Star of the East (diamond)

Last updated
Star of the East
Evalyn Walsh McLean cph.3b20933.jpg
Evalyn Walsh McLean wearing the Hope Diamond (top) and the Star of the East (bottom)
Type of stoneDiamond
Weight94.78-carat
Color D-color
Cut Pear
Country of origin Turkey
(presumed)
Mine of originUnknown
DiscoveredUnknown
Cut byUnknown
Original ownerThe Star of the East Diamond was part of the collection of jewels belonging to the Ottoman Sultan, Abdul Hamid II , who ruled between 1876 and 1909. The exact circumstances under which the diamond came into the possession of the Sultan are not known. Even the origin of the name and at what point in its history it was christened, remains a mystery. Owners include Evalyn Walsh McLean and Harry Winston
OwnerThe Ottoman Sultan, Abdulhamid II
Estimated valueUnknown

The "Star of the East" is a 94.78-carat, pear-shaped, D-color stone of VS2 clarity grade. [1] Its exact origin is unknown, but it likely originated from India. [1] The Star of the East diamond was part of the collection of jewels belonging to the Ottoman Sultan, Abdul Hamid II, who ruled between 1876 and 1909. The Star of the East was stolen from Sultan Abdul Hamid II. The exact circumstances under which the diamond came into the possession of the Sultan are not known. Even the origin of the name and at what point in its history it was christened remain a mystery. [1] The diamond was part of the collection of the jewellery-loving Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Abdulhamid II. [1] It was later acquired by Pierre Cartier, who sold it to Evalyn Walsh McLean. After McLean's death, Harry Winston purchased the diamond together with McLean's entire collection. The diamond's current whereabouts are unknown.

Contents

History

The Star of the East's exact origin is unknown, but it likely originated from one of the five groups of mines that were situated on the eastern side of the Deccan Plateau in Southern and Central India. [1] The stone first surfaced in the collection of the Sultan Abdul Hamid. It was later acquired by Pierre C. Cartier. In 1908, Evelyn Walsh McLean purchased the stone for $120,000 from Cartier while on a honeymoon with her husband Edward Beale McLean. [2] The Star of the East then remained in McLean's hands for about 40 years until her death. According to an article in the Southern Inspired Magazine, McLean died wearing the Star of the East and her more famous stone: the Hope Diamond. [3] After her death, the Star of the East and the Hope Diamond were sold to Harry Winston, an American jeweler later known for donating the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institution.

Winston sold the Star of the East to King Farouk of Egypt, but never received payment for it. Several years after King Farouk's overthrow in 1952, the Egyptian government recognized Winston's claim, and the stone was eventually returned to him. At a later time, the Star of the East was displayed at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, at a reception marking the 50th anniversary of Harry Winston, Inc. The Star of the East's present whereabouts are unknown. [4]

Known changes over time

Date acquiredOwnerChange in settingValue when soldNotes
UnknownSultan Abdul Hamid Weighed 94.80 carats.It is disputed whether the Sultan owned it.
19th Century Pierre Cartier reset to appeal to Evalyn McLean.$180,000; $200,000Conflicting estimates of sales price.
1908 Edward Beale McLean and Evalyn Walsh McLean $120,000Entire McLean collection sold to Winston. [5] [6]
1947 Harry Winston $1,000,000 New York City jeweler; bought the Hope Diamond as well. [5]
1951 King Farouk of Egypt Returned for failure to pay.Winston never received payment. [7]
1952 Harry Winston UnknownWinston claimed back the un-paid-for stone. Took a few years to actually get returned.
1969Unknown private collectorUnknownWas displayed in the Modern Museum of Modern Art in a celebration commemorating 50 years to Harry Winston Inc.
1984 Harry Winston Whereabouts unknown since. [4]

Confusion with the Ahmedabad diamond

An article about Harry Winston appeared in the 1983 Spring [8] issue of Gems & Gemology magazine. In the section about the Star of the East, the magazine Stated:

The Star of the East is believed to have been originally the Ahmedabad, a 157.25-ct rough diamond purchased in India in the mid-17th century by Tavernier, the French gem merchant. He later had it cut to a 94.78-ct pear shape and reportedly disposed of it in Persia. It then resurfaced in the 19th century in the possession of Sultan Abdul Hamid II of Turkey, who also owned the Hope diamond. (Krashes, 1983 [7] ).

Since the stones are both pear-shaped, D-color, believed to be of Indian origin, similar in weight, and have some unknown whereabouts, it is easy to understand why they were confused one for another. However, the confusion was resolved in November 1995 when the real Ahmedabad was offered for sale at Christie's in Geneva, and later bought by Robert Mouawad for $4,324,554. [9]

See also

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sapphire</span> Gem variety of corundum

Sapphire is a precious gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, consisting of aluminium oxide (α-Al2O3) with trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, cobalt, lead, chromium, vanadium, magnesium, boron, and silicon. The name sapphire is derived from the Latin word sapphirus, itself from the Greek word sappheiros (σάπφειρος), which referred to lapis lazuli. It is typically blue, but natural "fancy" sapphires also occur in yellow, purple, orange, and green colors; "parti sapphires" show two or more colors. Red corundum stones also occur, but are called rubies rather than sapphires. Pink-colored corundum may be classified either as ruby or sapphire depending on the locale. Commonly, natural sapphires are cut and polished into gemstones and worn in jewelry. They also may be created synthetically in laboratories for industrial or decorative purposes in large crystal boules. Because of the remarkable hardness of sapphires – 9 on the Mohs scale (the third hardest mineral, after diamond at 10 and moissanite at 9.5) – sapphires are also used in some non-ornamental applications, such as infrared optical components, high-durability windows, wristwatch crystals and movement bearings, and very thin electronic wafers, which are used as the insulating substrates of special-purpose solid-state electronics such as integrated circuits and GaN-based blue LEDs. Sapphire is the birthstone for September and the gem of the 45th anniversary. A sapphire jubilee occurs after 65 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hope Diamond</span> Historic 45.52-carat diamond of deep-blue color

The Hope Diamond is a 45.52 carats diamond that has been famed for its great size since the 18th century. Extracted in the 17th century from the Kollur Mine in Guntur, India, the Hope Diamond is a blue diamond. Its exceptional size has revealed new information about the formation of diamonds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demantoid</span> Green gemstone variety of the mineral andradite

Demantoid is the green gemstone variety of the mineral andradite, a member of the garnet group of minerals. Andradite is a calcium- and iron-rich garnet. The chemical formula is Ca3Fe2(SiO4)3 with chromium substitution as the cause of the demantoid green color. Ferric iron is the cause of the yellow in the stone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gemological Institute of America</span> Research institute in Carlsbad, California

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is a nonprofit institute based in Carlsbad, California. It is dedicated to research and education in the field of gemology and the jewelry arts. Founded in 1931, GIA's mission is to protect buyers and sellers of gemstones by setting and maintaining the standards used to evaluate gemstone quality. The institute does so through research, gem identification, diamond grading services, and a variety of educational programs. Through its library and subject experts, GIA acts as a resource of gem and jewelry information for the trade, the public and media outlets.

The Moussaieff Red Diamond is a diamond measuring 5.11 carats with a triangular brilliant cut, rated in color as Fancy Red by the Gemological Institute of America. It is the world's largest known red diamond, the rarest of all diamond colors.

The Pumpkin Diamond is a diamond weighing 5.54 carats rated in color as Fancy Vivid Orange by the Gemological Institute of America. While this may seem small when compared to other famous diamonds, the Pumpkin Diamond is, in fact, one of the largest Fancy Vivid Oranges the GIA reports having rated and is unique compared to other orange diamonds because it is light-colored and notably intense. The Pumpkin Diamond was mined in Central African Republic and then imported into South Africa for sale, it was later cut and polished by William Goldberg, and put to auction at Sotheby's where it was bought by Ronald Winston of the House of Harry Winston for the price of $1.3 million. It is currently estimated to be valued at $3 million.

The Great Chrysanthemum Diamond is a famous diamond measuring 104.15 carats with a pear-shaped modified brilliant cut, rated in colour as Fancy Orange-Brown and I1 clarity by the Gemological Institute of America. The Great Chrysanthemum is roughly the same size as the re-cut Kohinoor and almost three times the size of the Hope Diamond, The Great Chrysanthemum has the dimensions of 39.10 x 24.98 x 16.00 mm. and features 67 facets on the crown, 57 facets on the pavilion and 65 vertical facets along the girdle. The diamond, designed as a pendant, became the central focus of a necklace with 410 oval, pear-shaped, round and marquis diamonds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Winston</span> American jeweler (1896–1978)

Harry Winston was an American jeweler. He donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958 after owning it for a decade. He also traded the Portuguese Diamond to the Smithsonian in 1963 in exchange for 3,800 carats of small diamonds.

The Ruspoli Sapphire, also known as the Wooden Spoon Seller's Sapphire, is a 136.9 carat blue sapphire that has historically been confused with Grand Sapphire of Louis XIV. Recent research has shown that not only are these two separate gems, but also that the story of once being owned by the Ruspoli family and having been acquired from a wooden spoon seller in Bengal are both apocryphal tales with no basis. The origins of this confusion stem from a book published in 1858 by Charles Barbot, who confused the Ruspoli Sapphire with the Grand Sapphire of Louis XIV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Switzer (mineralogist)</span> American mineralogist

George Shirley Switzer was an American mineralogist who is credited with starting the Smithsonian Institution's famed National Gem and Mineral Collection by acquiring the Hope Diamond for the museum in 1958. Switzer made the arrangements when renowned New York City jeweler Harry Winston decided to donate the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian.

International Gemological Institute (IGI) is a Belgian diamond, colored stone and jewelry certification organization. Established in 1975, it is the largest independent gemological laboratory worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maharaja of Indore Necklace</span> Emerald and diamond necklace owned by the Smithsonian Institution

The Maharaja of Indore Necklace is a diamond and emerald-studded necklace. As of 2008, it is on display at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., United States. It was originally named the Spanish Inquisition Necklace by the American jeweller Harry Winston, though it had no known connection with the historical Spanish Inquisition. The name was changed in 2021 by the Smithsonian Institution to reflect its actual provenance, having been first owned by Tukoji Rao III, Maharaja of Indore in the early 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Napoleon Diamond Necklace</span> Diamond necklace

The Napoleon Diamond Necklace is a diamond necklace commissioned by Napoleon I of France c. 1811–1812 from the Parisian jeweler Marie-Étienne Nitot. It is now in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Star of Queensland</span> Sapphire

The Black Star of Queensland, also known as the Brimstone of Queensland, named after its nature and place of origin, is a 733-carat black sapphire, and was the world's largest gem quality star sapphire until The Star of Adam was discovered.

Richard T. Liddicoat, Jr. was an American gemologist. An educator in gemology, he contributed in the area of diamond quality grading and gem identification. Liddicoat was the Chairman of the Board of Governors at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).

The Jonker diamond was found at the Elandsfontein mine in South Africa by Johannes Jacobus Jonker on 17 January 1934. The diamond was 726 carats, which at the time was the fourth largest uncut gem ever found.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue diamond</span> Blue-colored variant of a diamond

Blue diamond is a type of diamond which exhibits all of the same inherent properties of the mineral except with the additional element of blue color in the stone. They are colored blue by trace impurities of boron within the crystalline lattice structure. Blue diamonds belong to a subcategory of diamonds called fancy color diamonds, the generic name for diamonds that exhibit intense color.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larisa Popova (gemologist)</span> Italian gemologist and appraiser

Larisa Popova is an Italian gemologist, appraiser and jeweler.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Star of the East Diamond. Internet Stones.
  2. "Treasures of the World | Hope Diamond". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  3. Ploegman, C. The Hope Diamond. Southern Inspired Magazine. page 12. Archived 2016-03-15 at the Wayback Machine
  4. 1 2 The Star of the East Diamond. Famous Diamonds.
  5. 1 2 Glenn Osten Anderson – Dr. Jeffrey Post (Smithsonian) (2 October 2009). "The Hope Diamond revealed: The Smithsonian Institution in Washington displays the Hope Diamond without a setting for the first time in history". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 8 September 2013. Retrieved 2011-07-09. (video)
  6. AFP (20 November 2010). "Storied Hope Diamond gets a new necklace". France 24. Retrieved 2011-07-09.[ dead link ]
  7. 1 2 Krashes, L. S., (1983). Harry Winston: A Story Told In Diamonds. Gems & Gemology, 19, pages 27-28.
  8. Krashes, Laurence (Spring 1983). "Harry Winston: A Story Told in Diamonds" (PDF). Gems & Gemology Magazine. XIX: 27–28.
  9. The Ahmadabad. Famous Diamonds.