Blue Heart Diamond is probably something you’ve heard about, but aren’t sure what it is. So, in this article, you will learn everything you need to know about the blue heart diamond.
What Is The Blue Heart Diamond?
To start off, the blue heart diamond is one of the oldest known diamonds. It is a 100.23-carat blue diamond that was cut in a heart shape, reducing it to a 30-carat diamond. The diamond was originally produced to form an ornament jewelry necklace surrounded by several small white diamonds adding to the fire and brilliance of the diamond.
Where Was The Blue Heart Diamond Mined?
The blue heart diamond has its origin in Africa, in the premier mines in South Africa. Though some people think that the Blue heart diamond originated from India. As far as we know, it is a South African diamond.
History Of Blue Heart Diamond
The blue heart diamond was believed to be mined in South Africa which is a country in the Southern part of Africa in 1908 with the initial 100.5 carats. The diamond Transvaal mining company purchased the diamond in 1909 The diamond was cut and polished by a France jeweler Titanic Eknayan who cut the diamond into its heart shape that makes it a unique diamond the following year, reducing it to 30.62 carats. The diamond was made at the center of the lily of Valley necklace. The necklace was later purchased by another French jeweler Pierre carrier, who sold the necklace to the Unzue family of Argentina. During the wedding of Maria’s unique cousins, she gifted the necklace to her as a gift in 1936.
The blue Baert diamond necklace was later bought by Cleef and Arpel who changed the settings of the diamond and added another gemstone to it, to form a pendant in 1953. The pendant was seen as the most beautiful jewelry at the time. The possession of the pendant also changed when the necklace was purchased by Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen Bornemiszer a swiss industrialist for $300, 000 that same year.
The blue heart diamond possession changed from one person to the other between several diamond dealers. The diamond was later found with Harry Winston who acquired it from Mr. Thyssen Bornemiszer’s ex-wife Nina Dyer In 1959. Harry then changed the diamond form into a ring, before he sold it to an American socialite Marjorie Merriweather Post the founder of the food Inc., in 1960. History has it that she was the last person to the private owner of the gem, till she gifted it to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. in 1964, where it is kept till the present.
The gemstone was later graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). The Institute graded the stone as a natural fancy blue color diamond. The diamond was assigned with the clarity of grade VS2, after the grading, as the largest flawless diamond.
The name blue heart diamond was coined from the shape and color of the diamond. It is considered one of the prettiest diamonds in the world. The diamond is rare because of its heart shape.
The blue heart diamond is also referred to as the Eugenie Blue. Eugenie is the name of the French Empress Eugenie, who ruled long before the stone was discovered. The reason why it is so-called Eugenie remains unknown.
While some also regard it as Unzie because the stone was in her possession for several decades.
Characteristics Of Blue Heart Diamond
The blue heart diamond has several distinct features that account for its value. The blue heart diamond was later made into a ring, using a platinum setting. This setting accentuates the sparkly nature of the diamond, increasing the fire and brilliance of the diamond. Winston believes that this setting makes the stones more sparkling. The blue color of the blue diamond is from the presence of boron in the diamond which replaces one of the carbon atoms in it.
The blue diamond remains the largest blue diamond in the world. This position has been enjoyed since it was mined. Owing to the difficulty of obtaining this large quantity of blue diamond it is likely to retain this position. Aside from its size, the cut of blue heart diamond is a difficult shape to achieve, hence the few blue heart diamonds in the world. This contributes to the uniqueness and rarity of the diamond. Another famous blue heart-shaped diamond with a large size is the iconic 203.04-millennium star, followed by the Heart of eternity diamond with the weight of 27.64 carats which was excited at the 2000 London’s Millennium Dome, the final one being the Marie Antoinette diamond weighing 5.46 carat. The blue heart diamond is the 11th overall largest diamond in the world.
The blue heart diamond is one of the lab diamonds, which are the naturally colored blue diamonds that represent 0.1 percent of all diamonds. This type of lab diamond has no nitrogen component at all or has nitrogen in its crystalline form that can not be detected by any gemological instrument. This accounts for its rarity and price value. The presence of boron in blue heart diamonds is responsible for its color; it affects the absorption of the light spectrum. This boron component also makes it a semiconductor of electricity. Therefore, if the ring is to be electroplated, the blue heart diamond will have been removed.
How Much Is The Blue Diamond Worth?
The blue heart diamond is expensive because of its unique shape, color, and size which makes it a rare gemstone. The value of the diamond was $300,000 as the last time it was purchased several decades ago. The value at the present moment can be estimated to be
Who Owns The Blue Heart Diamond?
The last private owner of the blue heart diamond was Marjorie Merriweather Post, who gifted the diamond to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., The institute held the diamond in its possession from the till date, among its other precious stones collection
The blue heart diamond Is one of the largest blue diamonds which has changed position from one hand to the other. The value and beauty of the diamond are a function of its unique shape and color. Since the earliest 19th century when it was discovered and mined, it remains the largest blue diamond in the world.