Just like Marilyn Monroe sang in her lyrics, “Diamonds are a Girl’s best Friend.” Diamonds are more dazzling and radiant than any other gemstone, capturing the hearts of women around the world. But in reality, men’s fascination with diamonds is just as strong as women’s. The current global diamond fashion trend is actually driven by “male fans.”
Before the 17th century, nobles preferred pearls over diamonds. Diamonds were not prominent among gemstones due to their limited cutting techniques. Without sufficient refraction of light, transparent stones appeared as dull gray blocks in portraits, far less impressive than pearls.
However, King Louis XIV, known as the “Sun King,” had a unique fondness for this gemstone associated with the sun in astrology. He not only amassed an astonishing collection of diamonds but also single-handedly propelled improvements in diamond cutting techniques. This task was later taken over by Empress Catherine the Great, eventually giving birth to the prototype of today’s fashionable round-cut diamonds.
Requiem for the Fleur-de-lis: The Regent Diamond
It is hard to imagine that one of the most dazzling treasures at the top museums, such as the Louvre Museum, has only 23 pieces of jewelry on display. One of these treasures is none other than the Regent Diamond.
In the 17th century, a gigantic 426-carat diamond was discovered in the deep mines of Kollur Mine in Golconda-Kollur Mine, India. The slave who found it hid it within his flesh and traded this secret with a captain for a ticket to freedom. Unfortunately, the captain did not keep his promise. After arriving in England with the diamond still on board, he sold it to a governor.
But being burdened with power made the governor unable to sleep at night and constantly paranoid about thieves. The excitement turned into fatigue, and he regretted not selling it earlier. However, it was not easy for a diamond weighing over 400 carats to be sold easily. Even the largest diamond collector of that time, Louis XIV, hesitated due to the exorbitant price.
It wasn’t until 1715 when Louis XIV passed away and 5-year-old Louis XV ascended the throne that the Regent Diamond was purchased by Regent Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, for a whopping £135,000. It was then named the “Regent Diamond.”
In 1722, at the coronation ceremony of Louis XV, the Regent Diamond revealed its stunning beauty for the first time and went on to serve many emperors and kings in succession.
The Elf from Underground: The Dresden Green Diamond
In the 18th century, after the Regent Diamond, another legendary green diamond weighing 119.5 carats emerged from Kollur Mine in Golconda-Kollur Mine in India. It quickly fell into the hands of renowned diamond merchant Marcus Moses and was ultimately cut into a pear-shaped main stone weighing 41 carats for sale to various royal houses.
Initially, Marcus Moses took advantage of King George I’s visit to India and showcased the diamond while asking for £10,000. Unfortunately, King George I’s financial situation didn’t support such an expense.
In 1726, Marcus Moses tried again and approached Frederick Augustus II, Elector of Saxony (later known as Frederick Augustus II), with this extraordinary green diamond. He offered it for £30,000 but once again faced rejection. He had no choice but to sell it to another Dutch merchant named Delles.
Finally, in 1741 at the Leipzig Fair in Germany, this remarkable green diamond was sold for a whopping £400 thousand (equivalent to approximately £800 thousand today) to King Frederick Augustus III of Poland. The king even faced a shortage of military funds during a subsequent war due to the high price.
The king had this diamond embedded in the Order of the Golden Fleece. Apart from displaying it on significant occasions, the gemstone mostly resided in the Green Vault of Dresden, hence earning its nickname “Dresden Green.”
Continuing the Glory of the British Empire: The Cullinan Diamonds
In 1905, a shocking news spread from the Thomas Cullinan Mine in South Africa: they had unearthed a diamond weighing a staggering 3,106.75 carats. To this day, it remains the largest diamond ever discovered, and the media named this extraordinary gem after the mine itself – the Cullinan Diamond. Despite collectors clamoring for it, the diamond was eventually sold for a high price of £100,000, equivalent to around £20 million today. This astonishing price deterred many jewelers and collectors, and it remained unsold for two years.
It wasn’t until 1907 when King Edward VII granted self-governance to South Africa as a colony that the South African government purchased the diamond for a whopping £150,000 as a thank-you gift and 66th birthday present for King Edward VII.
The diamond was then cut into nine large diamonds (No. 1 to No. 9) and 96 small diamonds. Among them, weighing 530.02 carats with 74 pear-shaped facets, Cullinan I was set on the king’s coronation scepter and earned its resounding name in the jewelry world – “The Star of Africa.” Weighing 317.4 carats with 66 facets, Cullinan II was set on one of the “Imperial Crown Jewels,” known as the “Power Three.”
The Last Love Letter: The Orlov Diamond
The Orlov Diamond hails from the prestigious Golconda mines in India, which have long been depleted. Weighing a staggering 309 carats, it possesses a subtle green hue, a divine combination of weight and color that ultimately earned it a place as the eye of a deity.
In 1775, a French soldier stole this diamond from a temple in Madras and sold it to an English captain for a meager 20,000. The captain then sold it for 120,000 to a Jewish merchant.
This merchant commissioned jewelers to cut the diamond into the fashionable rose shape of the time, reducing its weight to 189.62 carats. When Grigory Orlov, Count of Russia, learned of this masterpiece, he personally journeyed to Amsterdam in the Netherlands and purchased it for an astounding sum of 400,000 rubles. He then presented it to Empress Catherine II on her name day.
Empress Catherine’s love for diamonds was well-known; often her gifts would consist half of diamond creations. However, none could outshine the brilliance of the Orlov Diamond. It became the undeniable star on her scepter.
Count Orlov had hoped that every time she wielded her power, she would remember their beautiful moments during their passionate affair. Alas, fate had other plans as the Empress found new love and did not reinstate him to his former position. As compensation, she granted him only a palatial castle made of limestone. Thus, this diamond became the final love letter in their relationship.
Cursed and Captivating: The Hope Diamond
Despite being known as the “Hope Blue,” it is renowned worldwide as the infamous “Diamond of Misfortune.” It even served as the inspiration for the “Heart of the Ocean” in the movie Titanic.
In 1666, French jeweler Jean-Baptiste Tavernier acquired a 116-carat gemstone, including the Hope Diamond, in exchange for emeralds from the Golconda mines worth a staggering $330,000.
Upon returning to France, the “Diamond Crazed” Louis XIV purchased over 40 diamonds from Tavernier, including the infamous blue diamond. This “World’s First Blue Diamond” was cut into a 67.125-carat heart-shaped centerpiece and adorned with over a thousand smaller diamonds.
Louis XIV fashioned it into a necklace pendant and named it the “French Blue.” Soon after, his beloved grandson passed away, and he himself faced troubles due to marrying a religious fanatic.
The blue diamond, along with the “Ruby of Brittany,” was set in a golden fleece medal. However, not long after, the Bourbon dynasty fell.
Following the French Revolution, this blue diamond was stolen by a group of thieves and recut before being sold in London. By 1824, it appeared in Henry Philip Hope’s collection under its new name - “Hope.”
Since then, it has changed hands multiple times through renowned jewelers such as Cartier and Harry Winston until finally finding its permanent home at the Smithsonian Institution in the United States.
