There are lots of different gems that you should use for your next look. This article is written for the enthusiasts of blue gems like sapphires, blue diamonds and topaz. Coloured gems can offer a unique and rich look to buyers and when paired with certain styles it will make you look and feel fashionable. Blue is a vibrant and peaceful colour making it fashionable, exclusive and even historic in the space of jewellery. This article consists of two parts 1- Modern styles with blue gems 2- A historic blue diamond named the Hope diamond. I recommend you read both parts if you are an enthusiast of modern trendy jewellery and the history of the craft.
4 Iconic Jewellery Pieces With Blue Gems
3 Favourite Blue Gem Jewellery
These earrings are for those with expensive but subtle taste. The center stone comes in many colours but i think the vibrant dark blue sapphire matches perfectly when surrounded by the reflective diamonds. With a jewellery certificate and a Free 30 Day return policy this piece is a stress free gift for your loved ones or yourself.
This Unique and versatile bracelet is a great addition to your look. Made out of sterling silver and Light blue topaz gems this piece will be durable and stylish.
Finally This affordable and contemporary ring is made of sterling silver and a gorgeous blue topaz cushion cut.
The History Of The Hope Diamond
The Hope Diamond is a popular and rare diamond with a rich history inspiring jewellery designers and even fictional movies. From Historians to Royalty this gem has stunned millions of people.
Hope Diamond And Its Origins
Based of the recordings of the gem merchant who purchased the gem it was said that what was to become the Hope Diamond originated in India in the Golconda region. The mine which the gem was found in was the Kollur mine which was one of the largest and most productive mine in India at the time having tens of thousands of labourers. The operation was leased from the local King/Sultan to diamond merchants for a fee of the profits and a rule in which he could keep gems weighing over 10 carats (2 Grams). However this rule was not always followed resulting in gems being sold directly to merchants like Jean-Baptiste Tavernier.
France 1668
Jean-Baptiste Tavernier was a French Gem merchant who bought the gem. It is not known if the Tavernier’s Blue (What was to become the Hope Diamond) was cut in India but it is said that the original shape of the gem was asymmetric and a somewhat triangular shape following the Indian fashion of polishing gems and not attempting to enhance its sparkle or obtain a geometric shape to retain the original size and weight. The French merchant brought the Tavernier’s Blue along with his large collection of Diamonds to France. He sold the Tavernier’s Blue to King Louis XIV of France for 220,000 Livres (around $2.5 million at the time of writing). All of the gems sold to King Louis XIV totalled to 898,731 Livres
King Louis XIV had the 115 carat “violet” Fancy Diamond cut to accommodate European gem aesthetics which emphasized faceting stones to enhance their brilliance similarly to the modern aesthetics of gems. The cut gem was now approximately 69-carats and was renamed the Blue Diamond of the Crown of France or just the French Blue.
The picture above shows a jewellery piece attached to a red ribbon. With the second to last stone depicting the French Blue. It was made after the death of King Louis XIV By King Louis XV. It included other fantastic gems like the 107 carat Red spinel shaped as a dragon and hundreds of smaller gems. In 1791 During the French revolution King Louis XV is captured and the Royal jewels are given to the new government. The Royal jewels were stored in the first floor of a building called the Garde-Meuble. All of The crown jewels were valued at 24 million Livres ($123 million). They were stored in a “secure area” but it clearly did not meet those standards and this location was well known. There were guards present but not enough as there were complaints from the head guard stating he needed around 60 men and that he only had a dozen. On september,11,1792 a group of thieves broke into the room with the gems and escaped with some. The guards were not aware of this and the thieves returned over several days to carry on stealing. The amount of thieves grew in numbers and they began to recklessly steal which created a lot of noise. This finally attracted the attention of the guards however it is reported that the guards pondered for too long on whether to enter because the room had not looked like it had been broken into. When they finally entered the thief’s had left. Some of the Royal jewels have been recovered however the French Blue had not.
London 1812
20 Years later in 1812 a 44 carat Blue Diamond of unknown origin had appeared in London. A London jeweler wrote.
a very curious superfine deep blue Diamond. Brilliant cut, and equal to a fine deep blue Sapphire. It is beauty full and all perfection without specks or flaws, and the color even and perfect all over the Diamond. I traced it round the diamond with a pencil by leave of Mr. Daniel Eliason and it is as finely cut as I have ever seen in a Diamond. The color of the Drawing is as near the color of the Diamond as possible.
Today it is known that this diamond which was to become the Hope Diamond is actually the French Blue and it was smuggled from France to London 2 days after the statute of limitations had passed for the theft in France. The diamond was sold in 1820. It is rumored that King George IV of the United Kingdom owned the diamond however there is no evidence in the Royal archives to suggest this. This could be because after the Kings passing his debts where “so enormous” that the diamond was probably sold discreetly. The stone was later acquired by a London banker named Thomas Hope. This is where the final name “Hope Diamond” originates. It exchanged hands many times ending up in New York at the start of the 20th century. Around this time an incorrect article from the New York times reported that the Hope Diamonds owner along with the gem had sunken on a ship even though this was false. This may have been the inspiration for the movie Titanic.
United states 1902 – present
The Diamond continued to be exchanged until it ended up with Evalyn Walsh McLean in 1912. The Diamond had a reputation for giving the owners bad luck or cursing them so a very unique policy was made to Evalyn when buying the Diamond. The clause was ” Should any fatality occur to the family of Edward B McLean within 6 months, the said Hope Diamond is to be exchanged for jewellery of equal value”. They enjoyed owning the Diamond and she died in 1947 and the gem was purchased by a jeweller around that time. The jeweller donated the Diamond to the smithsonian institution in 1958. The Diamond is still owned by this institution to this day where they frequently display it.
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