Shillpa PuriiSource: http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1195346
Watch out for reasonably-priced jewellery in 18K and 22K gold, studded with diamond, coloured stones, and uncut diamonds in traditional jadau and kundan work. Shillpa’s antique gold and wooden jewellery with 22K kundan are versatile and perfect for any occasion.
The Excelsior Diamond
This 995.2 ct. large raw diamond was on the afternoon of the 30th June 1893 found by an African mine workers in Jagersfontein. He read it on a bucket with gravel, which he wanted to charge on a truck. He hid the diamonds before his overseer and delivered it directly from the mines manager. As a reward, the workers received 500, - £, and a horse with saddle and bridle.
The diamond had the beautiful blue-white color, which was characteristic of the beautiful Jagersfontein diamond. The diamond was of an excellent quality, even if he had some black inner pockets (another feature of the Jagersfontein diamond). The shape of the stone was extraordinary: flat on one side and sharp relief on the other side. Dises whrscheinlich appearance was the inspiration for naming this diamond: Excelsior that "peaking" means.
The Excelsior was cleaved from the Amsterdam Sander A. Asscher in several diamonds. The resulting three largest rough stones weighing 158, 147 and 130 carats. The grinding yielded 21 stones of a size of 70 to less than one carat. The cut diamonds weighing a total of 373.75 carats, representing a weight loss compared to the rough diamond of almost 63%. Nevertheless, this result was better than expected considering.
The specification of the larger cut from the rough stone diamonds are as follows:
Excelsior I: 69.68 ct. Pear Shape
Excelsior II: 47.03 ct. Pear Shape
Excelsior III: 46.90 ct. Pear Shape
Excelsior IV: 40.23 ct. Marquise
Excelsior V: 34.91 ct. Pear Shape
Excelsior VI: 28.61 ct. Marquise
Excelsior VII: 26.30 ct. Marquise
Excelsior VIII: 24.31 ct. Pear Shape
Excelsior IX: 16.78 ct. Pear Shape
Excelsior X: 13.86 ct. Pear Shape
Excelsior XI: 9.82 ct. Pear Shape
The Excelsior diamonds were sold separately: three were bought by Tiffany & Co., Union Square in New York City. The names of the other buyers were not disclosed, but it is known that De Beers 1939 at the World's Fair, New York City issued a transfer of a marquise cut diamonds.
