CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR IN COLOR - January 2007

When you think of diamonds, the spectacular image of a colorless gem with flashes that reflect every color in the rainbow comes to mind. However, a diamond can actually have and possess color. In fact, they can be found in almost any color of the rainbow - black, blue, purple, pink, yellow, orange, green, and even red. There have been over 300 different colors of diamonds found. The most rare (and thus most valuable) is red.

Diamonds are made entirely of carbon; however, sometimes other elements can be in the diamond’s structure. These elements are generally what cause the color. Because of their structure, diamonds can be broken down into two groups; Type I and Type II. Type I diamonds make up 98% of all diamonds. These diamonds can be colorless, and sometimes yellow, orange, and brown. Nitrogen in the structure causes these colors. Type II diamonds can be broken down even further to Type IIa and Type IIb. The diamonds in Type IIa are considered to be the “purest of the pure” and can be colorless, yellow-brown, pink, and even purple. These make up 1-2% of all diamonds and they do not have trace elements in their structure. They are entirely carbon. Diamonds that are Type IIb make up less then 0.1% of all diamonds. These diamonds contain a little Boron, which causes the diamond to be blue or gray. Green diamonds are the only diamonds that do not get their color from the internal structure. Their color comes from exposure to nuclear rays during growth.

Throughout history there have been many admirers of colored diamonds and, recently, there has been a dramatic increase in their popularity. Queen Elizabeth II is a great admirer of natural colored diamonds. In fact, as a wedding gift she received a 54 Carat natural intense pink diamond from the Duke of Edinburgh. In 1958, the former Empress of Iran wore the world’s most famous tiara for her wedding. It included 324 brilliant pink, colorless, and yellow diamonds. Not to mention the Noor-al-Alin (Light of the Eye), one of the largest pink diamonds in the world.

Diamonds are truly something rare, and special. Whether the diamond is colorless or colored, a diamond can express feelings more than words ever could. We at Hofmeister’s would like to invite you to come and experience both our colorless and colored diamond collection and give us a chance to help you express yourself to someone you love during this festive holiday season.

GREAT DIAMONDS IN HISTORY

The Pumpkin Diamond - Halle Berry wore the 5.54ct Fancy Vivid Orange diamond, named the Pumpkin Diamond, to the 2002 Academy Awards. It is the world's largest known Fancy Vivid Orange diamond, valued at just over $3 million. Ronald Winston, along with Phillip Bloch, designed the now-famous ring.

Dresden Green - A 41ct green diamond cut in a pear. It was named after the capital of Saxony where it was exhibited for almost two centuries. Seized by the Soviets at the end of the Second World War, the Dresden Green was returned to the Germans in 1958. The stone's unique green color is due to natural exposure to radioactive materials.

The Golden Jubilee - Originally called Unnamed Brown; the Golden Jubilee was cut by Gabi Tolkowsky. This 544.67ct perfectly symmetrical diamond is the largest diamond to have ever been cut. In 1997, this diamond was offered to the king of Thailand for the 50th anniversary of his reign.

Hope Diamond - Perhaps the most famous diamond is the Hope diamond. This 45.52ct cushion cut fancy dark blue was named after one of its owners, a Henry Philip Hope. The Hope Diamond's history can be traced to a blue diamond named the Tavernier Blue. According to legend, the Tavernier Blue was stolen from an eye of a sculpted idol of the Hindu goddess Sita, the wife of Rama, the Seventh Avatara of Vishnu.

Moussaief Red - As of the mid-1990s, Moussaief Red was the largest fancy red, natural color diamond to have been graded by the GIA. It was cut by the William Goldberg Diamond Corporation. It was a 13.90ct rough and it is now cut to a 5.11ct triangular brilliant. The Moussaief was exhibited in Rome at the "Diamanti" exposition in 2002, then paid a visit to the Smithsonian Museum in 2003 as part of the "The Splendour of Diamonds" exhibit.