1959 showed few exhibits as breath-taking as this pear-shaped diamond, weighing 79.41 metric carats, mounted as a pendant with a diamond chain. Little is known about its early history, though... MORE
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Niarchos Diamond
Unlike the proverbial cat, one may expect the Premier Mine to enjoy only four lives. The first lasted from the discovery of the diamond pipe just before 1902 - and the formation of the Premier (Transvaal) Diamond Mining Company - until the outbreak of World War I when the mine was shut down and operated on a caretaker basis. By January of 1916...MORE
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Nur-Ul-Ain Diamond
The centerpiece of this tiara is the Nur-Ul-Ain Diamond, one of the largest pink diamonds in the world. The diamond is thought to have been brought from India, along with the Darya-I-Nur Diamond. The diamond is set in platinum, and is surrounded by diamonds in shades of pink...MORE
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Smithsonian Museum
Ocean Dream Diamond
GIA Color Grade: Fancy Deep blue-green Weight: 5.51 carats Owner: Cora Diamond Corporation By virtue of its color alone, the Ocean Dream, found in central Africa, is one of the very rarest diamonds known to man. The incredible color of this 5.51 carat diamond is so rare that many gemologists would presume that it was artificially colored. There is no record of any other diamond of this extraordinary color and size. However, following, thorough scientific evaluation, GIA has concluded that the Ocean Dream's breathtaking Fancy Deep blue-green color results from exposure to natural radiation over many years in the Earth....
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Orlov Diamond
Legend, fact, supposition and theory each must be accorded its place in any historical account of this celebrated diamond. Nowadays the Orlov is one of the most important items in one of the greatest collections of gems and jewelry, the Treasures of the Diamond Fund, Gokran...MORE
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Paragon Diamond
This very unusual 7-sided diamond is known as the Paragon, and weighs 137.82 carats. The Graff Diamond Co. of London cut the gem, and is its current owner. The necklace has a diamond carat weight of 190.27 carats, and separates to both necklace and bracelet lengths. MORE
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Peacock Diamond
With the purchase of this unusual, 20.65-carat Fancy Intense Yellow, IF clarity (internally flawless) diamond by C.D.Peacock, Chicago's premier jewelry store plans to try to change the way people in America think about fancy colored diamonds . many people still don't even know there is such a thing as a fancy colored diamond. ... MORE
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Pink Orchid Diamond
This purplish-pink marquise cut diamond weighs 22.84 carats and is known as the Pink Orchid. Graff Diamonds of London owns the stone.

Pink diamonds, especially ones of this size, are extremely rare. This diamond is most likely a naturally colored one, as well. Robert Mouawad, a collector of large and unusual diamonds has a 21.06-carat pink diamond known as the Mouawad Pink, which he values at $12 million, and a purplish-pink diamond weighing 24.44 carats called the Mouawad Lilac, valued at $20 million. So you can imagine the Pink Orchid would be at least $12 million.
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Pink Sun Rise Diamond
Famed diamond cutter Gabi Tolkowsky pays homage to his 273.85-carat Centenary with the Pink Sun Rise, a 29.78-carat diamond with a design similar to the Centenary's. The diamond is a rare, flawless pink and was cut by Tolkowsky and his team of master craftsmen.

Tolkowsky is also famed for cutting the largest diamond in the world, the Golden Jubilee
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The Porges Diamond is a Fancy Yellow diamond weighing 78.53 carats and was bought by Harry Winston in 1962 who named it, as a tribute to the French diamond mining pioneer, Jules Porges. Winston mounted the stone so that it may be worn either as a brooch, within a frame set with cabochon-cut emeralds and rubies or as a single stone, set within a simple ring mount...MORE

Porter Rhodes Diamond
Considered to be the finest American diamond found up to that time (1880), the 153.50-carat rough this stone was cut from came from the claim of Mr. Porter-Rhodes in the Kimberly Mine. It was valued at $200,000. In 1881, Mr. Porter Rhodes visited the Osborne House on the Isle of Wight and showed it to Queen Victoria...MORE
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Portuguese Diamond
The Portuguese Diamond at 127.01 carats is the largest faceted diamond in the Nation Gem Collection. It's near flawless clarity and unusual octagonal emerald cut make it one of the world's most magnificent diamond gems ..MORE The stone resides in the Smithsonian ...
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Premier Rose Diamond
This stone weighs 137.02 carats and is one of the largest D-color Flawless diamonds in the world. In March 1978 the Premier Mine in South Africa, the mine that produced the 3106-carat Cullinan Diamond, yielded yet another remarkable diamond, a triangular-shaped cleavage of ...MORE
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Pumpkin Diamond
There aren’t many naturally orange diamonds in the world – and only one that is named the Pumpkin Diamond!

It was William Goldberg who cut and polished the famous Pumpkin Diamond, a Fancy Vivid Orange diamond with a finished weight of 5.54 carats, bought by Harry Winston for $1.3 million. Ronald Winston, along with Phillip Bloch, designed the now-famous ring which it is set in for Best Actress winner Halle Berry MORE
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Queen of Holland Diamond
There are differing opinions concerning the origin of this 135.92-carats cushion-cut diamond. The Dutch firm F. Friedman & Co. cut it into its present shape in 1904. They owned it for several years, exhibiting it at the 1925 Paris Exhibition of Arts and Industry. Dutch sovereign... MORE
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Red Cross Diamond
This canary yellow cushion-shaped diamond weighs 205.07 (metric) carats. It is said to have weighed 375 carats in the rough and to have come from one of the Kimberly mines in 1901. The largest rough found that year weighed only 307 carats, but two more weighing 337½ ... MORE
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Regent Diamond
The adventurous history of the Regent is very much like that of several other great diamonds. Greed, murder and remorse play a part in the opening chapter. Trouble - political, social, and personal - accompanies this gem to it's last resting place. Originally known as the Pitt, this 410-carat stone was one of the last large diamonds to be found in India... MORE
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Rob Red Diamond

the most important red diamond in the world
The 0.59-carat diamond known as the Rob Red after its owner, Mr. Robert Bogel, is an extremely rare and unique collector's item. It was presumably found in one of the alluvial (i.e. ancient river) deposits located within the remote interior of Brazil... MORE
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Royal Purple Heart Diamond
"The Royal Purple Heart Diamond is the largest fancy vivid purple diamond known to exist, weighing 7.34 carats. This unique stone has been expertly cut and polished into a perfect heart shape to allow the striking natural purple color to dazzle to maximum effect. Natural purple diamonds are among the rarest and most highly sought after color in which diamonds occur. Large pure purple diamonds (i.e. stones over 5 carats) are especially prized. . MORE

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Russian Crown Jewels
The Great Imperial Crown was made by a skilled court jeweler Jeremia Posier for the Empress Catherine II the Great's Coronation in 1762..MORE

The Shah is an 88.70-carat, bar-shaped, partially polished diamond bearing three engraved markings
The Shah's shape, similar to a quartz crystal, is one of the most unusual in the world of famous diamonds... MORE

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Sancy Diamond
The Sancy Diamond has one of the most interesting, colorful, confused and involved histories of all the famous diamonds in Europe. It is a pale yellow 55.23-carat shield-shaped stone, apparently of Indian origin, and is said to be one of the first large diamonds to be cut with symmetrical facets ... MORE
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Sarah Diamond
Many incredibly valuable and historical diamonds have been discovered in South Africa, where Graff has the largest facilities for polishing gem quality diamonds. A magnificent rough diamond weighing 218 carats was acquired from local South African diggings. ... MORE
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Shah Jahan Table Cut Diamond
This table-cut or flat diamond, measuring 44.6 by 33 by 3.6 mm and weighing 56.71 carats, is one of several that have been credited as a match for the Great Table Diamond viewed by Jean-Baptiste Tavernier at Golconda in 1642. However, the attribution is probably an error, ... MORE
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Shepard Diamond
The 18.30-carat Shepard Diamond is from South Africa, it was acquired by the Smithsonian Museum by exchange for a collection of small diamonds that had been seized as smuggled goods by the United States Customs Service and is named for the Smithsonian employee who helped facilitate the transaction. ... MORE
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Spirit of de Grisogono Diamond
The Spirit of de Grisogono at 312.24 carats is the world's largest cut black diamond, and the world's 5th largest diamond, period. In a white gold mounting, it is set with 702 white diamonds totaling 36.69 carats. There are not many black stones in the world of famous Diamonds... MORE
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Splendor Diamond
GIA Color Grade: D (colorless) GIA Clarity Grade: Internally Flawless Weight: 103.83 carats Owner: The Steinmetz Group At 103.83 carats, this is one of the largest cut diamonds in the world. It is described by gemologists as - colorless and internally flawless adding even further to the diamond's rarity... MORE
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Spoonmaker's Diamond (aka the "Kasikci")
The pride of the Topkapi Palace Museum and its most valuable single exhibit is the 86-carat pear-shaped Spoonmaker Diamond, also known as the Kasicki. Surrounded by a double-row of 49 round-cut diamonds and well spotlighted, it hangs in a glass case on the wall of one of the Treasury. ..MORE
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Star of America Diamond
The Star of America is the largest Asscher cut "D"-color flawless diamond in the world.
It was discovered near the Orange River, originally a rough stone of 225 carats. After nine months of cutting and polishing by the Graff company's craftsmen, into the 100.57-carat stone... MORE
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Star of South Africa Diamond
The Star of South Africa, a 47.69-carat old style pear-shaped diamond, was cut from a crystal of 83.50 carats, and is credited with being the diamond that turned the tides of fortune in South Africa. In 1869, it was picked up by a Griqua shepherd boy on the Zandfontein Farm... MORE
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Star of the East Diamond
After their marriage in 1908, Edward B. McLean and his bride Evalyn traveled to Europe for their honeymoon. Each had received $100,000 from their respective fathers as a wedding present. Among the countries they visited was Turkey where Evalyn McLean expressed a wish to se... MORE
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Star of the Season Diamond
In recent years Sheikh Ahmed Hassan Fitaihi has been a major force at international jewelry auctions. The Sheikh's family business dates from 1907 when he grandfather opened a jewelry shop in Mecca in what is now Saudi Arabia. At that time, Abdul Aziz Al-Saud (known in the...) MORE
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Star of the South Diamond
The 128.48-carat Star of the South is one of the world's most famous diamonds. Discovered in 1853, it became the first Brazilian diamond to receive international acclaim. The stone was graded as VS-2 in clarity and Fancy Light Pinkish-Brown in color. It was also determined ... MORE
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Steinmetz Pink Diamond
GIA Color Grade: Fancy Vivid pink GIA Clarity Grade: Internally Flawless Weight: 59.60 carats Owner: The Steinmetz Group First unveiled in Monaco in May 2003, and briefly worn around the neck of supermodel Helena Christensen, the Steinmetz Pink was ... MORE
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Steinmetz Sirius Diamond
This 103.83-carat diamond was offered for auction at Sotheby's Geneva location in November 20th, 2003 with an estimate of $8 to $10 million. It is described by gemologists as Type IIa, D-color and Internally Flawless – adding even further to its rarity. It was discovered in... MORE
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Sultan of Morocco Diamond
A 35.27-carat cushion cut grayish-blue diamond. Not much is known about it. In 1969, Cartier lent this diamond to the New York State Museum for their World of Gems Exposition. In 1972 it was sold to a private American collector.
It is the fourth largest blue diamond in the world after the Hope Diamond. The 35.56-carat Wittelsbach Diamond is one of the others, so is a 42.92-carat blue pear shape known as the Mouawad Blue.
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Supreme Purple Star Diamond
According to British Press reports, this rare cranberry-colored diamond surfaced in London sometime in 2002. The diamond was graded by the British Gemological Institute in London. It is believed to be one of its kind and originated in the Amazon basin. It is being called '...MORE
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Taj-I-Mah Diamond
The presence of the Taj-I-Mah among the Crown Jewels in the Iranian capital had been known for a long time. The British administrator and diplomat Sir John Malcolm, who visited Persia in the 19th century, was allowed by Fath Ali Shah (1797-1834) to inspect the Regalia. He wrote: "Darya-I-Nur, or 'Sea of Light' weighs 186 carats, and is considered to be tha diamond of the finest lustre in the world. The Taj-I-Mah, or 'Crown of the Moon' ...MORE

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Taylor-Burton Diamond
Diamonds have no mercy... "They will show up the wearer if they can," says one character in The Sandcastle, an early novel by the famous British author, Iris Murdoch.
Now this may be true of some women - usually wearing an outrageously large item of jewelry which imparts a degree of unwholesome vulgarity to themselves - but is it applicable to Elizabeth Taylor?
Those well-publicized gifts which she received from her fifth husband, the late Richard Burton, certainly enhance her appearance and do not look out of place on her. A compatibility is established between the jewel and its wearer. ... MORE
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Tereschenko Diamond
To gem historians, judging by the reaction of the press, and to the general public as well, it is always something of an event when the existence of an unusual stone, up till now known only to a handful of people, becomes more widely known. That is what occurred in 1984 when... MORE
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Tiffany Yellow Diamond
The Tiffany Yellow had been in the possession of Tiffany & Co. for the past 129 years, and the diamond has become the icon of Tiffany & Co. The history of the diamond during this period is closely associated with the history of the company. ... MORE

Tiffany Yellow II Diamond
The Colonial Necklace featuring large yellow diamonds exhibited by Tiffany & Co. at the 1889 Exposition in Paris. The Louis XVI Revival design referred to the era of the American Revolution, just as the 1889 Paris Exposition celebrated the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution... MORE
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Transvaal Blue Diamond
A pear cut 25-carat blue diamond that was found in the Premier Diamond Mine in Transvaal, South Africa, the same mine the 3106-carat Cullinan crystal was found in. It was once owned by Baumgold Bros., but it's now owned by an unknown foreign buyer.
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Vainer Briolette Diamond
When considering which diamond cuttings centers are the most important, odds are London won't spring to mind as one of them. The city's main role in the diamond trade has been as the major point of distribution of rough diamonds. The London Diamond Syndicate, formed in 1890... MORE
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Vargas Diamond
On August 13, 1938 Brazil revealed its greatest gem when a diamond weighing 726.6 carats was picked up in the gravels of the San Antonio River in the Coromandel district of Minas Gerais. Two garimpeiros (diamond diggers or prospectors), Joaquim Venancio Tiago and Manoel Migue... MORE
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Victoria Diamond (Also known as the Jacob Diamond)
From the very beginning an aura of mystery surrounded the discovery of this gem, which weighed 457½ (old) carats in the rough. Also called the 'Imperial' or 'Great White', it remained the biggest octahedral diamond crystal from South Africa until 1896 when it was surpassed by one weighing 503¼ (old) carats that was found in the De Beers Mine. ..MORE

Victoria Transvaal Diamond
The Victoria-Transvaal is a 67.89-carat, champagne-colored, 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 ... MORE
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Walska Diamond
One of the "great unknowns" of the diamond world, the Walska is a 95-carat yellow briolette cut stone. Its size and cutting style is a rival for the Briolette of India, a 90-carat stone and probably the most famous diamond of this cutting style. Unfortunately not much is known about the Walska. Perhaps someday more will be published about this stone. What is known is that Ganna Walska (1887-1984) was a Polish opera singer and her birth name was Hanna Puacz. She was also an avid gardener and created Lotusland, a 37-acre estate and botanical garden east of Santa Barbara, California. Walska bought the property in 1941 and owned it until her death in 1984. Before her death, Madame Walska established the nonprofit Ganna Walska Lotusland Foundation, which now preserves this botanical treasure.
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Wittelsbach Diamond
How often does one come across terms such as "present location unknown" or "all trace of the diamond has been lost" when undertaking research into the histories of famous diamonds? It is all the more satisfying, therefore, to recall an item in a newspaper that appeared in January of 1962, under the heading "Rare diamond reappears". This refered to the Wittelsbach, a diamond of a rare deep blue color whose reappearance, even though after a mere few decades, was nonetheless an exciting and welcoming event. . ..MORE
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Zale Light of Peace Diamond
In 1969 the Zale Corporation of Dallas purchased in Antwerp a fine blue-white gem weighing 434.6 carats, the source of which was simply stated as West Africa. More specifically it had almost certainly come from Sierra Leone. After two years work in New York the outcome was...
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