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Millennium Star
The Millennium Star is a diamond owned by De Beers. At 203.04 carats (40.608 g), it is the world's second largest known top-color (grade D, i.e. colourless), internally and externally flawless, pear-shaped diamond. The diamond was discovered in the Mbuji-Mayi district of Zaire in 1990 in alluvial deposits; uncut, it was 777 carats (155.4 g). It was purchased by De Beers during the height of the country's Civil War that took place in the early to mid-nineties. It took over three years for workers of the Steinmetz Diamond Group to produce the classic pear form. The cutting was done using lasers. It was first displayed in October 1999 as the centerpiece of the De Beers Millennium diamond collection. The collection also includes eleven blue diamonds totalling 118 carats (23.6 g) and The Heart of Eternity. They were displayed at London's Millennium Dome over 2000. There was an attempt on 7 November 2000 to steal the collection (see Millennium Dome raid), b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zaire
Zaire (, ), officially the Republic of Zaire (french: République du Zaïre, link=no, ), was a Congolese state from 1971 to 1997 in Central Africa that was previously and is now again known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Zaire was, by area, the third-largest country in Africa (after Sudan and Algeria), and the 11th-largest country in the world. With a population of over 23 million inhabitants, Zaire was the most-populous officially Francophone country in Africa, as well as one of the most populous in Africa. The country was a one-party totalitarian military dictatorship, run by Mobutu Sese Seko and his ruling Popular Movement of the Revolution party. Zaire was established following Mobutu's seizure of power in a military coup in 1965, following five years of political upheaval following independence from Belgium known as the Congo Crisis. Zaire had a strongly centralist constitution, and foreign assets were nationalized. The period is sometimes referred to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Steinmetz Group
Steinmetz/Steynmets is a German surname, meaning 'stonemason'. It may refer to: People * Ádám Steinmetz (born 1980), Hungarian water polo player * Andrew Steinmetz (born 1965), Canadian writer * Barnabás Steinmetz (born 1975), Hungarian water polo player * Beny Steinmetz (born 1956), Israeli businessman * Bill Steinmetz (1899–1988), American speed skater * Charles Proteus Steinmetz (1865–1923), German-born American electrical engineer and inventor * Cheri Steinmetz, American politician * Chris Steinmetz (born 1966), American record producer * Christian Steinmetz (1882–1963), American basketball player * David Steinmetz (other), multiple people * Donald W. Steinmetz (1924–2013), American judge * Francis Steinmetz (1914–2006), Dutch officer * George Steinmetz (born 1957), American photographer * George Steinmetz (academic) (born 1957), American sociologist * Geremias Steinmetz (born 1965), Brazilian archbishop * Greg Steinmetz (born 1950), American journalis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
De Beers
De Beers Group is an international corporation that specializes in diamond mining, diamond exploitation, diamond retail, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. The company is active in open-pit, large-scale alluvial and coastal mining. It operates in 35 countries and mining takes place in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Canada and Australia. From its inception in 1888 until the start of the 21st century, De Beers controlled 80% to 85% of rough diamond distribution and was considered a monopoly. Competition has since dismantled the complete monopoly; the De Beers Group now sells approximately 29.5% of the world's rough diamond production by value through its global sightholder and auction sales businesses. The company was founded in 1888 by British businessman Cecil Rhodes, who was financed by the South African diamond magnate Alfred Beit and the London-based N M Rothschild & Sons bank. In 1926, Ernest Oppenheimer, a German immigrant to Britain and later ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carat (unit)
The carat (ct) is a unit of mass equal to or 0.00643 troy oz, and is used for measuring gemstones and pearls. The current definition, sometimes known as the metric carat, was adopted in 1907 at the Fourth General Conference on Weights and Measures, and soon afterwards in many countries around the world. The carat is divisible into 100 ''points'' of 2 mg. Other subdivisions, and slightly different mass values, have been used in the past in different locations. In terms of diamonds, a paragon is a flawless stone of at least 100 carats (20 g). The ANSI X.12 EDI standard abbreviation for the carat is CD. Etymology First attested in English in the mid-15th century, the word ''carat'' comes from Italian ''carato'', which comes from Arabic '' qīrāṭ '' قيراط , in turn borrowed from Greek ''kerátion'' κεράτιον 'carob seed', a diminutive of ''keras'' 'horn'. It was a unit of weight, equal to 1/1728 (1/12) of a pound (see Mina (unit)). History Carob seeds ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diamond Color
A chemically pure and structurally perfect diamond is perfectly transparent with no hue, or ''color''. However, in reality almost no gem-sized natural diamonds are absolutely perfect. The color of a diamond may be affected by chemical impurities and/or structural defects in the crystal lattice. Depending on the hue and intensity of a diamond's coloration, a diamond's color can either detract from or enhance its value. For example, most white diamonds are discounted in price when more yellow hue is detectable, while intense pink diamonds or blue diamonds (such as the Hope Diamond) can be dramatically more valuable. Of all colored diamonds, red diamonds are the rarest. The Aurora Pyramid of Hope displays a spectacular array of naturally colored diamonds, including red diamonds. History of color grading Color grading of diamonds was performed as a step of sorting rough diamonds for sale by the London Diamond Syndicate. As the diamond trade developed, early diamond grades were in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mbuji-Mayi
Mbuji-Mayi or Mbujimayi (formerly Bakwanga) is a city and the capital of Kasai-Oriental Province in the south-central Democratic Republic of Congo. It is the second largest city in the country, following the capital Kinshasa but ahead of Lubumbashi, Kisangani and Kananga, though the exact population is not known. Estimates ranged from a 2010 ''CIA World Factbook'' estimated population of 1,480,000 to as many as 3,500,000 estimated by the United Nations in 2008. Mbuji-Mayi lies in Luba country on the Mbuji-Mayi River. The name Mbuji-Mayi comes from the local language, Tshiluba, and translates as "Goat-Water," a name deriving from the great number of goats in the region. Despite its large population, the city remains remote, having little connection to surrounding provinces or to Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. However, Mbuji-Mayi is the traditional centre of industrial diamond mining in Congo, with it being located on top of one of the largest known deposits in the world. Air travel is p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alluvial
Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluvium is also sometimes called alluvial deposit. Alluvium is typically geologically young and is not consolidated into solid rock. Sediments deposited underwater, in seas, estuaries, lakes, or ponds, are not described as alluvium. Floodplain alluvium can be highly fertile, and supported some of the earliest human civilizations. Definitions The present consensus is that "alluvium" refers to loose sediments of all types deposited by running water in floodplains or in alluvial fans or related landforms. However, the meaning of the term has varied considerably since it was first defined in the French dictionary of Antoine Furetière, posthumously published in 1690. Drawing upon concepts from Roman law, Furetière defined ''alluvion'' (the F ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Steinmetz Diamond Group
Steinmetz/Steynmets is a German surname, meaning 'stonemason'. It may refer to: People * Ádám Steinmetz (born 1980), Hungarian water polo player * Andrew Steinmetz (born 1965), Canadian writer * Barnabás Steinmetz (born 1975), Hungarian water polo player * Beny Steinmetz (born 1956), Israeli businessman * Bill Steinmetz (1899–1988), American speed skater * Charles Proteus Steinmetz (1865–1923), German-born American electrical engineer and inventor * Cheri Steinmetz, American politician * Chris Steinmetz (born 1966), American record producer * Christian Steinmetz (1882–1963), American basketball player * David Steinmetz (other), multiple people * Donald W. Steinmetz (1924–2013), American judge * Francis Steinmetz (1914–2006), Dutch officer * George Steinmetz (born 1957), American photographer * George Steinmetz (academic) (born 1957), American sociologist * Geremias Steinmetz (born 1965), Brazilian archbishop * Greg Steinmetz (born 1950), American journalis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heart Of Eternity Diamond
The Heart of Eternity is a diamond measuring 27.64 carats (5.528 g), rated in color as "Fancy Vivid Blue" by the Gemological Institute of America. The Heart of Eternity was cut by the Steinmetz Group, who owned the diamond before selling it to the De Beers Group. The Heart of Eternity is a member of an exceedingly rare class of coloured diamonds. It was found in the Premier Diamond Mine of South Africa. The Premier mine is the only mine in the world with an appreciable production of blue diamonds. The Heart of Eternity was unveiled in January 2000 as part of the De Beers Millennium Jewels collection, which included the Millennium Star. The Heart of Eternity was featured with ten other blue diamonds; the collection of blue diamonds totalled 118 carats (23.6 g). The De Beers Millennium Jewels were displayed at London's Millennium Dome throughout 2000. An attempt on 7 November 2000 to steal the collection was foiled. In 2012, there have been rumors that the boxer Floyd Mayweather ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Millennium Dome
The Millennium Dome was the original name of the large dome-shaped building on the Greenwich Peninsula in South East (London sub region), South East London, England, which housed a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium. As of 2022, it is the List of largest buildings#Largest usable volume, ninth largest building in the world by usable volume. The exhibition was open to the public from 1 January to 31 December 2000. The project and exhibition were highly political and attracted barely half of the 12 million customers its sponsors forecasted, and so were deemed a failure by the press. All the original exhibition elements were sold or dismantled. In a 2005 report, the cost of the Dome and surrounding land (which increased to 170 acres from the initial offering of the 48 acres enclosed by the Dome) and managing the Dome until the deal was closed was £28.7 million. The value of the 48 acres occupied by the Dome was estimated at £48 million, which could ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Millennium Dome Raid
The Millennium Dome raid was an attempted robbery of the Millennium Dome's diamond exhibition in Greenwich, South East London occurring on 7 November 2000. A local gang planned to ram-raid the De Beers diamond exhibition which was being held in the riverside Dome at the time. The gang had then planned to escape via the Thames in a speedboat. The De Beers diamond exhibition had a number of jewels on display, including the Millennium Star, a flawless gem with an estimated worth of £200 million (equivalent to £ million in ) and considered one of the most perfect gems in the world. Also on display were priceless blue diamonds. The attempted robbery was foiled by the Flying Squad (lead by Jon Shatford) of the Metropolitan Police Service, as a result of information from Kent Police Serious Crime who already had the gang members under surveillance for their suspected roles in a number of unsuccessful armoured vehicle robberies. The operation to foil the robbery was the bigges ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Centenary Diamond
The De Beers Centenary Diamond is, at , the third-largest diamond to have been produced in the Premier Mine. Among top-color diamonds, only the Cullinan I and II are larger than the Centenary diamond. The Centenary Diamond is rated in color as grade D color by the Gemological Institute of America, which is the highest grade of colourless diamond and is internally and externally flawless. It was named the Centenary Diamond as it was presented in the rough for the Centennial Celebration of De Beers Consolidated Mines on 11 May 1988. The Centenary Diamond was unveiled in final form in May 1991. Discovery The Centenary Diamond was discovered in the Premier Mine on 17 July 1986 using their X-ray imaging system. The original rough was and it was presented on 11 May 1988 in the Centennial Celebration of the De Beers Consolidated Mines. As then-chairman Julian Ogilvie Thompson said, "We have recovered at the Premier Mine a diamond of which is perfect in colour – indeed it is on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
