Photo of the Hope Diamond courtesy of the Smithsonian
Most people in the U.S. know that the largest deep blue diamond in the world, the
Hope Diamond, is housed at the
Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. What you may not know--I did not know--is that it is believed to have been mined from the legendary and now depleted Golconda diamond mine in India. The diamonds that came from the Golconda mine are identified by a complete lack of nitrogen, making them the most beautiful diamonds in existence, with their own special classification of
IIa. Only 2% of all diamonds qualify for this classification. Golconda diamonds are some of the largest diamonds in the world, and are also characterized by their unique "old-world" cuts.
The Golconda mines were opened in about the 4th century B.C., and were depleted by the mid-1800's. Some of the most famous diamonds in the world come from the mine, including the pink
Darya-i-Nur (Sea of Light) that is set in a brooch, and the pink
Noor-ol-Ain that is set in a tiara, both of which are in the collection of the
Iranian Crown Jewels; and the
Orlov that is set in the sceptre of
Catherine the Great.
For more information, see the
DiamondVues website, and the
AllAboutGemstones website.
