Origin of name
The Ahmedabad diamond gets it's name from the city of
Ahmedabad the capital of Gujarat State in central-western India, where the
diamond was reported to have been purchased by Jean Baptiste Tavernier in
the 17th century A.D. Ahmedabad was then in the forefront of the diamond
industry in India, and perhaps in the whole world as the main diamond
cutting centre, which was equivalent to the coveted position held by
Antwerp, Belgium, today in the international diamond industry.
Characteristics of the
diamond
According to the G.I.A. certificate the diamond is a
D-color,pear-shaped,VS-1 clarity stone, having a weight of 78.86 carats.
Early history
The diamond is undoubtedly of Indian origin as it is a
stone of the 17th century when India was the only source country for
diamonds in the world. But the mine of origin is uncertain, and it could be
any one of the five groups of mines on the eastern side of the Deccan
Plateau. Judging by the color and clarity of the stone which is of a very
high order, the mine of origin could well be the Kollur mines, east of
Golconda, which was fully operational at that time, with over 20 mines being
worked, at the time Tavernier visited Golconda in 1642.Tavernier stated that
over 60, 000 people were engaged in these mines at the time of his visit.
Before the discovery of diamonds in South Africa in the 1860s,the name
Golconda was synonymous with exceptional quality diamonds, and high quality
colorless diamonds without any yellow or bluish tint was referred to as
Golconda, irrespective of the mine from where it was discovered. Thus the
term Golconda was used to describe the high quality of the diamond. Likewise
Brazilian place names such as Begagem, Canavieras, Diamantinas etc were used
for lesser quality diamonds.
Later history
Jean baptiste Tavernier was a famous French traveler and
gem trader who visited Ahmedabad on several occasions in the 17th century
A.D. Having made up to six trips to the east during a period of 40 years, he
published his book "Travels in India", in which he gives detail descriptions
of famous diamonds and rubies he had seen during his travels, accompanied by
illustrations.
Tavernier also refers to a diamond weighing 157 1/2
carats in the rough state which he purchased at Ahmedabad, for a
friend. He states that he got the diamond cut in the form of a briolette
shape, and the weight of the diamond after cutting and polishing was 94.5
carats. However he says that two minor flaws still remained at the base.
Tavernier has provided illustrations of both the rough and polished forms of
this diamond in his book.
The history of the Ahmedabad diamond beyond this is
uncertain, and a matter of much speculation and conjecture. The first
question that naturally arises out of Tavernier's account is the exact
identity of the friend for whom Tavernier purchased the diamond. A person
who could most likely have been the friend Tavernier referred to, was King
Louis XIV of France, with whom Tavernier has had several business dealings
which included the sale of several diamonds. But, no where has any reference
been made to a diamond such as the Ahmedabad entering the crown jewels of
France.
Edwin Streeter, the famous London jeweler and the author
of two books on famous diamonds, seems to think that the diamond may have
found its way to neighboring Persia (Iran) via one of the many ports of
Gujarat, but no trace of the Ahmedabad diamond had been found among the
Iranian crown jewels.
A third option would be that the diamond entered the
court of one of the greatest Moghul emperors of India, Aurangzeb
(1658-1707),who was a noted collector of diamonds of which one was believed
to have been the Ahmedabad diamond. The most likely explanation would be
that the friend Tavernier referred to, would have been one of the emperor's
courtiers who would have purchased the gem on the behalf of the emperor.
The Ahmedabad diamond was later inherited by Begum
Hazarat Mahal, wife of King Wajid Ali Shah of Oudh (previously the kingdom
of Ayodhya). Ayodhya was the capital of the ancient Buddhist Kingdom of
Kosala (6 BC-5 BC). In the 11th to 12th century it was the Capital of the
Kanauj kingdom and was called Oudh. The region was later included in
the Delhi Sultanate as the Jaunpur kingdom, and in the 16th century became
part of the Mughal Empire. Oudh became subordinate to the British East India
Company in 1764, but in 1856 was annexed by the British. King Wajid Ali Shah
and his wife Begum Hazarat were among the rebel leaders who organized the
Indian Mutiny of 1857, which was subsequently suppressed by the
British. King Wajid Ali Shah was later sent into exile in Kolkata by the
British for refusing to sign the treaty of abdication. Begum Hazrat Mahal
who was a prominent and outspoken rebel leader fled to Nepal after the
rebellion was quelled. Subsequently, she negotiated her safe return to
India, trading the Ahmedabad diamond in return for her safe passage.
What happened to the Ahmedabad diamond beyond this is
only a matter of speculation, but the diamond seems to have undergone
a transformation from a briolette to a pear shape after re-cutting, with a
consequent reduction of it's weight from 90.50 to 78.86 carats. But, an
observed property of the diamond that seems to be of immense significance,
is the presence of a minor flaw at its base, at the culet facet. This seems
to correspond to one of the two small specks of flaw which Tavernier stated
had remained after completion of the cutting. Thus the presence
of the flaw at the base, seems to indicate the exact identity of the
diamond.
Last transaction and present
owners of the diamond
The Ahmedabad diamond was put up for sale by Christie's
in Geneva in November 1995.The stone was purchased by Robert Mouawad for a
sum of around $ 4.3 million, and is now part of the rare and magnificent
collection of diamonds belonging to the Mouawad family. The current
estimated value of the diamond is over $ 5.0 million.
Chemistry of colorless
diamonds
Color in diamonds is caused by the incorporation of trace
amounts of elements like Nitrogen and Boron-whose atoms have atomic sizes
comparable to the atomic size of Carbon atoms-in the crystal structure of
diamond. Nitrogen imparts different shades of yellow and brown to diamonds.
Boron imparts blue color to diamonds.
Color in diamonds can also be caused by the plastic
deformation of the crystal, such as twisting and bending of the crystal
structure following their formation in the earth's mantle or during their
ascent to the surface, millions of years ago. Brown, pink, red, and purple
colors can be imparted to the diamond in this manner, the deformed areas in
the crystal absorbing light in certain regions of the spectrum .
Color in diamonds can also be produced by exposure to
natural radiation over millions of years. Green color of diamonds are
produced in this manner.
Diamond crystals that are pure, made up of carbon atoms
only, are crystal-clear and are known as colorless or white diamonds. But,
even these diamonds can sometimes show a faint bluish tint. This is caused
by fluorescence. Such diamonds are only about 1-2 % of all naturally
occurring diamonds. (type 11a)
Diamonds containing the impurity Nitrogen, which usually
imparts a yellow color to diamonds, can sometimes be colorless. This can
happen when Nitrogen atoms are scattered in the crystal as aggregates of
2-atoms or 4-atoms. Aggregates of 2-atoms can quench fluorescence, but
4-atoms cannot. Therefore the former is colorless and non-fluorescent and
the latter colorless and fluorescent. Almost 98 % of naturally occurring
diamonds contain Nitrogen. (type 1a)
Gujarat State-A global
power house of the diamond industry
Gujarat State has become a global player in the
competitive international diamond industry, in keeping with it's ancient
tradition as the world's first diamond cutting and polishing centre, a
position which it had lost later to centers like Antwerp, and Amsterdam, in
Europe. The State seems to have caught up with other diamond producing
nations of the world ,and is poised to reclaim it's former position as the
leader of the diamond industry.
The ancient port city of Barygaza (Broach), on the gulf
of Cambay, in Gujarat, was a major trading center in the 1st and 2nd century
A.D. Ptolemy (90 AD-168 AD) visited this port, at the cross roads of trade
routes to China, Persia, Greece, and Portugal. The items traded were gold,
silver, textiles, coral, ivory pearls and gemstones, and thus Barygaza
became a centre for artisans, gem-cutters, and carvers, for over a thousand
years.
In modern Gujarat State a major diamond cutting industry
has grown up in several cities around the State, such as Ahmedabad,
Bhavanagar, Navasari and Surat, employing a work force of over 800,000
people. Around 80%-90% of the world's diamonds are cut and polished in the
cutting centers of Gujarat.
Out of all the cities, Surat, a city by the gulf of
Cambay, ranks as the front runner in the diamond industry ,and has become a
hub of the global diamond trade. Surat is known as "the diamond city of
India".
India presently exports over a billion dollars worth of
cut and polished diamonds every year. The country has built up a reputation
for the processing of smaller diamonds. The Bhavanagar cutting centers
produce finished diamonds as small as 0.5 to 2.0 points. The Indian diamond
cutting industry has gone into partnership with the companies operating the
Argyle diamond mines in western Australia to process their enormous output
of small brown and yellow diamonds, at attractive rates mutually beneficial
for both parties. The economic viability of these mines have been ensured by
this partnership, and since this partnership the manufacture of diamonds in
India has grown both in volume as well as value. Modernization of factories
and the installation of state-of -the art equipment, have developed
the industry to a level equal to that of Antwerp in Belgium.
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