The magnificent crown that adorns Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin is none other than the Imperial State Crown. It is the same crown that the Queen wore following her coronation ceremony in 1953 and has worn during State Openings of Parliament every year. It is the crown she wore most often and therefore the most memorable of all the Crown Jewels. Made of gold, lined with purple velvet and glittering with over 3000 precious gemstones, it is truly an impressive sight to behold.
The world’s most famous pearl, La Peregrina (Spanish: Wanderer) certainly lives up to its name, proving to have an alluring and well-documented journey of over 500 years. Here is the incredible tale that sees La Peregrina pearl be worn by multiple royals, be rumoured to carry a curse and be gifted as the perfect Valentine’s Day gift to a Hollywood icon.
The Sancy Diamond has a rich history worthy of a movie plot. This beautiful pale-yellow, shield-shaped diamond has exchanged hands, changed countries, disappeared and reappeared more times than we can count. At one point, it was even swallowed! Here is the fascinating story that has made the Sancy Diamond one of the most historic gemstones in the world.
Green diamonds are extremely rare, and the pear-shaped, 41 carats Dresden Green Diamond is the most famous one of them all. According to scientists, its vibrant apple green color comes from natural exposure to radiation during the millions of years when it was being formed.
The Ocean Dream Diamond is the only diamond to possess the rare color combination of a dark rich blue and a radiant green, thereby making it one of the rarest diamonds on Earth. Gemologists usually associate this color with artificial enhancement and it is just one of Nature’s surprises that the Ocean Dream Diamond possesses this hue naturally. There is no record of any other diamond with this color.
The Hooker Emerald brooch is named after Janet Annenberg Hooker, a famous philanthropist who donated the stunning brooch to the Smithsonian in 1977. The Hooker Emerald is a mesmerizing 75.47 carats emerald that legend has it, once belonged to the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. The historic emerald is considered especially rare for its intense color and lack of inclusions at its magnificent size.
Certainly, you must have heard of the famous Kohinoor but did you know that an exceptional diamond called the Little Kohinoor exists too? The Bala Koh-I-Noor or the Little Koh-I-Noor is a diamond that was once forgotten but now has rightfully assumed its place in history. Dr. Usha Balakrishnan, a renowned Indian historian of jewelry, traces the story of this legendary treasure across various manuscripts and archives in both India and the UK with only one word to begin her hunt with: Nizam.
Today, Jaipur is recognized as one of the worlds leading colored gemstone manufacturing hubs especially for the cutting of emeralds. A few years ago the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) visited the Jaipur, India to get a deeper insight into the workings of the gemstone cutting industry.
