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Famous Diamonds in the World The Ahmedabad Diamond
The Ahmedabad Diamond
Origin of name
The Ahmedabad diamond obtains it's original name from the city of Ahmedabad the capital of Gujarat State in central-western India, where the diamond was described to have been purchased by Jean Baptiste Tavernier in the 17th century A.D. The Ahmedabad was then the first of the diamond manufacturing in India, and possibly in the whole world as the major diamond cutting centre, which was comparable to the desirable position held by Antwerp, Belgium, at present in the international diamond industry.
Characteristics of the stone
According to the G.I.A. certificate the diamond is a D-color,pear-shaped,VS-1 clarity stone having a power of 78.86 carats.
History of the diamond
Early history
The diamond is certainly of Indian foundation as it is a stone of the 17th century when India was the only source country for diamonds in the world. But the mine of basis is uncertain, and it could be any one of the five clusters of mines on the eastern side of the Deccan Plateau. By evaluating the color and clarity of the stone which is of an extremely high order, the mine of origin could fine be the Kollur mines, east of Golconda, which was entirely prepared at that time, with over 20 mines being worked, at the moment Tavernier visited Golconda in 1642. Tavernier confirmed that more than 60, 000 people were affianced in these mines at the time of his stay.
Later history
Jean baptiste Tavernier was a well-known French traveler and gem trader who visited Ahmedabad on some events in the 17th century A.D. Including six journeys to the east throughout a period of 40 years, he published his book "Travels in India", in which he provides specified descriptions of famous diamonds and rubies he had seen in his travels, convoyed by illustrations.
Moreover Tavernier refers to a diamond weighing 157 1/2 carats in the irregular state which he got at Ahmedabad, for a friend. He utters that he got the diamond cut in the outline of a briolette shape and the weight of the diamond after cutting and shining was 94.5 carats. Though he says that two minor are faults there stay behind at the base. Tavernier has offered designs of both the rough and polished structures of this diamond in his book.
The history of the Ahmedabad diamond ahead of this is uncertain and a material of much assumption and inference. The primary question that obviously occurs out of Tavernier's account is the accurate uniqueness of the friend for whom Tavernier obtained the diamond. A person, who could most possible have been the friend Tavernier referred to was King Louis XIV of France with whom Tavernier has had a number of business transactions which integrated the sale of several diamonds.
A third choice would be that the diamond came into the court of one of the best Moghul emperors of India, Aurangzeb (1658-1707),who was a well-known collector of diamonds of which one was supposed to have been the Ahmedabad diamond. The Ahmedabad diamond was then inherited by Begum Hazarat Mahal, wife of King Wajid Ali Shah of Oudh (formerly the kingdom of Ayodhya).
The Ahmedabad diamond was located up for sale by Christie's in Geneva in November 1995.The stone was obtained by Robert Mouawad for an amount of approximately $ 4.3 million, and is now division of the unusual and wonderful collection of diamonds fit in to the Mouawad family. The current predictable value of the diamond is greater than $ 5.0 million.
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