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Ten of the Most Famous Diamonds and Who Owns Them
There are more than three hundred fifty named diamonds famous for their histories. The Cullinan, is the largest cut diamond in the world. It was found in South Africa and was named for the owner of the mining company. The Cullinan diamond was 3106 carats, and was cut into 105 stunning diamonds. The largest was named the "Star of Africa" and is 530 carats by itself. In 1907 this diamond was given to King Edward VII of England, and set into the Royal Scepter. It is kept, along with the other Crown Jewels, safely in the Tower of London. The Cullinan II is 317.40 carats. The color is white and is the cushion-shaped diamond in the center-front of the Imperial State Crown of Great Britain. It is also in the Tower of London with the British Crown Jewels. The Dary-i-Nur is 186 carats, is pink and is in the Iranian Treasury. It is the largest uncut diamond in the world. Its name means "Sea of Light". The Dresden Green is 41 carats; it is green, and a very rare type ila diamond of extraordinary quality. It gets its name from the city of Saxony where it had been on display for 200 years. The Dresden Green is now on display at the Albertinium Museum in Dresden. The Hope Diamond is 45.52 carats, is blue, and is in the Smithsonian Institute. According to legend, a curse was placed on the large, blue diamond after it was stolen from an idol in India. Whether you believe in curses or not, the diamond has had a fascinating past - it was owned by King Louis XIV, stolen during the French Revolution, sold to pay gambling debts, owned and worn almost daily by an American heiress, sold and worn to raise money for charity, and finally donated to the Smithsonian Museum. The Hortensia is 20 carats, is peach colored and is in the Louvre. It is one of the crown Jewels of France, and was owned by Louis XIV. It was named after Hortense de Beauharnais, Queen of Holland, who was the daughter of the Empress Josephine, the stepdaughter of Napoleon Bonaparte and the mother of Napoleon III. The Kohinoor is 108.93 carats, white and is located in the Tower of London. As with many of the most famous diamonds, there is a curse of death and destruction attached to it. Its name means "Mountain of Light" and legend has it that it actually comes from another diamond also rife with legend, called the "Great Mogul" which was said to have weighed 244 carats and mysteriously disappeared in 1665. The Kohinoor was owned by the first sultan of Mogul, and passed down through generations, until it was given to Queen Victoria. It was recut and now rests in the crown of Queen Elizabeth. The Orloff is 189.62 carats. It is thought to have weighed about 300 carats when it was discovered. For a while, it was confused with the Great Mogul diamond. One of the legends of the Orloff is that it was set in the eye of a god statue in the temple of Sri Rangen, and stolen by a French soldier dressed up like a Hindu. He is said to have escaped by swimming down a raging river during a storm. It was eventually sold to Prince Gregory Orloff. In an attempt to win back her heart, he gave it to Catherine the Great, who collected lovers and precious gems with equal passion. She had the diamond mounted on top of the double eagle in the Imperial scepter. It is in the Russian Diamond Fund, Moscow. The Spoonmaker Diamond has many legends associated with it. (It supposedly got its name when the owner--who is said to have found it sitting on top of a pile of garbage --bartered it to a spoonmaker for three wooden spoons.) More likely is that it was purchased by a Frenchman named Pikot, who bought it from the Maharajah of Madras in India. He took it to France, but was robbed. The diamond ended up at an auction, and was bid on by the notorious Casanova. It was finally bought by Napoleon's mother, Letizia Ramolino, who later sold her jewelry to help her son escape from Elba. It was bought again by an officer of Tepedelenli, and put into the treasury. When Tepedelenli was killed during a revolt, the entire treasury went to the Palace of Turkey, and the Spoonmaker's Diamond, now called the "Kasicki" is there. The Taylor-Burton Diamond is a 69 carat pear-shaped white diamond that was originally called the "Cartier Diamond" after the jeweler paid $1,050,000 for it at an auction. Richard Burton purchased it the day after the auction for Elizabeth Taylor. She later renamed it the Taylor-Burton diamond. Ms. Taylor wore the diamond publicly at a party for Princess Grace's 40th birthday party in Monaco. She sold the diamond in 1978 and used the funds to build a hospital in Botswana. The diamond was later purchased by Robert Mouawad. Read more about Diamond Myths, Legends & History at HomeGiftShopper.com © 2005, Kathy Burns-Millyard. This article is provided courtesy of Home Gift Shopper: A premier resource for quality Gift Ideas. This article may be republished as long as it remains unchanged, this notice stays intact, and all links are made live.
Latest News:Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for news NBC News announces layoffs; Correspondents let go (AP via Yahoo! News) Several correspondents and other staff were laid off at NBC News this week as part of $500 million in planned cuts at General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal, according to a person familiar with the situation. Scripps puts Rocky Mountain News up for sale (AP via Yahoo! News) The Rocky Mountain News, Colorado's oldest newspaper, was put up for sale Thursday after its owner, E.W. Scripps Co., said it lost about $11 million on the business in the first nine months of the year. Scripps putting Rocky Mountain News up for sale (AP via Yahoo! News) E.W. Scripps Co. says it's putting the Rocky Mountain News up for sale after losing $11 million on the Denver operation in the first nine months of the year. Oil hits near 4-year low on weak economic news (AP via Yahoo! News) Oil prices sank Thursday to lows last seen nearly four years ago as more bleak news from the world's largest economy boosted views that crude could tumble below $40 by the end of the year. Online Money: Fidelity expands online news focus (AP via Yahoo! News) Fidelity Investments is joining the rush to satisfy investors' growing appetite for news about financial market turmoil. Pound slumps after grim British economic news (AP via Yahoo! News) The pound slumped Thursday to a historic low against the euro and to its lowest level against the dollar in over six and a half years after further grim economic news fueled expectations that the Bank of England will slash interest rates later. Weekly world news quiz (BBC News) At the end of another week, test your knowledge with our world news quiz. UPI NewsTrack Entertainment News (UPI) Mark Ruffalo's brother shot in the head ... Coldplay, Adele earn top Grammy nods ... Oprah taking show to D.C. for inauguration ... Anne Heche expecting 2nd child ... News from United Press International. Scripps puts Rocky Mountain News up for sale (Detroit Free Press) DENVER ? The Rocky Mountain News, Colorado's oldest newspaper, was offered for sale today after owner E.W. Scripps Co. said it lost about $11 million on the operation in the first nine months of the year. 57% - TV Still King of News (Pew via Yahoo! News) On any given day, more Americans turn to TV for their news (57%) than any other source of media, a rate that has remained largely stable over the past 10 years (59% in 1998). In contrast, the percentage of Americans reading a newspaper on any given day has fallen to 34%, down from 40% just two years ago and down from 48% (a 14-point drop) a decade ago. Site: news - Google News New Voices in Congress Will Change the Tone of the Democratic Majority - New York Times
MORE RESOURCES: Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for fashion style Fashion: Style Network host has a passion for fashion (Post-Bulletin) Finola Hughes, host of Style Network's "How Do I Look?," has always been a fan of fashion. "I grew up in London. It's such a fashion capital. There's so much street theater. You go out on the street and just wal Stacy solves your winter style issues (MSNBC) Have a clothing crisis this season? Wondering how to belt your sweaters or tuck jeans into your boots? Have no fear. TODAY style contributor Stacy London tackles some of your burning fashion dilemmas. Fashion Experts to Students: Stay Focused, Take Risks (Fashion Wire Daily via Yahoo! News) For students of fashion wondering what it takes in the current economic climate to survive, whether they're considering a career as a designer or in retail, the consensus amongst a handful of the fashion industry's competitive players at a fashion roundtable event hosted by the YMA Scholarship Fund and sponsored by DOW XLA on Tuesday, Dec. 2, is that it requires focus, creativity and ... Life & Style: Funky Islamic Fashion Struts Conservative Catwalk (Sin Chew Jit Poh) Breast cancer survivors as models showcase creations by Rozi of Kraftangan Malaysia during the Islamic Fashion Festival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo courtesy: AP Photo/ Lai Seng Sin, File) In Fashion Photo brings style to Art Basel (Miami Herald) Fashion lovers may want to head to the second annual In Fashion Photo, an exhibit featuring some 250 works by more than 35 top fashion photographers, including Slim Aarons, Miles Aldridge and Bettina Rheims. Islamic Fashion: Creatively Conservative (CBS News) After years of turning heads with her riotously colorful frocks in Malaysia, fashion designer Tom Abang Saufi can't decide whether to shed a few shades on her batik dresses for the Middle East. HTC buys design house to accent smartphone style (Reuters via Yahoo! News) HTC, maker of the new Google Android G1 smartphone, has bought design consultancy One & Co to tap its fashion expertise in everything from furniture to snowboard boots. Camilla puts another feather in her fashion cap at medal ceremony (hellomagazine.com via Yahoo! UK & Ireland News) The Duchess of Cornwall cut a striking figure this week as she joined her husband Prince Charles at a ceremony honouring soldiers who have served in Afghanistan. The 61-year-old royal, who continues to impress fashion pundits with her elegant sartorial style, made a bold statement by topping off her outfit with a beret-style cap, adorned with an emerald green feather. Katy Perry: "I'm Definitely Going to Be on Worst-Dressed Lists" (US Weekly) Katy Perry to Us Weekly's fashion police: bring it on! "I'm definitely going to be on the worst-dressed lists," she says in the newest issue of Page Six magazine, which hits stands Dec. 7 in the Sunday New York Post. See the worst dressed stars of 2008! "I just want to have fun," she says of her style. "I don't take my life too seriously." But, "as much as I am cheeky and full of opinions,... ... Men's Style: Wardrobe mistakes and essentials (Westerly Sun) Beauty and fashion expert Rita Guido of Westerly offers great ideas for a man's wardrobe - just in time for holiday gift giving. Site: fashion style - Google News US Fashion?s One-Woman Bailout? - New York Times
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