Diamonds

Diamonds with any color beyond the range of tinting found in the standard clear diamonds are truly rare. There are 10,000 clear diamonds for every one colored stone that is found. Conditions must be exact for a diamond to form. And for that diamond to contain color, trace elements must be present. The element's interplay with carbon and the amount of radiation and pressure during formation will impact the final color. All of these variables mean that each colored diamond is definitely unique.

When a clear diamond is exposed to natural radiation over a period of millions of years the stone can take on a green hue of varying intensity. If a clear diamond is subjected to extreme pressure deep within the earth, the result can be hues of red and pink and in some cases brown.

Elements such as hydrogen, nitrogen and boron, when they are present at the right stage of diamond formation, can add brilliant colors to the stones. Hydrogen causes the diamond to be violet. Nitrogen creates warm shades of yellow and orange. Boron makes diamonds that range in blue from a clean sky blue to an intense deep blue. It is one of these rare blue diamonds that has a unique history of its own that has fascinated people for centuries.

The diamond that is known today as the Hope diamond was discovered in India and was purchased by a merchant named Tavernier. In its original form the diamond weighed 112 carats. In 1668 Tavernier sold his diamond to King Louis XIV of France. King Louis had the stone cut into one main diamond and several smaller ones. The main diamond then weighed 67 carats. The king wore the diamond on a ribbon around his neck.

During the reign of King Louis XV the stone was reset. Later during the rule of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, the diamond, along with other crown jewels, was turned over to the civilian government for safe keeping. However in 1792 the diamond was stolen. It didn't surface again until 1812 when it was reported in the collection of a London diamond merchant. From there it was briefly held by King George IV of England.

In 1839 the diamond was again back in private hands in the collection of Henry Philip Hope. From this point forward the stone was referred to as the Hope diamond. The stunning blue diamond only remained in the Hope family for approximately 60 years. Beginning in 1901 it changed hands several times and in 1910 was purchased by Mrs. Evalyn McLean of Washington DC.

Upon Mrs. McLean's death her entire, impressive jewelry collection was purchased by the famous Harry Winston, Inc of New York City. The company exhibited the stone for several years before donating it to the Smithsonian Institution. The Hope diamond is one of the most popular exhibits at the Smithsonian.

After many years of traveling the globe, the Hope diamond passed through many hands and was worn by several kings. It was transformed from its beginnings as a rough stone of 112 carats into a smaller, more polished stone of 45.5 carats. It is currently displayed in a pendant and is encircled by 16 white diamonds. The accompanying necklace contains a dizzying 45 white diamonds. All this extra attention because a little boron was in the right place at the right time a couple of billion years ago.