Lot 34 – A Pair of Antique Gold earrings Set With Diamonds, Circa 1900Estimate: INR 40 – 42 lakhs | US$ 56,338 – 59,155These fish hook gold earrings are set with large sparkling old European cut pear-shaped diamonds. The large diamonds dangle from two smaller circular European cut diamonds. The earrings also have a delicate […]
Category Archives: Famous Gemstones
Famous faceted topaz gemstones greater than 1,000 carats in weight, arranged in descending order of weights S/N Name Source Carat Weight Cut/Shape Color Present Owners 1 El-Dorado Topaz Brazil 31,000 emerald yellowish-brown Programa Royal Collections 2 Lua de Maraba Brazil 25,250 octagonal gray Programa Royal Collections 3 American Golden Topaz Brazil 22,892.5 cushion yellowish-brown NMNH […]
Chemistry of the mineral Topaz Topaz is a silicate mineral which is the largest and most important class of rock-forming minerals. Topaz belongs to the sub-class Nesosilicates, the simplest of all silicates in which the tetrahedral SiO4 units exist separately, but are held together by metal cations as in Garnets, Andalusite and Olivine, or form […]
Origin of name © Smithsonian Institution The “American Golden Topaz” which is of Brazilian origin, and resides in the Natural History Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, at Washington DC, is the largest faceted golden topaz and perhaps the largest faceted gemstone of anykind in the world. The name of the stone seem to reflect both […]
Origin of name The Michael Scott Collection, arguably the most important private gem collection in the United States, with a few rivals in the world outside of the royal families, was started by Michael Scott, the first president of Apple Computer (1977-81), in 1987 and almost completed within a record-breaking period of 14 years. The […]
List of gem-quality faceted rubies greater than 10-carats in weight arranged in descending order of weights S/N Name Carat Weight Origin Cut-Shape Present Owner 1 Prince’s Ruby 174.67 unknown unknown Bowers Museum 2 Rosser Reeves 138.70 Sri Lanka cabochon star NMNH Smithsonian 3 DeLong Star 100.32 Burma cabochon star AMNH New York 4 Nga Mauk […]
Origin of name Two large rubies belonging to the Burmese royal family weighing 37 carats and 47 carats were brought into England in 1875 for sale in the British market. J. N. Forster decided to re-cut the two stones as they did not conform to British standards. The smaller stone was re-cut to 32.31 carats […]
Origin of name The two rubies “Nga Mauk” and “Kallahpyan” are believed to have originated from the same enormous 560-carat Mogok ruby, which happened to be subsequently split into two. The larger part which was given to the king, was cut and polished into a 98-carat finished stone and came to be known as the […]
Origin of name The 42-carat, pigeon’s-blood color, rough ruby was discovered in the Mogok valley on June 30, 1919, just two days after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919, a peace document signed by the Allies and Germany at the end of World War I, in the Hall of Mirrors, […]
Origin of name The “Chhatrapati Manik Ruby” which according to legend is one of the oldest rubies in the world dating back to 380-415 AD, the period of rule of the powerful emperor of northern India, Candragupta II, also known as Vikramaditya (son of valour), gets its name from the title “Chhatrapati” (supreme king), which […]