Since ancient times, sparkling precious stones have been highly valued and were a sign of royal luxury.
Crystals shimmering in the sun's rays were used to decorate a variety of things.
They were inlaid with jewelry, clothing items, symbols of royal power, and were even used in burial rituals.
Many of the stones found in mines in the distant past have disappeared, leaving mention of themselves only in myths.
But some gems continue to amaze us with their beauty even now.
For example, the legendary Orlov diamond, which everyone can see in the Diamond Fund of the Russian Federation.
History of the Orlov diamond
In ancient times, the Orlov Diamond was in the Buddha Temple as a decoration for a statue. An English soldier noticed a large diamond, he decided to steal the gem, and began to come to the holy place as a novice.
The military man gained the trust of the clergy, and one evening during bad weather he stole a priceless stone. The soldier tried to find other precious stones in the holy place, but did not have time to do so. The thief was very afraid of exposure, so he quickly left the temple. Soon he sold the mineral for an insignificant price and forgot about the incident.
For a long time nothing was heard about the Orlov diamond, but then it passed into the Mughal dynasty. The stone weighed more than 300 carats, and it was given to a jeweler, who turned the diamond into a priceless diamond.
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During cutting and jewelry work, the diamond was reduced by half, which greatly angered the owner of the stone. He refused to pay for the work and took away all his property from the master because of the damage caused to him.
Subsequently, the owner of the crystal died, and it ended up in the hands of the rebels in an unknown way. After which a merchant bought the stone. He was shocked by the magnificence of the diamond, he paid all his money for it, and then put it in an Amsterdam bank for safekeeping. Until the owner’s death, the crystal was kept in a jar, and then the merchant’s son-in-law decided to sell the gem. Count Orlov bought it without much hesitation.
The count was for some time one of Catherine II’s chosen ones and knew very well the ruler’s passion for jewelry. He decided to present the stone as a gift to the great woman, who admired the extraordinary appearance of the diamond and gave the order to make it into a decoration for a scepter.
So the gem began to bear the same name, from now on it was called only the Orlov diamond.
Important information
The mineral was never processed again; it retained its appearance for centuries. Today it is a decoration of the Diamond Fund of Russia.
"Orlov" - a diamond for Catherine II
Everyone knows Catherine II's love for jewelry and diamonds. The Empress had an interest not only in men, but also in luxurious stones. One of these was the diamond, which was called “Orlov”.
Diamond "Orlov"
The mineral was found in India, it was of amazing size, weighing 400 carats. By nature, the stone had a greenish tint and also had a unique purity, that is, it had no defects. Initially, the diamond was not processed; it was only slightly polished by one of the jewelers, giving it a unique cut, which is called the “Indian rose”.
When the stone fell into the hands of the master, it “lost weight” by more than half. The reason for this was precisely the specific processing - the diamond had 120 facets. Its weight was almost 190 carats. Such a large stone could not go unnoticed.
In India, it was placed in a temple, it decorated the statue of one of the gods. One day the diamond was spotted by a British military man. The man realized that a diamond of this size could fetch a good sum. He decided to steal a stone from the temple, for this he had to change his faith and live in the temple.
The novice did not stay long in the sacred place; he stole the stone and took it to Amsterdam at night. The man managed to sell the diamond - and so his journey to Russia began. The diamond went to a merchant of Armenian origin, from whom Count Grigory Orlov acquired it.
However, Empress Catherine II herself could have bought the mineral, but there is no documentary evidence of this. However, the legend has two versions.
The first says that after seeing a stone of incredible beauty, the count decided to take advantage of the moment and buy a diamond as a gift to Catherine. The Empress and the Count had an interesting love story. For this reason, wanting to gain the favor of Catherine II, the count could present his beloved with such an exquisite gift.
The stone was also unique in that no monarch in Europe had a similar diamond. The news that the Empress was given a diamond as a gift by her favorite shocked all of Europe. Catherine II decided to accept the gift from her favorite and decorated the scepter with stone.
But there is another version of what happened. She says that the diamond amazed the empress with its beauty and color and she, without hesitation, purchased it from a merchant. The cost of the mineral was quite high and, in order to avoid gossip and discussion, the empress resorted to a trick - she gave the diamond to her favorite. The Count was supposed to present the stone to Catherine as a gift on the day of the angel. And so it happened.
It’s hard to say what it really was like. Historians say that both the first and second options are possible. But don't believe the legends too much. The love story of Grigory Orlov and Catherine II is very interesting and controversial, but one way or another, it served as the impetus for the acquisition of a diamond of incredible beauty. In addition, the count's name became a household name, and the diamond was called "Orlov".
Jewelers say that diamonds are eternal, since there is no substance in nature that would have similar properties. Many diamonds are millions or billions of years old; they never go out of fashion and, despite their high cost, are invariably in demand.
Even the most expensive minerals will find their buyer, as evidenced by the Sotheby’s auction house, which recently put up several pillboxes for sale. These were jewelry and diamonds from the collection of Catherine II and not only.
Location, approximate cost
Historical information about the diamond is very confusing. Crystal managed to survive many journeys, but they are not documented. Today, collectors dream of getting a diamond for their own collections, because it has a truly exorbitant price.
It is impossible to determine the true value of the Orlov diamond, because no one can accurately determine the date of origin of the diamond. It is believed that the diamond was found in India at the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th centuries. It is the largest and purest of all precious gems. The largest mineral weighing 400 carats turned into a magnificent rose with 180 facets. The stone lost half its weight during processing, but now weighs 194.8 carats.
This method of cutting in the form of a rose is almost never found anywhere. Orlov with such processing is the largest in the whole world. The diamond is absolutely pure, it has a barely noticeable greenish tint.
Origin of the stone
At the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, a 400-carat diamond was discovered in India. Historians believe that the diamond under the name of Count Orlov originally belonged to Shah Jehan.
Researchers draw parallels with the historical Great Mogul gemstone, suggesting that they are the same crystal. Another name for diamond is known, which has come down to us from ancient times: “Derianur”, which means “Sea of Light”.
After the death of Jehan, “Orlov” probably remained for a long time on the island of Srirangapatnam, decorating a statue near a Hindu temple. But he was not destined to remain in this form until the end of centuries.
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Legends about the Black Orlov diamond
There are many legends about Orlov’s black diamond, all of them preserve mysticism and mystery. This mineral has no connection with Count Orlov, but has gained negative fame and destroyed many people:
- In the Buddha Temple, a black diamond adorned the statue of the great Deity. In the hot summer heat, an unknown monk sneaked into the temple secretly, stole a stone, and then disappeared without a trace. No one can claim that the story happened in reality, but the stone disappeared without a trace.
- They tried to find the gem for a long time, but to no avail, and then it was accidentally discovered.
- History preserves the legend that Orlova’s black diamond destroyed Princess Natalya Orlova. However, historians have been unable to find evidence of the existence of the mysterious woman. The princess once received a large inheritance from her late husband, which included a mysterious diamond. The princess subsequently committed suicide.
- It also became known that two Russian princesses decided to take their own lives without any apparent problems. Relatives did not understand why this happened, because women had no reason to end their earthly existence. However, later the diaries of the princesses were discovered, in which very strange events were described. Women slowly lost their minds, could not distinguish reality from fiction, and blamed the black diamond for this.
- The black diamond attracted people and had a special effect on them. It gave its owners obsessions and strange thoughts; no one could take their eyes off the diamond. The crystal had an effect on the souls of people, they were ready to do anything just to become the owner of the jewel.
- The jeweler who processed the black crystal lost all the savings and property he had and began to work fiercely. The master stopped paying attention to everything that was happening, he was not interested in anything, and as a result, when the diamond was ready, the jeweler lost his mind.
- Esotericists are confident that all natural diamonds contain powerful energy that has a strong influence on humans. Diamonds have mystical powers, so you need to be careful when dealing with them.
Black diamonds have a special and very powerful energy. They are difficult to process.
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The Orlov Black Diamond is considered mystical because it has destroyed many lives. The reason for this lies in the fact that he needed to constantly change owners, since he took all the energy from them. No one was able to subjugate this magical object.
There are many rumors that a black diamond from Russia went to America. It constantly changed owners, so it is impossible to say who exactly it belonged to. The sellers never disclosed the reason for selling the gem; they kept it in the strictest confidence. Therefore, it is difficult to say how many people were killed by a magical object. It is known that the black diamond Orlov is now in America. The owner tried to sell it at auction, but hid the true name of the stone.
The story of the great empress's diamond carries love and unrealistic hopes. Well, the history of the black diamond is based on the mystical capabilities of the stone. Is it possible to unravel the mystery of these diamonds?
Diamond "Orlov" presented to Empress Catherine
Ekaterina and Orlov
And now begins that part of the story, thanks to which this outstanding diamond gained its name and became famous throughout the world. According to one version, the Second Count Grigory Orlov, who had fallen out of favor with Empress Catherine, decided to regain her favor by presenting her with a luxurious gift. He bought this jewel from one of the heirs of the merchant Safras and without delay brought it to the court.
There is another version, according to which Empress Catherine, having heard about the famous stone from India, wanted to get it. Having bought it for a lot of money, she decided to do it in such a way as not to give any reason for gossip among her retinue. The clever ruler gave it to Count Orlov, asking him to present the stone to her for the upcoming name day. The favorite fulfilled her will and gave her a gorgeous crystal.
Historians do not give exact data whether Orlov himself bought the diamond, or whether it was the initiative of the empress. But, nevertheless, this sparkling gem began to decorate the scepter, which is one of the regalia of the ruling dynasties. Jewelers did not change the cut, so even now everyone can admire the amazing work of ancient masters.
