Sunday, March 28, 2010

Top 10 Most Expensive Diamonds in the World.

Every woman in the world want to own one of these most expensive diamonds in the world. Diamonds from various kinds and color  is one of the sign of wealthy. Owning expensive and rare diamonds is someone’s pride. Expensive diamond come from various countries. It can be from south Africa, India or Europe. So here We talk about 10 most expensive diamonds in the world. Here’s the list:

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10. The Allnatt Diamond : $ 3 Millions


The Allnatt Diamond is a diamond with the size of 101.29 carat (20.258 g) with a cushion cut. Rated in color as Fancy Vivid Yellow by the Gemological Institute of America.This diamond is named after one of the holders, Major Alfred Ernest Allnatt, a soldier, sportsman, art patron and supporter. Although not known exactly where Allnatt get this diamond, but many experts believe that it may be found in what is now known as the De Beers Premier Diamond Mine.
Allnatt origins are not known before the purchase of diamonds by Major Allnatt in early 1950s. After buying this diamond, he commissioned Cartier to make arrangements for the final setting to form a platinum flower with five petals, two stems and leaves, all arranged by diamond. The Allnatt is resold at auction in May 1996 by Christie’s in Geneva for $ 3,043,496 U.S. At the time of sale in Allnatt is 102.07 carat (20.41 g). and assessed Fancy Intense Yellow. After the sale to Siba Corporation, a diamond is cut into the heavy again today and the intensity increased as a result.


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9. The Moussaieff Red Diamond : $ 7 Millions

 

 














The Moussaieff Red is displayed as part of the Smithsonian’s “The Splendor of Diamonds” exhibition, in addition to the De Beers Millennium Star and The Heart of Eternity.

Moussaieff Red is reported to have been discovered by a Brazilian farmer in Abaetezinho river in 1990, in an area known as Alto Paranaiba who had a reputation as a great source of beautiful and colorful diamond.Roughly, it was believed to be 13. 9 carats (2. 78 g).
Diamond was purchased and cut by the William Goldberg Diamond Corp.and named the Red Shield. It is currently owned by Moussaieff Jewelers Ltd. Rated in color as Fancy Red by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Moussaieff Red Diamond is a diamond the size of 5. 11 carat (1. 022 g) by cutting a triangular brilliant (sometimes called trilliant trillion or cut), given a color as Fancy Red by the Gemological Institute of America. Although this may seem relatively small when compared to other famous diamonds, the Moussaieff Red is, in fact, the largest Fancy Red the GIA reports having value.

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8. The Heart of Eternity : $16 Millions


 
  The Heart of Eternity is a diamond measuring 27.64 carats (5.528 g). The color assessed as “Fancy Vivid Blue” by the Gemological Institute of America. The Heart of Eternity was cut by the Steinmetz Group, who has a diamond before selling to the De Beers Group.
The Heart of Eternity is a member of very rare colored diamonds. Found in the Premier Diamond Mine in South Africa. Blue (Type IIb) diamonds is less than 0.1% of the output from the Premier mine, which is the only mine in the world produce this blue diamond. From the ten colored diamonds that attract the highest bids, six out of ten were blue diamond, rating values as high as $ 550,000 to $ 580,000 per carat ($ 2750-2900 / mg).

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7. Wittelsbach Diamond : $ 16.4 Millions

 
 Wittelsbach Diamond is also known as Der Blaue Wittelsbacher is 35.56 carat (7.11 g) blue diamond with VS 2 clarity. It has been appreciated by European aristocracy for centuries. It has become part of both Austria and Bavaria, the Crown jewels.

Color and clarity have been compared with the Hope Diamond. Diamond size 24.40 mm in diameter and 8.29 mm in depth. Facet 82 has been arranged in an atypical pattern. Stars in terms of crown divided vertically and the pavilion has sixteen needle-like facets, arranged in pairs, pointing outward from the culet terms.

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6. The Steinmetz Pink : $ 25 Millions

 
 The Steinmetz Pink is the diamond weighing 59.60 carat (11.92 grams), the color defined as Fancy Vivid Pink by the Gemological Institute of America. The Steinmetz Pink is the largest known diamond has been given Vivid Pink. As a result of the scarcity of this extraordinary diamonds, the Steinmetz Group took careful 20 months to cut the Pink. It was introduced in Monaco on May 29, 2003, in a public ceremony.

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5. De Beers Centenary Diamond: $ 100 Millions

 

 
De Beers Centenary Diamond has 273. 85 carat (54. 77 g) weight. It’s the third largest diamond has been produced in the Premier Mine. The Centenary Diamond is rated as a level D color by Gemological Institute of America, which is the highest grade diamond is colorless and internally and externally flawless. Centenary Diamond was named as shown in the rough for Centennial.The Centenary Diamond was introduced formally in May 1991.

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4. The Hope Diamond : $350 Millions

   
Hope Diamond is a large, 45.52 carat (9.10 g), housed in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington. Hope Diamond exhibits DC-blue to the naked eye due to a trace amount of boron in the crystal structure, but exhibits a red phosphor under ultraviolet light. It is classified as Type IIb diamonds, and is famous for being a curse.

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3. The Cullinan : $ 400 Millions

  
The Cullinan diamond is the largest rough gem quality diamond ever found, at 3,106.75 carat (621.35 g). Largest polished stone named Cullinan I or the First Star of Africa, and the 530.2 carats (106.0 g) is the largest diamond in the world until the year 1985 the discovery of the Golden Jubilee Diamond, 545.67 carat (109.13 g), also from the Premier Mine. Cullinan I is now mounted on the head with a stick Cross. The second largest gem from the Cullinan stone, Cullinan II or the Little Star of Africa, at 317.4 carats (63.5 g), is the fourth largest diamond in the world. The second jewel in the Crown Jewels of the British Empire.

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2. The Sancy Diamond : Unestimated

 

The Sancy, a pale yellow diamond of 55.23 carat (11.05 g), once belonged to famous ancient Great Mogul, but more likely from India who was cut because of the unusual with Western standards.
Shield shaped stone consists of two back-to-back crowns (the typical upper stone) but does not have any resemblance to a pavilion (the bottom of the stone, under the belt or the middle of the body).

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1. Kohinoor : Unestimated

 
 Kohinoor which means “Mountain of Light” from the Persian, also spelled Koh-e Noor or Koh-i-Nur is 105 carats (21.6 g) diamond that was once the largest known diamond in the world. The Kohinoor originated at Golconda in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. It is owned by various Sikh, Mughal and Persian rulers who fought bitterly over it at various points in history and win the war damage time and again. After completely ignoring the Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s will was eventually confiscated by the East India Company and became part of the British Crown Jewels when British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli declared Empress of India Queen Victoria in 1877. This is the legend that anyone who has a Koh-i-Noor ruled the world. Possible condemnation associated with ownership of the diamond dates back to the Hindu texts relating to the first confirmed appearance of the diamond in 1306.


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Sunday, March 14, 2010

New Wonders vs Ancient Wonders


New Wonders vs Ancient Wonders





















Christ the Redeemer


The 105-foot-tall (38-meter-tall) 'Christ the Redeemer' statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was among the "new seven wonders of the world" announced July 7, 2007 following a global poll to decide a new list of human-made marvels.



The winners were voted for by Internet and phone, American Idol style. The other six new wonders are the Colosseum in Rome, India's Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, Jordan's ancient city of Petra, the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, and the ancient Maya city of Chichen Itza in Mexico.
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Great Wall of China


This newly elected world wonder was built along China's northern border over many centuries to keep out invading Mongol tribes.



Constructed between the fifth century B.C. and the 16th century, the Great Wall is the world's longest human-made structure, stretching some 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers). The best known section was built around 200 B.C. by the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang Di.
 
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The Colosseum, Rome, Italy


The only finalist from Europe to make it into the top seven—the Colosseum in Rome, Italy-once held up to 50,000 spectators who came to watch gory games involving gladiators, wild animals, and prisoners.



Construction began around A.D. 70 under Emperor Vespasian. Modern sports stadiums still resemble the Colosseum's famous design.
 
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Petra, Jordan


Perched on the edge of the Arabian Desert, Petra was the capital of the Nabataean kingdom of King Aretas IV (9 B.C. to A.D. 40).
Petra is famous for its many stone structures such as a 138-foot-tall (42-meter-tall) temple carved with classical facades into rose-colored rock. The ancient city also included tunnels, water chambers, and an amphitheater, which held 4,000 people.
The desert site wasn't known to the West until Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt came across it in 1812.

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Machu Picchu, Peru


One of three successful candidates from Latin America, Machu Picchu is a 15th-century mountain settlement in the Amazon region of Peru.
The ruined city is among the best known remnants of the Inca civilization, which flourished in the Andes region of western South America. The city is thought to have been abandoned following an outbreak of deadly smallpox, a disease introduced in the 1500s by invading Spanish forces.

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Chichen Itza, Mexico


Chichen Itza is possibly the most famous temple city of the Mayas, a pre-Columbian civilization that lived in present day Central America. It was the political and religious center of Maya civilization during the period from A.D. 750 to 1200.
At the city's heart lies the Temple of Kukulkan (pictured)-which rises to a height of 79 feet (24 meters). Each of its four sides has 91 steps-one step for each day of the year, with the 365th day represented by the platform on the top.

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Taj Mahal, India



The Taj Mahal, in Agra, India, is the spectacular mausoleum built by Muslim Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to honor the memory of his beloved late wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

Construction began in 1632 and took about 15 years to complete. The opulent, domed mausoleum, which stands in formal walled gardens, is generally regarded as finest example of Mughal art and architecture. It includes four minarets, each more than 13 stories tall.

Shah Jahan was deposed and put under house arrest by one of his sons soon after the Taj Mahal's completion. It's said that he spent the rest of his days gazing at the Taj Mahal from a window.

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The Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt


The Egyptian pharaoh Khufu built the Great Pyramid in about 2560 B.C. to serve as his tomb. The pyramid is the oldest structure on the original list of the seven wonders of the ancient world, which was compiled by Greek scholars about 2,200 years ago. It is also the only remaining survivor from the original list.
The Great Pyramid is the largest of three Pyramids at Giza, bordering modern-day Cairo. Although weathering has caused the structure to stand a few feet shorter today, the pyramid was about 480 feet (145 meters) high when it was first built. It is thought to have been the planet's tallest human-made structure for more than four millennia.
 
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The Colossus of Rhodes, Greece

In contrast to the pyramids, the colossus was the shortest lived of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Completed in 282 B.C. after taking 12 years to build, the Colossus of Rhodes was felled by an earthquake that snapped the statue off at the knees a mere 56 years later.



The towering figure-made of stone and iron with an outer skin of bronze—represented the Greek sun god Helios, the island's patron god. It looked out from Mandraki Harbor on the Mediterranean island of Rodos (Rhodes), although it is no longer believed to have straddled the harbor entrance as often shown in illustrations.



The Colossus stood about 110 feet (33 meters) tall, making it the tallest known statue of the ancient world. It was erected to celebrate the unification of the island's three city-states, which successfully resisted a long siege by the Antigonids of Macedonia.

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The Lighthouse of Alexandra, Egypt

The lighthouse was the only ancient wonder that had a practical use, serving as a beacon for ships in the dangerous waters off the Egyptian port city of Alexandria, now called El Iskandariya.
Constructed on the small island of Pharos between 285 and 247 B.C., the building was the world's tallest for many centuries. Its estimated height was 384 feet (117 meters) -equivalent to a modern 40-story building-though some people believe it was significantly taller.
The lighthouse was operated using fire at night and polished bronze mirrors that reflected the sun during the day. It's said the light could be seen for more than 35 miles (50 kilometers) out to sea.
The huge structure towered over the Mediterranean coast for more than 1,500 years before being seriously damaged by earthquakes in A.D. 1303 and 1323.

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The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Greece

The massive gold statue of the king of the Greek gods was built in honor of the original Olympic games, which began in the ancient city of Olympia.

The statue, completed by the classical sculptor Phidias around 432 B.C., sat on a jewel-encrusted wooden throne inside a temple overlooking the city. The 40-foot-tall (12-meter-tall) figure held a scepter in one hand and a small statue of the goddess of victory, Nike, in the other—both made from ivory and precious metals.

The temple was closed when the Olympics were banned as a pagan practice in A.D. 391, after Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire.
The statue was eventually destroyed, although historians debate whether it perished with the temple or was moved to Constantinople (now Istanbul) in Turkey and burned in a fire.

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The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Iraq


The hanging gardens are said to have stood on the banks of the Euphrates River in modern-day Iraq, although there's some doubt as to whether they ever really existed.

The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II supposedly created the terraced gardens around 600 B.C. at his royal palace in the Mesopotamian desert. It is said the gardens were made to please the king's wife, who missed the lush greenery of her homeland in the Medes, in what is now northern Iran.
Archaeologists have yet to agree on the likely site of the hanging gardens, but findings in the region that could be its remains include the foundations of a palace and a nearby vaulted building with an irrigation well.
The most detailed descriptions of the gardens come from Greek historians. There is no mention of them in ancient Babylonian records.

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The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, Turkey


The famous tomb at Halicarnassus-now the city of Bodrum-was built between 370 and 350 B.C. for King Mausolus of Caria, a region in the southwest of modern Turkey. Legend says that the king's grieving wife Artemisia II had the tomb constructed as a memorial to their love.
Mausolus was a satrap, or governor, in the Persian Empire, and his fabled tomb is the source of the word "mausoleum." The structure measured 120 feet (40 meters) long and 140 feet (45 meters) tall.
The tomb was most admired for its architectural beauty and splendor. The central burial chamber was decorated in gold, while the exterior was adorned with ornate stone friezes and sculptures created by four Greek artists.
The mausoleum stood intact until the early 15th century, when Christian Crusaders dismantled it for building material for a new castle. Some of the sculptures and frieze sections survived and can be seen today at the British Museum in London, England.

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The Temple of Artemis, Turkey


The great marble temple dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis was completed around 550 B.C. at Ephesus, near the modern-day town of Selçuk in Turkey.
In addition to its 120 columns, each standing 60 feet (20 meters) high, the temple was said to have held many exquisite artworks, including bronze statues of the Amazons, a mythical race of female warriors.
A man named Herostratus reportedly burned down the temple in 356 B.C. in an attempt to immortalize his name. After being restored, the temple was destroyed by the Goths in A.D. 262 and again by the Christians in A.D. 401 on the orders of Saint John Chrysostom, then archbishop of Constantinople (Istanbul).

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