Gemstones

1. Diamond Koh-I-Noor (Koh-I-Noor) British Crown

Koh-I-Noor - a 106-carat diamond that was once the largest diamond in the world. Earlier it belonged to the rulers in India, and today - the British royal family and is decorated with the British crown.

When a diamond is the Koh-i-Noor fell into the hands of the British royal family, he weighed 186 carats (37 g). Prince Albert long sought cutter with an impeccable reputation, and eventually opted for the Dutch master, a certain Mr. Cantor, who took up this difficult task. Ultimately, the diamond was presented to Queen Victoria.

Diamond was one of the ornaments of the British Crown, which the queen mother for the last time wore during the coronation, and a sign of obtaining the status of Empress of India.

2. Millennium, carved sapphire the size of a soccer ball

Sapphire Millennium, the size of a soccer ball - a jewel c portraits of famous historical figures, which is now on sale for $ 180 million. I promise that this 61,500-carat miracle will be put in a place where everyone can look at it.

Designed by Italian artist Alessio en Bosch (Alessio Boschi), sapphire Millennium dedicated 134 recognized geniuses, including Beethoven, Michelangelo, Shakespeare, Albert Einstein and Martin Luther King.

Owner sapphire Millennium is a consortium of investors led by Daniel McKinney (Daniel McKinney). Over the past 15 years, Sapphire has been on display only twice: in 2002 at the award ceremony "Oscar" and two years later, on the occasion of the first flight of the cruise ship "Sapphire Princess".

28 inch sapphire Millennium was found in Madagascar in 1995. Initially, it weighed about 90 000 carats and lost about a third of its weight during the treatment, which lasted two years and was completed in 2000.

3. Don Pedro, the world's largest aquamarine


The world's largest faceted aquamarine is stored in Washington near the Hope Diamond earrings and Marie Antoinette.

Extracted from Brazilian pegmatites in the 1980s, this crystal is named after the first two Brazilian emperors. It is stored in the National Museum of Natural History, which is part of the Smithsonian Institution.

Don Pedro - blue-green gem in the form of an obelisk, which is designed by renowned German jeweler Berndot Myunsteynerom (Bernd Munsteiner), known as the "father of carving" has 35, 5 inches tall and weighs 10,363 carats or 2 kg.

4. The world's largest pearl

November 21, 2010 the largest pearl in the world was shown in Wenchang in Hainan Province (South China). The Pearl is the largest ever discovered and estimated two billion yuan (US $ 301,197,000), China's pearl is more valuable than diamonds. Weight pearls of six tons and the diameter reaches 1, 6 meters.

Stone, mainly consists of the mineral fluorite, which glows green in the dark. Processing pearls and make it spherical shape took three years.

5. Pink Graff, the most expensive pink diamond in the world

Laurence Graff is a seller of diamonds and precious stones number one in the world, and in 2010 he was able to confirm its status as the purchase of 24, 78 carat pink diamond.

Laurence Graff is also the richest of living British buyers of works of art. He spent 24, 1 million dollars, bought in New York, two of the best work of Warhol's "Elvis" and "Bank of Campbell's soup." Laurence Graff also owns five luxury homes in England, France, Switzerland and New York, as well as private yacht in the Mediterranean. He owns a diamond mine in the suburbs of Johannesburg, and several houses in Mayfair (one of the areas of London).

Amazing pink diamond set a new record price at auction at Sotheby's. During the bidding was such a stir, a United Kingdom have not seen before. Rates soared. 36th of the richest people of Great Britain and "diamond eccentric" is ultimately paid 29 million. Pounds (about 45 million. Dollars), is the largest amount ever paid for a jewel.

6. The ethereal Divine Carolina, the largest faceted tourmaline Paraiba from

Montreal financier Vincent Boucher (Vincent Boucher) is the owner of tourmaline Ethereal Carolina Divine weighing about 192 carats, which is estimated at between $ 25 million. To 125 million. Dollars. This stone has set a new world record as the largest faceted tourmaline from Paraiba.

Paraiba tourmaline from is one of the rarest gems in the world, and for this he valued the best jewelers and collectors around the world. Usually, Paraiba (Brazilian region name where the vast majority of tourmaline found, including one that belongs to Boucher) produced for every 1 10000 tourmaline diamond. Bush also said that a total of only 50 kg this gem was found today.

7. The massive 478-carat uncut diamond

Massive 478-carat diamond was found in the mine Letseng in Lesotho, a small kingdom in South Africa. It is the 20th largest ever found rough diamonds. He was found in the mine, which has been found three largest diamond in the world: 603-carat "Lesotho Promise", 493-carat "Heritage Letenga" and the 601-carat "Lesotho Brown". A similar, but smaller uncut stone was recently estimated at 12 million. Dollars. It is hoped that this will be possible to produce diamond 150-carat faceted gem, thereby overshadowing the largest faceted diamond current Koh-I-Noor.

8. A jewel sold at auction for the highest price in recalculation on carat

Flawless blue diamond, recognized as one of the most unique gems, became famous in 2007 as the most expensive gemstone in the world. 6, 04-carat diamond was sold for 7, 98 million. Dollars at Sotheby's in Hong Kong. Flawless blue diamond was worth 1, 32 million. Dollars per carat.

The buyer was Moussaeff Dzhevelers (Moussaieff Jewelers) from London, who was glad to purchase this diamond from a private Asian collector for his collection of rare gems. Blue diamonds are famous for the rare combination of a dark color and luster. Although it is not the biggest stone, but his cut and "bright blue" color justify higher price per carat, which is almost ten times the price of ordinary white diamonds.

9. The world's largest emerald Bahia

Emerald Bay is one of the largest emeralds. This stone in 1, 9 million. Carats was found in the state of Bahia in Brazil. He narrowly escaped flooding during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when stored in a warehouse in New Orleans. In September 2008, it was reported that it was stolen from a protected storage in Sauce El Monte in Los Angeles, California. Estimated cost of this stone was about 400 million. Dollars, and its exact value is unknown. At one time the emerald was put up for sale on eBay marked "Buy Now" for 75 million. Dollars.

After the stone was brought from Brazil to the United States, there were many unsuccessful attempts to sell it, inflamed debate about ownership of it. In the end, the emerald has been withdrawn from a dealer in precious stones in Las Vegas and made available to the Sheriff's Department in Los Angeles.

10. Moussaeff most famous red diamond

Once known as a diamond Red Shield, Moussaeff Red is the largest red diamond in the world and has a mass of 5, 11 carats. Found in Brazil in the 1990s, this diamond has a triangular brilliant cut (also known as trilliantnuyu faceting). The last time the general public could admire the stone in 2003 at the exhibition "The splendor of diamonds" at the Smithsonian Institution

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