Origin of name
The name "Star" is a name that has been commonly used in
the christening of famous diamonds. Some of the famous diamonds that bear
this name are "the Star of America", "the Star of Sierra Leone", "the Star
of South Africa", "the Star of the East", "the Star of the Season", "the
Star of the South", the "Algeiba Star" and the Alkaid Star". The "Star of
Happiness" diamond is a diamond belonging to Sheik Ahmed Hassan Fitaihi, the
Saudi based jeweler who is also a collector and connoisseur of diamonds. The
name "Star of Happiness" seems to have been selected by Sheik Fitaihi, as
three other diamonds in his collection also bear the name "Star". They are
"the Star of the Season", "the Star of the Desert", and the "Red Sea Star".
In the naming of diamonds the tendency to select the name "Star" is usually
a reflection of the extraordinary brilliance and fire of the diamond, which
in turn is an indication of its superior cut, color and clarity.
Characteristics of the
diamond
The "Star of Happiness" diamond is a 100.36-carat,
radiant-cut, D-color, internally flawless (IF) diamond, with dimensions of
28.50 x 25.96 x 16.35 mm. It is the largest diamond in Sheik Fitaihi's
collection and in the list of colorless diamonds greater than 100 carats in
weight, the "Star of Happiness" occupies the 26th position. See tables
below.
Sheik Ahmad Hassan
Fitaihi's Collection of Diamonds
|
S/N |
Name of Diamond |
Carat Weight |
Shape/Cut |
|
1 |
The Star of Happiness |
100.36 |
radiant |
|
2 |
The Star of the Season |
100.10 |
pear |
|
3 |
The Jeddah Bride |
80.02 |
emerald |
|
4 |
The Star of the Desert |
66.29 |
pear |
|
5 |
The Heart of the Desert |
62.42 |
heart |
|
6 |
The Red Sea Star |
50.83 |
emerald |
|
7 |
The Ice Queen |
39.99 |
emerald |
|
8 |
The Larger Arcot Diamond |
30.99 |
pear |
List of famous colorless
diamonds greater than 100 carats in weight
|
S/N |
Name |
Carat Weight |
Shape/Cut |
|
1 |
Cullinan I |
530.20 |
pear |
|
2 |
CullinanII |
317.40 |
cushion |
|
3 |
Centenary |
273.85 |
modified heart |
|
4 |
Jubilee |
245.35 |
cushion |
|
5 |
Millennium Star |
203.04 |
pear |
|
6 |
La Luna |
200.07 |
heart |
|
7 |
Orlov |
189.62 |
rose |
|
8 |
Jacob-Victoria |
184.50 |
oval |
|
9 |
Regent |
140.64 |
cushion |
|
10 |
Paragon |
137.82 |
7-sided |
|
11 |
Premier Rose |
137.02 |
pear |
|
12 |
Queen of Holland |
135.92 |
cushion |
|
13 |
Zale Light of Peace |
130.27 |
Pear |
|
14 |
Niarchos |
128.25 |
Pear |
|
15 |
Portuguese |
127.02 |
asscher |
|
16 |
Jonker |
125.35 |
emerald |
|
17 |
Al-Nader |
115.83 |
pear |
|
18 |
Taj-i-Mah |
115.06 |
moghul |
|
19 |
Edna Star |
115.00 |
emerald |
|
20 |
Koh-i-Nur |
108.93 |
oval |
|
21 |
Mouawad Magic |
108.81 |
emerald |
|
22 |
Louis Cartier |
107.07 |
pear |
|
23 |
Star of Egypt |
105.51 |
emerald |
|
24 |
Mouawad Splendor |
101.84 |
pear |
|
25 |
Star of America |
100.57 |
asscher |
|
26 |
Star of Happiness |
100.36 |
radiant |
|
27 |
Star of the Season |
100.10 |
pear |
The diamond being D-color is a Type IIa diamond, which
are said to be the "purest of the pure" of all diamonds. These diamonds are
free of all impurities such as nitrogen, boron and hydrogen, that can cause
color in diamonds. Besides this they are also free of any plastic
distortions in the crystal structure, that can cause rare fancy colors in
diamonds. Thus the diamond is a chemically pure and structurally perfect
Type IIa diamond. However these diamonds constitute only 1-2 % of all
naturally occurring diamonds.
The radiant cut is a cut developed in the 1970s combining
the emerald-cut and the brilliant-cut. The features of the emerald-cut are
found on the crown of the diamond and that of the brilliant cut on the
pavilion. This cut has the advantage of the brilliance of the round
brilliant-cut and the advantage to show off the color of emerald-cut. The
radiant-cut is also eight-sided like the emerald-cut.
History
The early history of the diamond such as the country and
mine of origin, the date of discovery, the weight of the rough diamond,
original owners of the diamond, the cutters involved in processing the
diamond etc, are not known. The diamond had been graded by the GIA and all
important characteristics of the cut and polished diamond are known. Besides
this the only other fact we know about the diamond is that it appeared at an
auction in Geneva in November 1993 and was purchased by Sheik Ahmad Hassan
Fitaihi for $ 11,800,000.
Sheik Ahmad Hassan Fitaihi has set the world record for
the highest amount paid for a diamond at an auction by purchasing the
100.10-carat "Star of the Season" diamond for $ 16,500,000, in May
1995. This record
still stands up to date. The second most expensive diamond ever sold at an
auction is the 84.37-carat Chloe diamond, which fetched a price of $
16,189,769 at a Sotheby's auction held in Geneva, on November 14th, 2007.
Sheik Ahmad Hassan Fitaihi first attended international
jewelry auctions in the early 1990s, and soon became a force to be reckoned
with at these auctions. The Sheik together with Robert Mouawad of Mouawad
Jewelers, Laurence Graff of London-based Graff Diamonds, and Sam Abram of
SIBA Corporation, have been responsible for some of the astonishingly high
diamond prices achieved in recent years.
History of Fitaihi Co.
Sheik Ahmad Hassan Fitaihi is the Chairman of Fitahi &
Co. the Jeddah based company involved in manufacturing and trading of gold,
silver and other jewelry items, and offers retail services for jewelry,
silverware, antiques, accessories, perfumes, textiles, apparel etc through a
network of retail stores and supermarkets. The company has also set up and
manages medical centers and hospitals, and trades in medical equipment.
Fitahi also owns the Geneva based Marina-B Company,
established by Mrs. Marina Bulgari, a world renowned jewelry designer and
grand-daughter of the famous Bulgari, that produces and markets worldwide
the famous Marina-B branded jewelry and watches.
The history of the Fitaihi family dates back to the year
1887, when they started as silversmiths in the holy city of Makkah. However,
the actual date of establishment of Fitaihi Jewelry Store is taken as 1907,
when the Grandfather of Sheik Ahmad Hassan Fitahi opened the first gold shop
in Makkah. Later in 1932, after the formation of the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia, Sheik Ahmad Fitahi's father Hassan Fitaihi moved his family and his
business to the coastal city of Jeddah, the main commercial center and port
city of Saudi Arabia. He set up the first gold shop in Jeddah, in what is
today the "Gold Market" of Jeddah. It is in this jewelry store in Jeddah
that Sheik Ahmed Hassan Fitaihi acquired the basic skills and training in
the jewelry trade, that eventually transformed him into a successful
entrepreneur in the jewelry sector.
In 1964 Sheik Ahmad Fitaihi together with his father
established a limited liability company under the name of Hassan & Ahmad
Fitaihi Company, and subsequently in the 1970s Sheik Ahmad Hassan Fitaihi
became the sole owner of the company. There was a rapid expansion in the
business of the company and by early 1980s the company had nine jewelry
stores in Jeddah and Makkah. In 1984 the company opened the first department
store in Jeddah, which established the Fitahi name as a provider of luxury
goods and services to the elite of the society. The success of this new
venture in Jeddah was followed by the opening of a second department store
in Riad in 1993.
In 1996 Fitahi Co. goes international by acquiring the
internationally renowned jewelry chain of Marina Bulgari, owners of the
renowned brand name of Marina B. In 1998 the company is transformed from a
Limited Liability Company into a Joint-Stock Company, and subsequently
listed in the Saudi Stock Exchange Market, the first Saudi family business
to be ever listed in the stock exchange. In October 2003 the Company
claimed another first, by launching the first jewelry retail outlet in Saudi
Arabia managed totally by Saudi females. Sheik Ahmad Hassan Fitaihi
still retains his position as the Chairman of the Board of Management, but
the operations of the company are handled by an independent CEO and an
executive team of seven members.
