The "Star of the East" is a 94.78- carat, pear-shaped, D-color stone of VS2 clarity grade.Star of the East Diamond
''Internet Stones''. Its exact origin is unknown, but it likely originated from India. The origin of its name and year of discovery are also unknown. The diamond was part of the collection of the jewellery-loving Sultan of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

, Abdul Hamid II. It was later acquired by Pierre Cartier, who sold it to

Evalyn Walsh McLean Evalyn McLean ( Walsh; August 1, 1886 – April 26, 1947) was an American mining heiress and socialite, famous for reputedly being the last private owner of the Hope Diamond (which was bought in 1911 for US$180,000 from Pierre Cartier), as we ...

. After McLean's death,

Harry Winston Harry Winston (March 1, 1896December 8, 1978) was an American jeweler. He donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958 after owning it for a decade. He also traded the Portuguese Diamond to the Smithsonian in 1963 in exchan ...

purchased the diamond together with McLean's entire collection. The diamond's current whereabouts are unknown.

History

The Star of the East's exact origin is unknown, but it likely originated from one of the five groups of mines that were situated on the eastern side of the Deccan Plateau in Southern and Central India. The stone first surfaced in the collection of the Sultan Abdul Hamid. It was later acquired by

Pierre C. Cartier Pierre Camille Cartier (March 10, 1878October 27, 1964) was a French jeweler. He was one of three sons of Alfred Cartier and the brother of Jacques Cartier and Louis Cartier. Pierre's grandfather, Louis-François Cartier had taken over the jewelr ...

. In 1908, Evelyn Walsh McLean purchased the stone for $120,000 from Cartier while on a honeymoon with her husband

Edward Beale McLean Edward Beale McLean (1889 – July 28, 1941) was the publisher and owner of ''The Washington Post'' newspaper, from 1916 until 1933. His wife, Evalyn Walsh McLean, was a prominent Washington socialite. McLean was also a thoroughbred racehorse own ...

. The Star of the East then remained in McLean's hands for about 40 years until her death. According to an article in the Southern Inspired Magazine, McLean died wearing the Star of the East and her more famous stone: the

Hope Diamond The Hope Diamond is a diamond originally extracted in the 17th century from the Kollur Mine in Guntur, India. It is blue in color due to trace amounts of boron. Its exceptional size has revealed new information about the formation of diamonds. ...

. After her death, the Star of the East and the Hope Diamond were sold to

, an American jeweler later known for donating the

to the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

. Winston sold the Star of the East to

King Farouk Farouk I (; ar, فاروق الأول ''Fārūq al-Awwal''; 11 February 1920 – 18 March 1965) was the tenth ruler of Egypt from the Muhammad Ali dynasty and the penultimate King of Egypt and the Sudan, succeeding his father, Fuad I, in 1 ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

, but never received payment for it. Several years after King Farouk's overthrow in 1952, the Egyptian government recognized Winston's claim, and the stone was eventually returned to him. At a later time, the Star of the East was displayed at the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

, New York, at a reception marking the 50th anniversary of Harry Winston, Inc. The Star of the East's present whereabouts are unknown.The Star of the East Diamond
''Famous Diamonds''.

Known changes over time

Confusion with the Ahmedabad diamond

An article about Harry Winston appeared in the 1983 Spring issue of ''

Gems & Gemology ''Gems & Gemology'' is a quarterly scientific journal published by the Gemological Institute of America. Each issue is devoted to research on diamonds, gemstones, and pearls. Topics include geographic sources, imitations and synthetics, treatment ...

'' magazine. In the section about the Star of the East, the magazine Stated: Since the stones are both pear-shaped, D-color, believed to be of Indian origin, similar in weight, and have some unknown whereabouts, it is easy to understand why they were confused one for another. However, the confusion was resolved in November 1995 when the real Ahmedabad was offered for sale at Christie's in

Geneva , neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Saconnex, Pregny-Chambésy, Vernier, Veyrier , website = https://www.geneve.ch/ Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevr ...

, and later bought by Robert Mouawad for $4,324,554.The Ahmadabad
''Famous Diamonds.''

References

{{Reflist Diamonds originating in India Individual diamonds

History

Known changes over time

Confusion with the Ahmedabad diamond

See also

Further reading

References