Le Grand Noir Diamond
The Le Grand Noir Diamond weighs 56.65 carats. The history of the precious crystal "Big Black Diamond" was unknown until it came into the possession of the Louis XV jewelry house. The black diamond Le Grand Noir is set in the center of a pendant with diamonds. Experienced experts estimate this decoration at $755,000.
Amsterdam
And completing our list is the famous stone – the Black Amsterdam Diamond. It weighs 55.85 carats. In the early 1970s, the Black Amsterdam diamond was found in South Africa and ended up in a pile of stones deemed unsuitable for jewelry processing. A worker responsible for crushing such diamonds into dust for technological purposes noticed the sparkle and hardness of the black crystal. He set aside this black diamond and later showed it to his supervisor, thus presenting the world with this unique specimen. Expert analysis revealed a high-quality black diamond suitable for jewelry. In 1972, the future Amsterdam Black Diamond was acquired by the jewelry firm D. Drukker & Zn. The name "Black Amsterdam Diamond" was given in honor of the 700th anniversary of the Dutch capital, Amsterdam. This city was one of the first European centers of the diamond industry from the 17th century until World War II, after which diamond processing leadership shifted to Antwerp. The Black Amsterdam diamond first appeared for sale in Amsterdam in 1973 – it was presented in the showcase of the D. Drukker & Zn jewelry store. The Black Amsterdam diamond was cut into a pear shape weighing 33.74 carats. Typically, pear-shaped diamonds have 57 or 58 facets – the Black Amsterdam diamond has twice as many facets. As a result, despite its opacity, the Black Amsterdam Diamond has a uniquely stunning sparkle.
The jewelry company D. Drukker & Zn developed a pendant for the Black Amsterdam diamond, which best highlighted all its beauty and sparkle. In the center was the Black Amsterdam diamond surrounded by 15 small colorless white diamonds in a cushion shape. The Black Amsterdam diamond gained worldwide fame thanks to numerous international exhibitions. Its value in 1991 was $2 million. On November 14, 2001, the Black Amsterdam diamond was removed from its setting for the Geneva auction at Christie's. It sold for $352,000 – a record price paid for a black diamond. On September 27, 2001, the Black Amsterdam diamond received a certificate from the Geneva company Gem Tech Lab, confirming its rare monocrystalline origin. According to experts, the color of the Amsterdam diamond is formed by patterns of graphite particles in its crystalline structure.