The Kohinoor Diamond

The Kohinoor Diamond is one of the most famous diamonds in the world. It is also one of the oldest. It was discovered in the late 13th or 14th century, and originally belonged to the Delhi Sultanate of India, which was at that time, led by Sultan Allaudin Khilji.

The Kohinoor Diamond

There is also a bit of superstition associated with the Kohinoor diamond. While the Koh-i-noor diamond is held to bring misfortune or death to any man who wears or owns it, it is supposed to bring good luck to any woman who does the same.

The Diamond in the British Crown Jewels

In the fifteenth century, the Kohinoor Diamond passed into the hands of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Dynasty of emperors. During this period, the diamond was known as the Babarnama diamond. The Kohinoor diamond continued to be in the ownership of the Mughal emperors, until it was grabbed by Nadir Shah, an invader from Persia.

The Babarnama diamond was renamed the Kohinoor Diamond by Nadir Shah, who took the diamond from Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah, after he captured Delhi and Agra in 1739. Kohinoor means ‘mountain of light’. Check out this video:

In 1851, the Kohinoor Diamond was surrendered by Emperor Ranjit Singh, its last owner, to Queen Victoria of Britain. This was after Emperor Ranjit Singh lost a battle against the mighty British forces in India. It was later added to the British Crown Jewels.

The Koh-i-noor Diamond originally weighed a huge 186 carats. It was cut and polished down to the size of 108.93 carats, when it was made a part of the British crown jewels.

The Archduke Joseph Diamond from Golconda Mines

The Archduke Joseph Diamond is a 76-carat Golconda diamond, which was bought for the price of US $21.5 million at a Christie's auction held in a Geneva, in November 2012. Prior to its auction, it was valued at more than US $15 million by Christie's. The diamond was purchased by an anonymous phone bidder.

Photo of the Archduke Joseph Diamond

The Archduke Joseph Diamond is a sparkling colourless diamond that is internally flawless and perfect in colour. This D-colour, cushion-shaped diamond was supposedly given its new name, after a previous owner wished to remain anonymous. It was renamed the Archduke Joseph Diamond is honour of its 'then' new owner, Archduke Joseph August of Austria.

The Archduke Joseph Diamond is one of the largest and finest diamonds from the Golconda mines, to ever be auctioned. The legendary Golconda diamond mines are located in south-central India. These diamond mines used to be the world’s only source of diamonds from 4 BC to 1730 AD, before diamonds were discovered in Brazil and South Africa.

The Golconda mines in India have produced some of the most famous diamonds in the world, such as the Dresden Green diamond, The Blue Hope diamond, The Beau Sancy diamond and The Kohinoor diamond. Now, it will also be known for the 76 carat Archduke Joseph Diamond.

Previously, when this 76-carat diamond was auctioned in November 1993 at a Christie’s auction in Geneva, it garnered a massive US $10.5 million, which had surpassed estimates and taken the world by surprise.

From: Reuters

The Mouawad Magic Diamond

The Mouawad Magic diamond is the 15th largest diamond in the world. It weighs an astonishing 108.81 carats. This majestic diamond is named after Robert Mouawad, a diamond connoisseur and a famous Lebanon-based gem and jewelry dealer.

The Mouawad Magic Diamond

The Mouawad Magic diamond was discovered in 1991. As a rough uncut stone, the diamond weighed 244.6 carats. It lost more than half its weight in the cutting process, and yielded a large number of smaller diamonds.

The Mouawad Magic diamond belongs to the 'purest of the pure' category of diamonds. It does not have any faults or blemishes, and is a sparkling white. The diamond is also one of the few large diamonds to be cut in the emerald shape.

Other Large Diamonds Of The World:

• The Centenary Diamond
• The Cullinan I Diamond
• The Mouawad Jubillee Diamond
• The DeBeers Diamond
• The Millenium Star Diamond
• Other Famous Diamonds and Diamond-Studded Items

Rotende De Cartier Panther Watch With Gold Granulation Work

Check out this beautiful gold Cartier watch with the design of a panther’s face on the dial. It has 307 diamonds on the perimeter of the dial and the strap-holders, and a black strap made of alligator skin.

Rotende De Cartier Panthere Watch

The panther has been a signature symbol of Cartier, the French jeweller and luxury watch maker, for more than 165 years. It is usually incorporated in the design of many of their products, like earrings, pendants, bracelets and rings. Baby panthers or leopards also feature prominently in Cartier advertisments and promotional material.

Cartier had once made a beautiful Panthere brooch for Wallis Simpson, the ‘Duchess of Windsor’ in the 1940s, which made the design very popular. The Duchess was the wife of King Edward VII, a lady whom the King had to abdicate his throne to marry, because she was divorced twice.

Etruscan Granulation Technique

This gold Rotende de Cartier Panthere watch is from their Cartier d’Art line, which showcases unique forms of art from different cultures. The panther design on this gold watch has been meticulously created using a unique granulation technique, which has been perfected by goldsmiths over the years.

This gold granulation technique was first used during the first millennium in the Ertruia region. It involved the fusing of small gold granules, of different sizes, to create beautiful patterns and motifs. This form of gold decoration is also known as Etruscan granulation.

Artisan using the Etruscan Granulation technique to make the watch

For creating the gold panther design on the 22-carat yellow-gold dial of the Rotende de Cartier Panthere watch, each tiny gold granule was painstakingly placed by hand, one after the other to form the panther pattern. These gold granules were placed in such a way, that they sparkle from different angles.

The Panther Rotende de Cartier watch measures 42mm, and is made from 18-carat yellow gold. On the case of the watch are 306 brilliantly-cut diamonds, measuring 3.63 carats in total. The beaded crown of this luxury Cartier watch is set with a diamond, and the strap of the watch is made from black alligator skin.

The gold panther head on the Rotende de Cartier watch

Only 20 pieces of this panther Rotende de Cartier watch will be available. As it is a limited-edition watch, it is expected to become a collector’s item in the future. Well, what does this luxury gold watch cost? The price has not been released as yet, but being a branded Cartier piece made of gold and diamonds, the price is expected to be in the unaffordably exorbitant price range.

What do you think of this luxury Rotende de Cartier Panthere watch? Cute or scary?

From: Cartier

Pet Diamonds: Turning Precious Pets Into Precious Gems

Pets are precious to their owners, and now you can turn a bit of your pet into a beautiful jewel, which you can wear for the rest of your life, even after your pet is gone. Whether your pet is alive or dead, all it takes are a few hairs or feathers, to create a precious diamond that serves as a loving reminder of your dog, cat or other animal.

The cost of pet diamonds starts from $1,400, with prices varying depending on colour and size. Pet diamonds are made from the carbon from your pet’s fur or cremated ashes in a laboratory, and have the same physical properties as diamonds collected from a diamond mine. These man-made laboratory diamonds are virtually indistinguishable from real mined diamonds.

Photos of the man-made diamonds made from pet's fur

The process of fabricating pet diamonds involves putting the carbon extracted from the fur/cremated remains, together with a diamond seed crystal, into a thick metal chamber, under high temperatures (2000 F) and pressure (800,000 pounds/sq inch). After a few days, a rough uncut diamond is produced, which can be polished and cut. The whole process of making such a man-made diamond can take about two months.

To get a one carat laboratory diamond, you’ll need about a cup of your pet’s hair or a cup of your pet’s cremated ashes. People can choose from different types of colours for their pet diamond, like red, orange, blue, yellow and white. These pet jewels can be set in rings, earrings, cufflinks and pendants, which can be worn whenever you want.

When you order a pet diamond, you also get a GIA certificate for your jewel, which gives information about the unique chemical composition of the cremated remains of your pet. While some people think this to be creepy, many grieving pet owners are turning to pet diamond making companies to create valuable keepsakes of their pet.

What do you think of the idea of creating a diamond out of the remains of your pet or loved one? Would you wear such a diamond?

The Millenium Star Diamond

The Millenium Star Diamond is one of the biggest and most beautiful diamonds in the world. As a raw uncut diamond, the Millenium Star weighed 777 carats. It was found in the Mbuji-Mayi district area of Zaire (Republic of Congo) in 1990, and was the world’s sixth largest diamond to be discovered.

Photo of the pear-shaped Millenium Star diamond

After its discovery, the raw diamond was cut and polished for three years, till it became its clear, flawless self. At first the Millenium Star diamond was split in Belgium, before it was taken to South Africa for polishing. Later, the diamond was transported to New York, USA, where finishing touches were given.

The result was a clear pear-shaped diamond, with a flawless interior and exterior. It was presented to the world in October 1999, at the De Beers Millenium Diamond Collection exhibition, to celebrate the dawn of the new millennium in 2000. This is when the clear pear-shaped diamond was named the Millenium Star diamond.

When the raw uncut diamond was split in Belgium to yield the Millenium Star, it also yielded eleven rare blue diamonds, which weighed a total of 118 carats. The largest of these blue diamonds was the Heart of Eternity diamond, which weighed 27.64 carats.

Other Large Diamonds Of The World:

• The Centenary Diamond
• The Cullinan I Diamond
• The Mouawad Jubillee Diamond
• The DeBeers Diamond
• The Mouawad Magic Diamond
• Other Famous Diamonds and Diamond-Studded Items

Luxury Omega Ladymatic Watch With Diamonds

The renowned Omega Ladymatic wristwatch is now available with a diamond encrusted bezel rim. The line of Omega Ladymatic watches was first launched in 1955, and grew to become a top symbol of feminine grace and charm. The Ladymatic was also Omega’s first self-winding watch.

Omega Ladymatic Watch With Diamonds

For the Christmas and Holiday season 2012, Omega has launched a diamond-studded DeVille Ladymatic watch with around 900 diamonds studded on the bezel of its outside case. The case itself is made from polished 18 carat red-gold, while the strap is an 18 carat red-gold bracelet.

There are also diamonds on the sides of the 2012 Omega De Ville Ladymatic wristwatch, which have been set in a wave design. In addition, the luxury watch also has a diamond-polished window showing the date, at the three o’clock position. The retail price of this luxury ladies wristwatch is about $38,000.

Reverse of Omega Ladymatic Watch With Diamonds

If you actually sit down and count the diamonds on the face of the Omega Ladymatic diamond watch, you should find 894 diamonds on it. This includes the 11 diamonds marking the clock numbers on the dial of the watch. In total, these diamonds weigh 5.46 carats. The Omega Ladymatic diamond-encrusted wristwatch has a warranty of four years.

What do you think of this luxury diamond watch from Omega? Would you like one for Christmas?

The DeBeers Diamond

The DeBeers diamond is a light yellow diamond, which was discovered in the famous De Beers mines of South Africa in March 1888. As a raw uncut diamond, the DeBeers diamond weighed a massive 428.5 carats.

Light-yellow DeBeers diamond

It was taken for cutting to Amsterdam (the diamond capital), and lost about 200 carats during the cutting stage, to weigh 234 carats. Today, the DeBeers diamond is the world’s seventh-largest cut diamond. Almost immediately after it was cut, the DeBeers diamond was purchased by the Maharaja of Patiala, Bhupinder Singh, who was known for his extravagant lifestyle.

After buying the DeBeers diamond, the Maharaja of Patiala asked renowned jeweller Cartier to set it in a majestic piece of jewellery, befitting of a Maharaja. In 1928, Cartier set the DeBeers diamond in a beautiful ceremonial necklace for the Maharaja of Patiala. This necklace had 2,930 diamonds, weighing a total of 962.25 carats. It later began to be known as the Patiala necklace.

Photo of the restored Patiala Necklace, with a replica of the yellow DeBeers diamond

When India gained Independence from British colonial rule in 1947, the Patiala necklace simply disappeared. It is believed that one of the family members or friends of the Maharaja, took the Patiala necklace with its many jewels, including the light yellow DeBeers diamond, and sold it individually. It was later found in a pawn shop with most of its jewels missing, and was bought by Cartier, who restored it with similar-looking precious stones.

The De Beers diamond was not heard of again, until May 1982, when it was suddenly put up for sale at a Sotheby's auction in Geneva, Switzerland. Here, it was purchased for an astounding $3.16 million.

Other than being the seventh-largest faceted diamond in the globe, the DeBeers diamond is also the second largest faceted yellow diamond, and the biggest yellow diamond in a cushion-cut shape.

What do you think of the light-yellow DeBeers diamond?

Other Large Diamonds Of The World:

• The Centenary Diamond
• The Cullinan I Diamond
• The Mouawad Jubillee Diamond
• The Millenium Star Diamond
• The Mouawad Magic Diamond
• Other Famous Diamonds and Diamond-Studded Items

The Jubilee Diamond aka Mouawad Jubilee Diamond

The Jubilee Diamond was discovered in South Africa in the early twentieth century. As a rough uncut diamond, the Jubilee Diamond weighted a majestic 650.80 carat stone. After it was cut, the rough stone yielded a sparkling diamond, with exceptional purity and clarity.

The Jubilee Diamond was named the Jubilee Diamond in honour of the diamond jubilee of the coronation of Queen Victoria. It is the world’s fourth-biggest, colourless, faceted diamond.

Mouawad Jubilee Diamond

The Jubilee Diamond was first purchased by Sir Dorabji Jamshedji Tata. After his death in 1932, the diamond was sold by his heirs. The company chosen for auctioning the Jubilee Diamond was Cartier, which listed the diamond for the price of £75,000.

At the Cartier auction, the Jubilee Diamond was bought by Monsieur Paul Louis Weiller, a renowned business tycoon from France. Monsieur Weiller was a diamond connoisseur, and he permitted the diamond to be displayed in numerous jewellery exhibitions, held around the world.

Currently, the Jubilee Diamond is owned by Robert Mouawad, who heads the international jewellery empire with his well-known jewellery company ‘Mouawad Jewellers’. Robert Mouawad is also a renowned diamond collector. The Jubilee Diamond is the largest diamond in Mouawad’s diamond collection, and is known as the Mouawad Jubilee Diamond.

What do you think of the Mouawad Jubilee Diamond?

Other Large Diamonds Of The World:

• The Centenary Diamond
• The Cullinan I Diamond
• The DeBeers Diamond
• The Millenium Star Diamond
• The Mouawad Magic Diamond
• Other Famous Diamonds and Diamond-Studded Items

The Cullinan I Diamond - Biggest Pear-Shaped Diamond

The legendary Cullinan diamond was discovered quite by accident at the Premier diamond mine in South Africa, in January 1905. It was the largest diamond ever unearthed in human history, and weighed 3,106 carats as a rough uncut diamond.

Greater Star of Africa Cullinan I Diamond

The miners who first found the Cullinan I diamond were surprised at its size, and at first, could not believe that a diamond could be so big. The diamond was later named the Cullinan diamond, after Sir Thomas Cullinan, the owner of the Premier mine.

The huge uncut diamond was gifted by the Transvaal government to the then-reigning King of Britain, King Edward VII, on the occasion of his 66th birthday. The Transvaal government of South Africa took many measures to get the giant Cullinan diamond safely to England. In fact, a decoy diamond was sent by ship, while the real Cullinan diamond was mailed in a simple box.

Cullinan I Diamond in the Royal Sceptre

When the uncut Cullinan diamond reached England, it was sent for cutting and polishing. It yielded nine large diamonds and many smaller diamonds, the largest of which is the pear-shaped Cullinan I diamond. This diamond weighs a massive 530.20 carats, and was placed in the head of England's royal sceptre of the King. The Cullinan I diamond can also be removed from the sceptre, and worn as a pin or a pendant; but it seems to be too huge for that, and has rarely been used as a pin or pendant.

The Cullinan I pear-shaped diamond is also called the Greater Star of Africa diamond. It was the biggest faceted diamond in the world for 80 years, until the discovery of the Golden Jubilee diamond in 1985. However, the Cullinan I diamond is still the world’s largest faceted, pear-shaped diamond.

Other Large Diamonds Of The World:

• The Centenary Diamond
• The Mouawad Jubillee Diamond
• The DeBeers Diamond
• The Millenium Star Diamond
• The Mouawad Magic Diamond
• Other Famous Diamonds and Diamond-Studded Items

From: Diamonds

Most Expensive Diamond Engagement Rings

Auction house Christie’s displayed these beautiful rings at its Magnificent Jewels auction in December 2012. While not all of these rings are diamond rings, they all have some diamonds on them and can be used as engagement rings. Their high cost ensures that the giver intends a lifetime commitment.

Graff diamond engagement ring

Diamond Ring by Graff: This ring is estimated to fetch around $7,000,000 - $10,000,000 at the Christie’s auction. It was made by Graff Diamonds and has a sparkling 50.01 carat rectangular-cut diamond, with two smaller baguette-cut diamonds, on either side. The Graff diamond ring is made from platinum.

Three-stone emerald and diamond engagement ring

Three-Stone Emerald Ring: This engagement ring is estimated to be sold for about $475,000 - $550,000. This emerald ring has an 8.51 carat cushion-cut emerald in the centre, with two small-sized cushion-cut emeralds on either side. These emeralds are held with single-cut diamond shoulders, while the ring is made from platinum.

Yellow and white diamond engagement ring

Coloured Diamond Ring: Christie’s believes this diamond engagement ring will collect around $1,800,000 - $2,500,000. This coloured diamond ring has a stylish rectangular-cut yellow diamond weighing 30.03 carats in the centre, with two sparkling trapeze-cut diamonds on either side. The diamonds are mounted in platinum and 18k gold.

What do you think of these extremely expensive diamond engagement rings? Which of these diamond rings do you like the most?

From: Christie's

World’s Most Expensive Water Bottle – Aurum 79

Wondered what sort of water really rich people drink? Take a look at the world’s most expensive water bottle. This luxury water bottle will be debuting at the Big Boys Toys exhibition (a premier luxury lifestyle exhibition), which is scheduled to be held in the Middle East in 2012.

World's most expensive water bottle with diamonds and gold

The Aurum 79 water bottle is made from the finest crystal glass. It is decorated with designs in pure 24-carat gold, and has a total of 113 sparkling diamonds stuck on it in the shape of the number '79'. This luxury water bottle is filled with 0.5 litres of pure spring water collected from the artesian source in St. Leonhard, Germany. This water is decorated with flakes of pure edible gold, to enhance its look, and make it attractive for rich buyers and Middle Eastern sheikhs.

Only three limited-edition luxury water bottles will be made. Each will be available for sale for the price of $900,000. About 10 percent from the sale of this luxury water bottle will be donated to a charity called ‘Charity Water’. This organisation is a non-profit organisation that works to bring clean and safe drinking water, to people from developing countries who need it.

What do you think of this luxury gold water bottle? Would you like to drink water with flakes of gold floating about in it?

Bvlgari Astrale Jewel Watches For Women

Bvlgari, the famous Roman luxury jewellery brand, has launched two new Bulgari Astrale Jewel watches for women with multi-coloured jewels and stones. The Astrale Collection of Bvlgari watches were launched in 2004, and have a constellation of light and colours, with round-shaped elements, and a diamond-studded pave setting.

In 2012, Bvlgari unveiled two multi-coloured versions of their Astrale Jewel watches for women, which capture the magnetic charm of a starlit sky. Take a look at their photos below:

2012 Bvlgari Astrale watch with white gold case and white dial

The first Bulgari Astrale watch with jewels has a white dial with an 18 karat white-gold case. It is set with round brilliantly-cut diamonds and multi-coloured gemstones. The strap of this luxury be-jewelled watch is made from dark-grey satin with an 18kt white-gold folding buckle with three blades.

2012 Bvlgari Astrale watch with yellow gold case and black dial

The second Bvlgari Astrale watch for women has a black dial with an 18 karat yellow-gold case. Like the other ladies watch, it is set with sparkling round brilliantly-cut diamonds and coloured jewels. It has a technological satin strap with an 18 carat yellow-gold folding buckle with three blades.

Numerous celebrities own Bvlgari watches, including some be-jewelled luxury Astrale watches. These Hollywood celebrities include Celine Dion, Heather Mills, Julianne Moore, Christina Ricci and even U2’s Bono.

What do you think of these luxury gold, diamond and jewel Bulgari watches for women? Would you buy one for your loved ones this Christmas?

Pure Solid-Gold VISA Infinite Card - By Sberbank

Check out this pure-gold VISA Infinite Card, decorated with diamonds. This solid gold VISA debit card has been launched by Kazakhstan’s Sberbank in partnership with VISA. It is available by invitation only, to the top 100 customers of Kazakhstan’s Sberbank.

Luxury debit and credit cards offer a unique status-symbol to their owner, and look stylish when they are flashed at malls and stores. Banks like Sberbank have recognised the needs of their elite customers with regard to luxury credit cards, and have begun offering them expensive bejewelled premium cards.

Sberbank's pure gold Visa Infinite card with diamonds and brushed-gold surface

Sberbank’s pure gold VISA Infinite Card is made of solid gold, and has 26 diamonds embedded on it, with a total weight of 0.17 carats. The card has designs in mother of pearl, with a brushed gold finish. It shows a figure of an ancient warrior riding a tiger, and was designed by Rosan Diamond in Russia. The solid gold VISA Infinite Card of Sberbank will act as a companion card to the bank’s standard Visa Infinite card.

This pure gold debit card with diamonds is the world’s first diamond and gold debit card. Rich owners of this card, will also get other facilities such as access to a personal manager, purchase protection for stolen goods, and premium travel and health insurance. They can also use their solid gold and diamond card to access Visa Premium Access privileges.

What do you think of this diamond and gold VISA card? What would be the check-out staff’s reaction if you flashed it at your local supermarket?

World's Most Expensive iPhone 5 Case – Ultimate Bling

Many companies have been launching expensive iPhone 5 cases to become the ‘world’s most expensive iPhone 5 case’. The latest company to join this line of record breakers is UUnique London, a British manufacturer of luxury mobile cases and pouches, with their $302,985 London Lotus iPhone case.

The $302,985 London Lotus iPhone cover

This luxury iPhone cover was launched by Mischa Barton (Hollywood actress) in London at a glittering event held in Kensington Gardens. The $302,985 London Lotus iPhone cover by UUnique London is decorated with 18-carat rose gold, and sparkling pink and white diamonds. It has floral designs and lotus motifs, hence, it’s name.

Lots of people have gone crazy over the iPhone 5, and have purchased one. Such expensive phone covers are a great buy for those ultra-elite individuals, who wish to differentiate their iPhone 5s from the iPhone 5s purchased by the simple wannabes in their workplace, and other areas.

Mischa Barton with the lotus iPhone 5 case

Previously, the record for the world’s most expensive iPhone case belonged to the New York-based Natural Sapphire Company, who were selling their ruby and sapphire encrusted iPhone 5 covers for $100,000. Also check out these beautiful iPhone cases by Anita Mai Tan.

What do you think of this glittering, diamond coated iPhone5 cover?

World’s Most Expensive Shoe – Diamond Pumps Costing $500,000

This diamond-studded high-heeled shoe has broken all records to become the world’s most expensive shoe. The Cinderella’s glass slippers-like pump is studded with white diamonds that are worth around half a million dollars. It is obvious that this shoe must have taken many long hours to fabricate.

The beautiful Cinderella-style diamond studded high-heeled shoe

This diamond-studded Cinderella shoe was designed by Kathryn Wilson, a leading footwear designer from New Zealand, who partnered with jewellery designer Sarah Hutchings (from Orsini Fine Jewellery) to create this beautiful piece of art. Special tweezers and adhesive were used to painstakingly glue the white diamonds to this single classic court-heeled shoe.

Sarah Hutchins gluing diamonds on the shoe

However, this $500,000 shoe was merely for display, and was not meant to be worn, even if bought (if any of the diamonds fell off, it would be a big loss). It was displayed in a specially made Perspex box at the Orsini Fine Jewellery showroom in Auckland in October 2012. The diamond Cinderella shoe was later put up for sale at a silent auction, with the proceeds going to the Ronald McDonald House.

Almost every little girl dreams of growing up to become a Disney Princess, and wearing a diamond-studded glass slipper shoe like this. What do you think of the world’s most expensive shoe? Would you like to wear this diamond-studded Cinderella slipper or order one for a friend?

Chopard’s Disney Princess Collection Of Necklaces

If you’ve always been fascinated with Disney’s Princesses, then this Christmas season, check out these necklaces inspired by them. Chopard, the distinguished jewelry maker, has launched a wonderful Haute Joaillerie jewelry collection, with elegant but playful necklace designs, based on various Disney princess characters.

Chopard necklace with coloured stones based on Belle

This jewelry collection includes ten jewelry pieces, including necklaces, earrings, bracelets and hairpieces, based on Disney Princess characters like Cinderella, Ariel, Mulan and Belle. Chopard has worked with luxury goods store ‘Harrods’ and Disney, to bring out this collection of Disney jewelry, in time for Christmas and the Holiday season.

Chopard necklace with blue stones based on Tiana

This collection of Disney Princess jewelry by Chopard, will be available at Harrods this Christmas. For 2012, Harrod’s has planned a festive Christmas celebration with a Disney-theme, and these Chopard jewellery items blend well with the theme.

Disney Characters And The Chopard Jewelry They Inspired

• Tiana: This Disney character inspired a necklace with blue stones, which looks like the floating flowers, on which Princess Tiana and her Frog Prince floated upon. 
• Sleeping Beauty: This Disney princess was the inspiration behind a pair of earrings that shows two birds carrying flowers, similar to the birds in the Sleeping Beauty story. 
• Rapunzel: This collection includes a golden colour necklace that reflects the long, cascading golden hair of Rapunzel, and a hairpiece clip in pink stones. 
• Belle: This collection consists of a sparkling necklace that seems to be inspired by the yellow dress, worn by Belle (from Beauty and the Beast), and another necklace with coloured stones all around. 
• Evil Queen in Snow White: This Disney character inspired a ring with apple-like rubies, similar to the poisoned apple the Evil Queen served to Snow White.

Chopard earrings based on Sleeping Beauty

What do you think of these Disney character inspired jewelry pieces by Chopard? Which is your favourite Disney Princess? Would you like this as a Christmas gift?

Related Articles You May Like

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• Gold Holiday Cards
• Luxury Christmas Crackers
• Pure-Gold Disney Christmas Tree
• Other Gold Items

Value Of The Centenary Diamond

The original stone from which the Centenary Diamond was cut, weighed a massive 599 carats. It was discovered in 1986, in the DeBeers diamond mines in South Africa. As the raw stone had a very rough shape, it was considered to be very difficult to cut. Some people also suggested cutting it into a number of smaller stones.

Finally, a renowned diamond cutter named Gabi Towkowsky said that the raw diamond would be cut in one huge modern-cut stone. A special room was prepared, in which the 599 carat diamond would be cut in. This itself took a whole year.

The D-Colour Centenary Diamond

The actual process of cutting the raw diamond stone took almost another year to complete, and three diamonds were finally cut from it. The largest of these diamonds weighed 273.85 carats, and had the shape of a modified heart. It was named the Centenary Diamond.

Why is the Centenary Diamond so special?

The main point that sets the Centenary Diamond apart from other large diamonds is its remarkable clarity. In fact, diamond experts have graded the sparkling stone as internally flawless. The Centenary Diamond is believed to be the biggest, faceted, D-colour diamond in the world.

While the value of the Centenary Diamond has never been appraised, it was reported that the diamond was insured for about $100 million, when it was unveiled in May 1991, after its cutting. So, you can expect the value and price to be something around that figure.

Other Large Diamonds Of The World:

• The Cullinan I Diamond
• The Mouawad Jubillee Diamond
• The DeBeers Diamond
• The Millenium Star Diamond
• The Mouawad Magic Diamond
• Other Famous Diamonds and Diamond-Studded Items

The Premier Rose Diamond

The Premier Rose diamond is an extremely rare diamond, which belongs to the ‘purest of the pure’ category of diamonds. Other diamonds in this rare category include the famous Cullinan diamonds, the Millenium Star diamond and the Centenary diamond.

The white Premier Rose diamond

The Premier Rose diamond was discovered in March 1978. As a rough uncut diamond, it weighed an astounding 353.9 carats. After cutting and polishing the massive diamond yielded three smaller diamonds:

• The Big or Premier Rose diamond, which weighed 137.02 carats. 
• The Little Rose diamond, which weighed 31.34 carats. 
• The Baby Rose diamond, which weighed 2.11 carats.

The Premier Rose diamond is currently the tenth largest diamond in the world.

In 1979, soon after it was cut, the Premier Rose diamond was purchased by an anonymous buyer for $10 million. A short time ago, it was bought by diamond connoisseur Robert Mouawad, for his diamond collection that boasts of some of the rarest diamonds in the world.

Other Large Diamonds Of The World:

• The Centenary Diamond
• The Cullinan I Diamond
• The Mouawad Jubillee Diamond
• The DeBeers Diamond
• The Millenium Star Diamond
• The Mouawad Magic Diamond
• Other Famous Diamonds and Diamond-Studded Items

The Mouna Diamond – Yellow Diamond

The Mouna Diamond is the 13th biggest diamond in the world, and weighs a huge 112.53 carats. It is named the ‘Mouna’ diamond after its former owner Mouna Ayoub, a French socialite and former wife of Saudi billionaire businessman Nasser Al-Rachid.

Mouna Ayoub was originally from Lebanon, but now lives in France. She sold the Mouna Diamond and some of her other jewellery to pay for revamping work on the ‘Bernard Tapie Phocea’, a boat she had earlier purchased. The yellow diamond was auctioned by Christie’s in November 1998, for an extravagant sum of $3,258,000, or around $28,773 per carat.

Photo of the golden-yellow Mouna Diamond

The Mouna diamond is a yellow cushion-shaped gem, which measures about 26mm in diameter. It is said to be one of the biggest intense yellow diamonds in the world. The Mouna diamond was set in a baguette-cut mount pendant by Bulgari, and was originally a part of a jewellery collection, named the Mouna Al-Ayoub.

Other Large Diamonds Of The World:

• The Centenary Diamond
• The Cullinan I Diamond
• The Mouawad Jubillee Diamond
• The DeBeers Diamond
• The Millenium Star Diamond
• The Mouawad Magic Diamond
• Other Famous Diamonds and Diamond-Studded Items