Index – Science – A terrible curse sits on the world’s largest diamonds

Golconda diamonds are the purest gemstones in the world, free of inclusions and impurities, low in nitrogen, large and sparkling, but they are not without danger to own. The two most famous types cannot under any circumstances be owned by men, otherwise trouble and misfortune will fall on their heads. As it happened for centuries to everyone who touched one of the big diamonds. It lives up to its name Hope diamond death and misery, the famous Kohinoor it brought violence and bloody conflicts upon the heads of its owners. Or is it just a legend?

Cursed Mountain of Light

One of the most famous Golconda diamonds is the 105.6-carat Koh-i-noor, which has been part of the British Crown Jewels since 1849. The VI. One of the ornaments of the crown made for George’s wife, Queen Elizabeth. The history of the diamond began in Asia before our era, it was originally 181 carats, irregular in shape, and dangerous. An ancient Hindu description of the stone warns that:

he who owns this diamond owns the world, but also knows all its misfortunes. Only God or a woman can wear it with impunity.

And indeed, throughout history, the gem has circulated among various Hindu, Mongol, Persian, Afghan, and Sikh rulers, all of whom fought bloody conflicts over its possession. Its owners lost their power, but also their lives. It got its name in the 18th century from the Persian Shah, who was inspired by its brilliance and named Noor of Kohto Fényhegy. It came from the East India Company to the British Queen Victoria, she made the decree that:

The other most valuable diamond in the world has a slightly bluish tint Hope, i.e. Hope. It is the third most valuable stone in the world, 45.52 carats, worth 250 million dollars, and can still be admired today in the Smithonian museum in Washington.

THE Hope it may have been found in the Kollur mine in India in the 17th century, in 1666 it came into the hands of the French gem merchant, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, from whom he received the Tavernier Blue name. From him XIV. He migrated to King Louis of France, then XVI. It hung around the neck of Louis’ wife, Queen Marie Antoinette. At that time they were called “French Blue”, but the revolutionary turmoil came, the royal party was looted and then executed. From here we lose the Hope diamond path, but a bluish stone of similar size and shape turned up in London in 1812 at the diamond dealer Daniel Eliason. It was bought from him by a wealthy banker, Thomas Hope, who gave the diamond its name.

In 2005, using computer analysis, crystallographers proved that London’s Hope is the same as “French Blue”. The 19–20 It changed hands several times in the 19th century, its best-known owner being Evalyn Walsh McLean, the daughter of an Irish-American gold mine owner, whose husband bought it from the Parisian jewelry company Cartier in 1911. Although the Hopewas also rumored to have a curse on it, Evalyn was not interested in it, she bravely flaunted it at famous social events, for example during her visit to the White House. Then the crash hit, the couple’s 9-year-old son died in a car accident, two years later the husband, Edward, was involved in a corruption scandal, in the meantime both became addicted to alcohol and drugs, Edward cheated on Evalyn, and they divorced. Edward spent uncontrollably, and the Washington Post, owned by his family, was scrapped by trustees. Financial bankruptcy also came, and he was declared insane in court, and finally died in a mental institution. A few years later, the couple’s daughter also died, allegedly from an overdose of sleeping pills. What was Evalyn doing in the meantime? He continued to do drugs, drink and wear the giant diamond steadfastly until he died in 1947, aged just 60. THE Hope-he left it to his grandchildren, but the trust company that looked after it sold it and it went to the Smithonian so that it wouldn’t cause anyone any more trouble.

But where do these unearthly miracles come from?

Golconda diamonds are brought to the Earth’s surface by large volcanic eruptions in the igneous rock called kimberlite (named after the Kimberley in South Africa). The upwelling of magma from volcanic activity creates kimberlite vents, which may contain gems up to 3 billion years old. Where there is kimberlite, there is most likely a diamond, but how do we find kimberlite? With the help of a plant, Pandanus candelabrum, a species of Liberian screw palmwhich usually lives on kimberlite chimneys – probably because of their high magnesium, phosphorus and potassium content.

According to new research, the most valuable diamonds may come from the Vajrakarur kimberlite field in present-day Andhra Pradesh. According to Yaakov Weiss, a diamond specialist geochemist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, this region of southern India may indeed contain near-surface diamonds, but Golconda diamonds form at depths close to the Earth’s core. To determine their origin, geologists from India’s Savitribai Phule Pune University studied the chemical composition of kimberlites and lampproites. They found that the kimberlite rocks of the Vajrakarur field probably came to the surface from very deep and contain minerals that often occur in the company of diamonds. Satellite images were analysed, vegetation and moisture measurements were carried out, and a dried-up ancient river bed was uncovered, which could have carried diamonds from Vajrakarur to the Krishna River and its tributaries. This is where they found the gems.

According to Weiss, surface diamonds need to be distinguished from those that come from deeper, such as the Golcondas. Even if we separate them from each other, it is not known how these extra-pure gems get from the depths to the surface of the Earth. Perhaps during volcanic eruptions, when they are ejected by hot magma fountains, so that they are wedged into the lower crust or the upper mantle. At the same time, this is just an assumption, because these super-clear stones lack the tiny inclusions that keep the liquid from the mantle, where the diamonds were born. They are beautiful and sought after, but geochemists have very few clues for research work. Their origins may forever be lost in obscurity.