Pearl Maxima is one of the largest true pearls or nacreous pearls in the world. This irregularly shaped pearl has a weight of 2385 grains (119.25 grams) and is 71 millimetres long. Its colour varies from cream to gold. [1]
Pearl Maxima is one of the largest true pearls or nacreous pearls in the world. This irregularly shaped pearl has a weight of 2385 grains (119.25 grams) and is 71 millimetres long. Its colour varies from cream to gold. [1]
The first known owner of the pearl was Sir Hendrik Coenraad Sander, who auctioned the pearl in Amsterdam in 1778. [2] The Polish count Plonsky from Gdańsk was the second known owner of the pearl. In 1865, King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy bought the pearl, but around 1868 he sold it to Willem van Kooten, a Dutch goldsmith from Amsterdam. Willem van Kooten inserted the Pearl Maxima into a golden basement with precious stones. The current owner bought it from the heirs of Willem van Kooten. [1]
Since its arrival in the Netherlands it has been on display only twice; the most recent time was from 19 December 2008 until 23 February 2009 in the National Museum of Natural History "Naturalis" in Leiden, the Netherlands. [1]
Amsterdam is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 921,402 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the urban area and 2,480,394 in the metropolitan area. Located in the Dutch province of North Holland, Amsterdam is colloquially referred to as the "Venice of the North", for its large number of canals, now designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other shapes, known as baroque pearls, can occur. The finest quality of natural pearls have been highly valued as gemstones and objects of beauty for many centuries. Because of this, pearl has become a metaphor for something rare, fine, admirable and valuable.
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the "New Meuse" inland shipping channel, dug to connect to the Meuse at first and now to the Rhine.
The Hague is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of the Netherlands is Amsterdam, The Hague has been described as the country's de facto capital. The Hague is also the capital of the province of South Holland, and the city hosts both the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
Beatrix is a member of the Dutch royal house who reigned as Queen of the Netherlands from 1980 until her abdication in 2013.
Willem-Alexander is King of the Netherlands, having acceded to the throne following his mother's abdication in 2013.
Máxima is Queen of the Netherlands as the wife of King Willem-Alexander.
Wassenaar is a municipality and town located in the province of South Holland, on the western coast of the Netherlands.
The Nieuwe Kerk is a 15th-century church in Amsterdam located on Dam Square, next to the Royal Palace. Formerly a Dutch Reformed Church parish, it now belongs to the Protestant Church in the Netherlands.
The University of Franeker (1585–1811) was a university in Franeker, Friesland, the Netherlands. It was the second oldest university of the Netherlands, founded shortly after Leiden University.
Marius Job Cohen is a retired Dutch politician and jurist who served as Mayor of Amsterdam from 2001 to 2010 and Leader of the Labour Party (PvdA) from 2010 to 2012.
Naturalis Biodiversity Center is a national museum of natural history and a research center on biodiversity in Leiden, Netherlands. It was named the European Museum of the Year 2021. Although its current name and organization are relatively recent, the history of Naturalis can be traced back to the early 1800s. Its collection includes approximately 42 million specimens, making it one of the largest natural history collections in the world.
The Pearl of Lao Tzu was once considered the largest known pearl.
Arrow Classic Rock is a Dutch radio station, that plays classic rock and some modern rock. Arrow Classic Rock broadcasts on FM and is also receivable via cable, all nationwide. Owned by Ad Ossendrijver and Willem van Kooten, the station started broadcasts via all Dutch cablenetworks in 1996 and bought AM 828 from Veronica FM in 1998. In 2003 the frequencies of medium wave had been redistributed and the station moved to AM 675. In May 2007 Crosspoints BV, the company which produced Arrow Classic Rock and Arrow Jazz FM bought Caz! to use their FM frequencies. On 31 January 2008 they ceased their AM transmissions, transmitting an announcement in English advising their move to FM and to use the web stream. Three evenings a week, a variety of program specials can be heard. On Monday Liselotte Hegt presents the program Arrow High Voltage!, on Tuesday Arie Verstegen presented Symphonic Mania! and Wednesday to hear the Bluesbox Gerry Jungen.
The Monarchy of Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy. As such, the role and position of the monarch are governed by the Constitution of the Netherlands. Consequently, a large portion of it is devoted to the monarch. Roughly a third of the document explains the succession, mechanisms of accession and abdication to the throne and the roles and duties of the monarch. This includes the formalities of communication between the States-General and the monarch's role in creating laws.
Xander Venema, performing under his mononymXander, is a Dutch singer, songwriter who was part of the Dutch boyband 4 AM. He took part in Dutch series 2 of Popstars finishing 11th. After Popstars, he has continued with a solo musical career.
France–Netherlands relations are the interstate and bilateral relations between France and the Netherlands. The two countries notably share a border division in the Caribbean island of Saint Martin, to which the northern part of the island is a French overseas collectivity known as the Collectivity of Saint Martin, while the southern part of the island is a Dutch constituent country known as Sint Maarten. Relations between the two countries date back to the 17th and 18th centuries when a conflict led to the transformation of the Dutch Republic to the Batavian Republic and eventually the Kingdom of Holland. The two countries currently enjoy close cultural and economic relations. Both nations are members of the OECD and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, as well as founding members of the European Union, NATO, and the United Nations.
Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin is a seaside hotel and congress center in Noordwijk aan Zee, South Holland, Netherlands, with views over the North Sea. It is notable for being decorated in a clown theme, with many paintings of clowns, and for housing the Michelin-starred Latour restaurant.
Netherlands – New Zealand relations is the official relationship between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and New Zealand. New Zealand has an embassy in The Hague and the Netherlands has an embassy in Wellington. The Ambassador to the Netherlands is concurrently accredited to Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway.
The wedding of Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange, and Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti took place on 2 February 2002 at the Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam. Willem-Alexander and Máxima became king and queen on 30 April 2013 after the abdication of his mother, Beatrix.