Origin of name
The collection of 23 yellow diamonds with a minimum of 38
carats and a maximum of 152 carats are an important part of the Iranian
National Royal Jewels, and are together known as the Iranian Yellow
diamonds.
Characteristics of the
diamonds
According to the web page on Iranian National Royal
Jewels of The Iran Chamber Society, website, 23 diamonds known as the
Iranian Yellow diamonds are listed in descending order of carat weights,
giving their shape/cut and color grades based on the old system. A careful
scrutiny of this list shows that diamond No. 9 has been inadvertently
omitted. Thus only 22 Iranian Yellow diamonds have been listed.
A revised table of the same list of 22 diamonds is given
below, incorporating the modern G. I. A. color grade and description.
According to the revised list 3 diamonds are colorless, falling within the D
to F range; 11 diamonds are faint yellow, falling within the K to M range; 5
diamonds are very light yellow, falling between N and R and 1 diamond is
light yellow with a color grade of S to Z. There are two diamonds in the
list which are not at all yellow. They are diamond nos. 11 and 19. Diamond
no. 11 is a 72.84-carat champagne colored diamond, a term used for brown
diamonds. Diamond no. 19 is a 54.35-carat peach colored diamond, which may
be a pinkish-orange diamond, if the term peach has been used appropriately.
D to F color grade diamonds are obviously Type II a
diamonds as they colorless, being chemically pure and structurally perfect.
K to M, N to R, and S to Z color grade diamonds which are
respectively faint yellow, very light yellow, and light yellow
diamonds are obviously Type I aAB diamonds, in which the yellow
color is caused by nitrogen atoms distributed as groups of 2-atoms
(A-aggregates), 4-atoms (B-aggregates) and 3-atoms (N3-centers). The A an B
aggregates do not affect the color of the diamond but N3-centers do, giving
a pale to medium yellow color, depending on the concentration of N3-centers.
None of the diamonds in the list, are the rare Type I b
diamonds, which are intense yellow diamonds, caused by nitrogen atoms
scattered as single atoms in the crystal structure.
Revised table of 22 Iranian
Yellow diamonds incorporating the GIA color grading.
|
S/N |
Carat Weight |
Shape/Cut |
Old world color grade |
GIA color grade |
G. I. A. description |
|
1 |
152.16 |
rectangular old brilliant |
silver cape |
K-M |
faint yellow |
|
2 |
135.45 |
high cushion brilliant |
cape |
N-R |
very light yellow |
|
3 |
123.93 |
high cushion brilliant |
silver cape |
K-M |
faint yellow |
|
4 |
121.90 |
multi-faceted octahedron |
cape |
N-R |
very light yellow |
|
5 |
114.28 |
high cushion brilliant |
silver cape |
K-M |
faint yellow |
|
6 |
86.61 |
rounded triangular brilliant |
cape |
N-R |
very light yellow |
|
7 |
86.28 |
irregular Mogul cut |
silver cape |
K-M |
faint yellow |
|
8 |
78.96 |
high cushion brilliant |
cape |
N-R |
very light yellow |
|
9 |
75.00 |
pendeloque brilliant |
silver cape |
K-M |
faint yellow |
|
10 |
75.00 |
pendeloque brilliant |
silver cape |
K-M |
faint yellow |
|
11 |
72.84 |
irregular pear shape |
champagne |
- |
- |
|
12 |
66.57 |
cushion brilliant |
silver cape |
K-M |
faint yellow |
|
13 |
65.65 |
rectangular brilliant |
cape |
N-R |
very light yellow |
|
14 |
60.00 |
cushion brilliant |
dark cape |
S-Z |
light yellow |
|
15 |
57.85 |
round brilliant |
silver cape |
K-M |
faint yellow |
|
16 |
57.15 |
cushion brilliant |
silver cape |
K-M |
faint yellow |
|
17 |
56.19 |
cushion brilliant |
silver cape |
K-M |
faint yellow |
|
18 |
54.58 |
irregular oval Mogul cut |
finest white |
D-F |
colorless |
|
19 |
54.35 |
high cushion brilliant |
peach |
- |
- |
|
20 |
53.50 |
high cushion brilliant |
silver cape |
K-M |
faint yellow |
|
21 |
51.90 |
elliptical Mogul cut |
finest white |
D-F |
colorless |
|
22 |
38.18 |
multi-faceted trapezoid cut |
finest white |
D-F |
colorless |
History
The Iranian Yellow diamonds consist of 23 diamonds of
different sizes and shapes, varying in weight from 38 carats to 152 carats.
The diamonds have different shades of pale yellow colors.
These yellow diamonds are all South African in origin,
and considering the year the diamonds were purchased (1889), may have
originated in the highly productive De Beers or Kimberley mines, that
started production in the mid-1860s. The Iranian Yellow diamonds are part of
the Iranian National Royal Jewels.
The cut and polished diamonds were purchased by Emperor
Nasseridin Shah in 1889, on his third trip to Europe. Nasseridin Shah was
the Shah of Iran from the Qajar dynasty, and ruled between 1848 and
1896. He was the ablest and the most successful of the Qajar Sovereigns. The
modernization of Iran began during his reign, and he was responsible for
introducing western science, technology and educational methods into Iran.
He also introduced telegraph and postal services, built many roads, and
opened the first school offering education along western lines. He also
launched Iran's first newspaper. He visited Europe three times, in 1873,
1878, and 1889, and was impressed with the technology he saw there. It was
during his last trip in 1889, that he purchased the yellow diamonds, that
became part of the Iranian Crown Jewels.
His granting of concessionary rights to foreigners to
build railways, irrigation works, etc. in return for large payments, that
went into his pockets, made him very unpopular, and eventually in 1896,
Nasseridin was assassinated by a fanatic.
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