The jewel is in the crown worn by the Queen Mother, which was displayed on her coffin during her funeral
Almost anyone who has touched the Koh-i-Noor diamond has come to a horrible end, says a British historian.
Many precious stones have a blood-soaked history, but a new book reveals the world’s most famous diamond the Koh-i-Noor surpasses them all, with a litany of horrors that rivals “Game of Thrones.”
The Koh-i-Noor (“Mountain of Light”), now part of the British Crown Jewels, has witnessed the birth and the fall of empires across the Indian subcontinent, and remains the subject of a bitter ownership battle between Britain and India.
“It is an unbelievably violent story… Almost everyone who owns the diamond or touches it comes to a horribly sticky end,” says British historian William Dalrymple, who co-authored “Kohinoor: The Story of the World’s Most Infamous Diamond” with journalist Anita Anand.
“We get poisonings, bludgeonings, someone gets their head beaten with bricks, lots of torture, one person blinded by a hot needle. There is a rich variety of horrors in this book,” Dalrymple tells AFP in an interview.
In one particularly gruesome incident the book relates, molten lead is poured into the crown of a Persian prince to make him reveal the location of the diamond.
Today the diamond, which historians say was probably first discovered in Indiaduring the reign of the Mughal dynasty, is on public display in the Tower of London, part of the crown of the late Queen Mother.
The first record of the Koh-i-Noor dates back to around 1750, following Persian ruler Nader Shah’s invasion of the Mughal capital Delhi. Shah plundered the city, taking treasures such as the mythical Peacock Throne, embellished with precious stones including the Koh-i-Noor.
“The Peacock Throne was the most lavish piece of furniture ever made. It cost four times the cost of the Taj Mahal and had all the better gems gathered by the Mughals from across India over generations,” Dalrymple says.
The diamond itself was not particularly renowned at the time — the Mughals preferred colored stones such as rubies to clear gems. Ironically given the diplomatic headaches it has since caused, it only won fame after it was acquired by the British.
“People only know about the Koh-i-Noor because the British made so much fuss of it,” says Dalrymple.
India has tried in vain to get the stone back since winning independence in 1947, and the subject is frequently brought up when officials from the two countries meet. Iran, Pakistan and even the Afghan Taliban have also claimed the Koh-i-Noor in the past, making it a political hot potato for the British government.
Over the course of the century that followed the Mughals’ downfall, the Koh-i-Noor was used variously as a paperweight by a Muslim religious scholar and affixed to a glittering armband worn by a Sikh king.
It only passed into British hands in the middle of the nineteenth century, when Britain gained control of the Sikh empire of Punjab, now split between Pakistan and India.
Sikh king Ranjit Singh had taken it from an Afghan ruler who had sought sanctuary in India and after he died in 1839 war broke out between the Sikhs and the British.
Singh’s 10-year-old heir handed over the diamond to the British as part of the peace treaty that ended the war and the gem was subsequently displayed at the 1851 Great Exhibition in London — acquiring immediate celebrity status.
“It became, for the Victorians, a symbol of the conquest of India, just as today, for post-colonial Indians, it is a symbol of the colonial looting of India,” Dalrymple says.
The Koh-i-Noor, which is said to be cursed, has not been worn by a British monarch since the death of Queen Victoria in 1901.
It last emerged from its glass case in the Tower of London for the funeral of the Queen Mother, when it was placed on her coffin. So might it be worn again — perhaps by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, when Prince Charles ascends to the throne?
“If that doesn’t finish the monarchy, nothing else would” laughs Dalrymple.
THIS week the Zimbabwe Independent — which last week started publishing fresh stories based on its recent investigation into the Marange alluvial diamonds discovery and looting — carries a flashback on how the initially chaotic plundering of the diamondiferous Chiadzwa fields actually started after global diamond giant De Beers moved out of site where it was also accused of siphoning gems under the guise of exploration and tests, a claim it denies.
Obey Manayiti/Elias Mambo
The flooding of Chiadzwa by diamond hunters not only accelerated plunder, but also brought serious environment damage
HUNDREDS of menacing police officers, armed to the teeth with shotguns and brandishing rifles, lay in ambush at the foot of one of the mountains adjacent to a mining area in Marange where illegal miners hid after dodging details on patrol to gain adventurous access to the Chiadzwa diamond fields.
Everything seemed normal during the early hours that Saturday in 2008 as thousands of panners sang and shouted obscenities to intimidate law enforcers on patrol.
The battle lines over the Marange diamonds had been drawn; a war which was to be fought on many fronts in the years to come had broken out. The Independent’s reporter Manayiti witnessed the start of the operation.
Unbeknown to the panners, anti-riot police details from the Police Support Unit had arrived in large numbers. They had sealed the mountain and were just waiting for the order to start a massive operation to clear thousands of illegal miners from Marange.
As the order to start the operation came — a precursor to Operation Hakudzokwi (Operation No Return) — under which grisly human rights abuses and killings were to be committed by security forces, the officers ruthlessly and systematically fired gun shots as miners clambered the mountain.
As usual, the panners continued shouting “ridza titambe (fire so that we can dance) thinking it was one of the routine raids which would be easily resisted before illegal mining and looting of diamonds resumed.
The miners shouted their slogans “gweja mira, gweja hoo (illegal panner, don’t run, illegal panner stop!)”, but that did not stop the police from advancing and threatening to shoot.
“Lie down, or I shoot!” one police officer shouted, while firing his shotgun as a warning sign.
Some of the panners realised police meant business, and surrendered shortly after the scramble, chaos and skirmishes had begun. Some tried to flee, but only a few managed to escape the closing police net. Panners did not realise they were surrounded.
Many were injured in the operation, while some sustained bruises. But those who didnot suffer serious injuries were ordered to carry their counterparts to a diamond base where trucks were waiting to take the panners to Mutare for prosecution.
This was one of the methods used by police to drive away panners who had joined the diamond rush that had started as a rumour in 2006 after De Beers had left and the London-listed African Consolidated Resources (ACR) had moved in.
It all started as a rumour. Some villagers in Marange, struggling to make ends meet under conditions of runaway inflation and a collapsing economy, followed up leads from former De Beers workers to start checking around for diamonds.
At the time, villagers did not know the value of the diamonds as they had never traded in them. They, however, collected the precious stones and kept them in their homes.
“At the beginning, only a few people who worked for De Beers were aware that the company was taking away diamonds. So the process of siphoning diamonds started way back,” one of the Marange villagers, Malvern Mudiwa, told the Independent.
“The company was mining at Ushunje Mountain where Mbada Diamonds was later given a concession and taking the ore to Bezel Bridge for sorting. This only came to light after the company had left.
“People went on to spread the word that there were diamonds in Marange, but many did not believe it or take it seriously at the beginning because they thought it was lies. But there were some who confirmed seeing shiny stones which they used to shoot birds with their catapults. Many people grew up herding cattle and saw those stones, but didn’t know they were diamonds.”
Obert Mpofu, Zimbabwe’s former mines minister, made acrimonious accusations against De Beers a few years ago, saying the firm “looted tonnes” of diamonds from Marange over a period of 15 years.
“De Beers looted our diamonds for 15 years and were sending them to South Africa without our knowledge and they had even declared that area a restricted area, as if it was their land when the country belongs to us,” Mpofu said.
“Everyone knows that the diamonds at Chiadzwa are mined from the surface and De Beers was for the last 15 years alleging that they were doing prospecting and carrying out tests when in actual fact they were looting diamonds from Chiadzwa.”
However, De Beers has denied this, saying: “As we have said repeatedly before, these allegations are totally untrue. The presence of diamonds in the Marange area was first discovered in the period 2001 to 2003 by De Beers during its exploration search for primary deposits (kimberlites)”.
Mudiwa, who along with others later formed Marange Development Trust, said villagers sold the diamond pieces for a song during the early days — which immensely benefitted buyers instead of the country.
“Indeed, people went on to dig up the diamonds which were very close to the surface and they would exchange a whole cup full of diamonds for bread or other cheap food items,” Mudiwa said.
Villagers said they went for months exchanging the diamonds for small items until some buyers came into the area, increasing competition and prices as the law of demand and supply kicked in. They started bartering the diamonds for jeans, t-shirts, solar panels, radio and TV sets and DVD players, among other things.
“I remember it was around August or September of 2006 when we started seeing new faces coming to Marange,” Dadirai Mukwada, a villager, said.
“Before that we were only locals and we could identify each other. We would exchange diamonds for bread for breakfast. The Zimbabwean dollar was fast losing value and in short supply, so this cushioned us for some time.”
Headman Chiadzwa said his subjects were not really concerned about diamonds until buyers with loads of money invaded the area, fueling the looting process.
“Before the discovery of diamonds many people in my area survived on hunting and fishing,” headman Chiadzwa said.
“Even children would go to school with bows and arrows, not to attack each other but to hunt after school. That was the culture. Others weaved mats using barks from baobab trees to sell to people along the road or to those going to South Africa.
“However, things later changed after the discovery of diamonds. At first very few people knew about the diamonds and their worth until that time when there was a diamond rush which brought people from all over the country, and later the region.
“That was a stage at which many people from this area benefitted as there was huge flow of money. Some went to mine, others turned into buyers while others cooked food for sale. People from other countries came in as well as buyers.”
Within a few weeks Chiadzwa was turned into a chaotic sea of people and hive of activity. Villagers in Chiadzwa started building modern houses to replace huts, bought cars and furniture as they capitalised on the thriving diamond trade.
Most of the panning was done using sharp iron bars, picks and shovels.
People from other districts in Manicaland province got wind of what was happening and rushed to the area.
One George Mhlanga from Chipinge said he heard about the diamonds at a time when there was a frenetic gold rush in Kurwaisimba and Taka forestry plantation near Rusitu in Chimanimani and Musanditeera mountain near Mozambique in early 2007.
“I heard about the diamonds when my friends and I had gone to Chipinge town for a musical show after we had sold about 15 grammes of gold from Musanditeera,” Mhlanga said. “That was a lot of money, but at the show some people seemed to be spending much more than we were doing. They were talking about diamonds.”
Mhlanga said during that time a lot of people switched from gold to diamonds.
Word on the biggest diamond discovery since Cecil John Rhodes and attendant manna spread very fast. In no time people were flooding Chiadzwa and buyers were pouring in.
“By May 2006 there were around 100 panners in the Diamond fields, but by the end of the year the number was approximately 15 000. With the coming in of several foreign dealers a thriving market for diamonds developed. By 2008 over 35 000 people were now digging for diamonds in Marange,” Centre for Natural Resources Governance director Farai Maguwure said.
Headman Chiadzwa, however, said it did not take time before Chiadzwa was turned into a war zone.
“That culture of hunting vanished and people became more interested in diamonds. It is also important to note that people committed serious crimes during this time as they sought to maximise on the diamonds.”
The flooding of Chiadzwa by diamond hunters not only accelerated plunder, but also brought environment damage, health hazards, heavy drinking, crime, prostitution and disruption of normal social life, as well as activities such as schooling and church services.
The law of the jungle prevailed. There were some unruly panners who were identified as Magorimbo who wreaked havoc in the area. These were armed robbers who were raiding people and in some cases killing for diamonds or money.
Despite the police presence many people continued having access to the fields to loot as they would bribe security personnel to gain entry into the diamonds fields. Some buyers were also bribing the police on behalf of the syndicates, according to villagers.
“The government launched police crackdowns against illegal miners and smugglers several times since December 2006,” Canadile mining boss Lovemore Kurotwi says in his recent book, The Rise and Fall of Chiadzwa.
“In response to a call by the World Diamond Council for clampdown on smuggling, in November 2008 the Air Force of Zimbabwe was sent in to restore order in Chiadzwa after some police officers began refusing to take orders to shoot to kill the illegal miners.
“The military operation, known as Operation No Return or Hakudzokwi involved searching travellers in and out of Mutare West, with people found in possession of diamonds or foreign currency being detained and forced to fill in holes dug on the diamond fields to prevent environmental degradation.”
Human rights groups say over 200 people were killed at the diamonds fields, while thousands were maimed, tortured and brutalised in Marange.
One of the people who accidentally got caught up in the diamonds conflict was local sports journalist Simba Rushwaya, who is now based in South Africa. Rushwaya says he was almost killed — for nothing — by soldiers during the crackdown.
“Basically, I was arrested in November 2008 at my home area in Birchenough Bridge, about 372 kilometres south east of Harare under the operation code-named “Hakudzokwi” (No Return), literally meaning no one should go back to Chiadzwa diamond fields,” Rushwaya says.
“I had visited my home area from Harare to check on my then sick mother.
“Unfortunately for me, my visit coincided with the brutal operation in which we were severely beaten indiscriminately. I was picked at home alongside with three of my brothers. The security agents claimed they had gathered information that my family was buying of the gems, which was false.
“After being picked at home while brushing my teeth in the morning we were force marched into state-owned buses and army trucks. As we were headed into the buses and trucks we were beaten with sticks and clenched fists at gunpoint.”
Rushwaya continues.
“The trucks and buses then headed for Chiadzwa. Along the way the beatings intensified. It was very painful because I did not take part in diamond mining and dealing. Upon arrival at the diamond fields, we were told to sit down in a single file in holdings cells and asked to ‘bath’ with soil that was all over the place. We ‘bathed’ but little did I know worse was still to come.
“I had never been subjected to such a brutal assault in my life, all for nothing. Aggressive and angry army officers and security details formed two lines on each side of the path that would lead into our holding cell.
Armed with logs, the army details asked us one by one to crawl under the columns which was formed over 300 metres to the holding camp while they beat us without mercy.”
Rushwaya says he could not withstand the attacks and he eventually collapsed.
“I fainted from the severe beatings and many more did including those who confessed they were taking HIV treatment.
I endured the worst attack after the details discovered a press card in my wallet during their searches. They accused me of coming to Chiadzwa to report what was going on and said I was the enemy of the state.
“At that stage they classified me as one of the worst criminals in the group.
“Seven soldiers were assigned to beat me up. It was the worst nightmare of life. Two soldiers grabbed my legs while the other pair concentrated on my arms. While dangling in the air, three of the seven soldiers hit me with logs and anything they could find around. The other one concentrated on my back, the second on my buttocks with the third on my thighs as they shouted ‘journalist’.”
There is no better time of the year to sparkle than now, and these exceptional jewellery pieces from among the most creative Houses in the world will enhance any girl’s shine.
Golden thread means many things. In the case of Boucheron, it literally means threads made of gold, as seen with this “Cape de Lumière” or Mantle of Light. Entirely created on a dressmaker’s mannequin to ensure perfect fit, drape and suppleness, its elements are interconnected by a woven mesh of yellow gold thread. The pattern is a modern, stylised version of one of the House’s favourite inspirations – the peacock feather, «hand-sewn» by the Maison’s artisan-jewellers.
From the chiselled cut of the overall piece to the delicacy of its twisted chains paved with 850 round diamonds, this Mantle of Light stretches the limits of jewellery-making. A tempting 81.61 carat citrine dangles from the front attachment.
With the bold Cactus de Cartier collection, Cartier creates powerful, sculptural pieces that are young and alive. Uncompromising and original, adding a twist to a traditional inspirational source – that of nature – Cartier reveals the beauty of fascinating plants that, often unapproachable, suddenly beg to be caressed.
Sun-drenched and radiant, this cactus family is seductive and playful. From the line called “A Flower without Spikes” the irresistible 18K yellow gold bracelet shown here is dotted with zesty, succulent gemstone flowers composed of chrysoprases, emeralds, and carnelians, set with 8 brilliant-cut diamonds. While some cacti flower only at night, these specimens bloom 24 hours a day.
CHANEL Fine Jewelry brings us “Les Blés de CHANEL” inspired by wheat, a symbol of fertility and one of Mademoiselle’s recurring elements. The show-stopper seen here is the “pièce maîtresse” or masterpiece of the collection – the “Fête des Moissons” (Harvest Celebration) necklace in 18K white and yellow gold. Adorned and set with a 25-carat cut-cornered rectangular-modified brilliant-cut fancy intense yellow diamond, 121 fancy-cut multi-coloured diamonds for a total weight of 46.7 carats, 932 brilliant-cut yellow diamonds for a total weight of 40.4 carats, 10 marquise-cut diamonds for a total weight of 3.1 carats, fancy-cut brilliant-cut diamonds for a total weight of 1.4 carat, and 151 brilliant-cut diamonds for a total weight of 3.3 carats, it will transform any girl into a goddess of harvest.
Maker of among “the most fabulous jewels in the world”, Graff Diamonds recently unveiled the Graff Venus, the largest D Flawless heart shaped diamond in the world, weighing an astounding 118.78 carats. The exceptional stone took 18 months to analyse, cut and polish, with special tools developed by the House’s most skilled and experienced diamond craftsmen.
The company cuts and polishes thousands of rough diamonds every month, bringing them to life with sparkle and brilliance, before transforming them into stunning pieces of jewellery, as demonstrated here with these fabulous creations in white gold, including earrings set with 24.78 carats of diamonds, a necklace set with 66.35 carats of diamonds, and a 14.17 carat oval diamond ring with a total of 15.37 carats of diamonds.
The privileged wrist attaching the clasp is wearing a MasterGraff Dual Time Tourbillon 43mm in rose gold, with diamond cufflinks in rose gold to match.
“Talk to me Harry Winston!” sang Marilyn Monroe, and this Winston Cluster Diamond Bracelet from The Incredibles collection by Harry Winston is definitely a talking piece. The Incredibles collection represents the pinnacle of the House’s craftsmanship and design, and if diamonds really are a girl’s best friend, the lucky lady who will wear this gorgeous bracelet in platinum will have 142 friends on her wrist – 142 marquise and pear shaped diamonds to be precise, for a total weight of 79.08 cts. And that cluster setting? Incredible!
Photos courtesy of Boucheron, Cartier, Chanel, Graff and Harry Winston.
She was reportedly ejected from a hotel in Glasgow following alleged unruly behaviour on December 11.
But now The Sun reports that Katie Price is threatening legal action against the Lorne hotel after she claims £100k worth of jewellery went missing from the venue.
The publication reports that the 38-year-old told a friend: ‘The hotel’s tale of events is complete rubbish. The truth is we are going legal with them as over £100,000 worth of my diamonds were stolen from that hotel.’
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‘I’ve had £100k worth of diamonds stolen’ Katie Price has reportedly ‘threatened legal action against the Lorne hotel in Glasgow where she was recently ejected following unruly behaviour’
MailOnline has contacted a spokesperson for Katie Price further information.
The news comes after she was filmed worse for wear and stripping off at a Christmas party in Derby on Monday after being paid £13k to attend.
Regrets? Eight days after Katie was reportedly ejected from the hotel, she was criticised for her drunken rants at the EnergySave Christmas party in Derby – for which she was paid £13k
‘Our housekeeping team and duty manager checked the room thoroughly but found no left belongings.
‘The hotel’s deputy GM was on duty and called the number she gave three time with no answer, therefore we confirmed to her ny email that nothing was found.
‘We have heard nothing from her since. Miss Price is of course welcome to contact me to discuss the matter further.’
Katie was reportedly removed from the hotel in Glasgow last weekend following an alleged episode of unruly behavior.
The Loose Women panelist was appearing at a Glaswegian nightclub last Saturday – Bar Budda – where she was being paid to attend one of their party nights.
According to The Sun, following the night out she returned to her hotel where she was swiftly removed for reported bad behaviour.
Given that she was stranded in a Scottish city, miles from her home in South East England, it is said that she tracked down the club promoter who had arranged the appearance and allegedly asked to stay with him until morning.
The publication reports that the 38-year-old told a friend: ‘The hotel’s tale of events is complete rubbish. The truth is we are going legal with them as over £100,000 worth of my diamonds were stolen from that hotel’
This account of events comes from someone in attendance at the nightclub, who told The Sun: ‘A few hours after she had done a personal appearance… Katie woke the owner of Bar Budda up telling him she needed somewhere to stay because she had been thrown out of the hotel they booked for her.
‘She ended up sleeping for a few hours in a room at the owner’s house. The whole thing was a complete nightmare and they’ll think twice before asking her back.’
Reports claim Katie was paid thousands of pounds for the personal appearance, on top of her travel and accommodation.
It’s not clear what took place in the hotel room – or whether or not the facts of the story are entirely accurate.
However, a spokesperson for the hotel has taken the unusual step to release a statement slamming the star’s behaviour.
Claims: A source told The Sun, ‘She had clearly been causing trouble in her hotel room. She ended up sleeping for a few hours in a room at the owner’s house’The insider alleged: ‘The whole thing was a complete nightmare and they’ll think twice before asking her back’
Hotel management said: ‘It is extremely rare for us to take the kind of action which results in a guest being ejected. The guest became extremely abusive towards the staff member and so the duty manager agreed to escort them to the room.
‘Once the guest was granted access to the room, they continued to shout abuse and to make matters worse, threw plates at the duty manager, breaking these against the wall.
‘The police were called. After the police spoke with the guest for almost an hour, the guest was invited to leave the premises.
‘The hotel chose not to press any charges and simply wanted a quick resolution to the issue for the safety of our guests and our staff.’
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: ‘Around 1.50am on December 11 staff at the Lorne Hotel in Glasgow asked police to attend.
‘Upon attending advice was given and no complaint was made. No further action was taken.’
Katie has since vowed to change her ways and has claimed she will give up drinking for one year. Loose Women have confirmed she will keep her place on the show.
Brief encounter: The Loose Women panelist was appearing at a Glaswegian nightclub last Saturday – Bar Budda – where she was being paid to attend one of their party nightEvicted? Reports claim Katie was paid thousands of pounds for the personal appearance, on top of her travel and accomodation
These reports come after Katie revealed that she spent an evening partying with the likes of Eddie Redmayne and David Cameron.
‘I don’t get star-struck but it was a real A-list party and I couldn’t believe they knew who I am,’ she said of the occasion on Loose Women this week.
Fellow panelist Nadia Sawalha playfully said to her: ‘Well you do get about a bit, Katie.’
The caramel-haired beauty admitted she gets nervous going to parties and ‘hates all the small talk’.
Loved-up: Katie recently shared a smitten selfie with husband Kieran Hayler as they celebrated their anniversary
She said: ‘I don’t walk in and shout, “Hey I’m here – WAHOO!”. I’m quite quiet.’
The staff of her Glaswegian hotel might beg to differ.
Meanwhile, Katie has defied her critics by celebrating her four year anniversary with her husband Kieran Hayler.
The reality star posted a very loved-up selfie of her looking longingly into her former stripper partner’s eyes as they celebrated the milestone.
She simply captioned the Instagram: ‘Four year anniversary!’
Party-hopping: These reports come after Katie revealed that she spent an evening partying with the likes of Eddie Redmayne and David Cameron
A flawed diamond certification scheme has failed to account for diamond extraction involving rights violations across Africa.
Few jewellery firms have policies to assess the risk of child labour and abuses in their diamond supply chains (Christian Locka)
The failure of European jewellery firms to scrutinise their supply chains and a flawed diamond certification scheme are fuelling child labour and sexual abuse in artisanal mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a campaign group said on Thursday.
Thousands of children work illegally in diamond mines in Congo’s diamond-rich Kasai region – mainly to pay for food and school fees – and girls who live around the mines are prey to rape, forced marriage and prostitution, according to Swedwatch.
Yet few jewellery firms have policies to assess the risk of child labour and abuses in their diamond supply chains, and many do not provide public information about efforts to operate responsibly, Swedwatch said in a report.
Swedwatch also said the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), an initiative seeking to end trade in “blood diamonds” used to finance conflict, was obscuring rights abuses.
The KPCS classifies less than 0.1% of the world’s diamonds as untradeable for ethical reasons.
Yet this figure only includes diamonds used by rebel groups to finance conflict, and does not account for diamond extraction involving rights violations across Africa, Swedwatch said.
“The KPCS is outdated and does not cover most human rights abuses linked to diamond extraction today,” says Therese Sjöström, a researcher at Swedwatch.
Andrey Polyakov, head of the World Diamond Council (WDC), said the success of the KPCS was based on its focus on conflict.
“However, as WDC, we are against any form of human rights violations,” he said. “As the industry voice, we take it as our responsibility to continue the ongoing discussions within the KPCS to press to reform and further strengthen the process.”
Many of the children who spoke to Swedwatch said they worked in the mines to pay for food or to cover unofficial school fees in a country where education is nominally free. Others were orphans, or abandoned by their parents, and worked to survive.
Sexual abuse and rape of girls and women around the mines is widespread, yet there is no access to professional support for victims, according to Swedwatch, which monitors the impact of Swedish companies on the environment and human rights.
Swedwatch called on the Congolese government to protect children in artisanal mines from illegal child labour, and said jewellery companies should improve the regulation of their supply chains, and work together to demand reform of the KPCS.
The KPCS is chaired by participating countries on rotation. Australia takes over from the United Arab Emirates next year, and will be followed by the European Union in 2018. – Thomson Reuters Foundation
Crater of Diamonds State Park will host a family-friendly hike around the Little Missouri River Trail on New Year’s Day.
The 1 p.m. event is part of the America’s State Parks First Day Hikes initiative in all 50 states.
Participants should meet at the Little Missouri River Trailhead, across from Site 22 in the park campground, by 1 p.m. Limited parking is available at the trailhead and nearby bathhouse, said Waymon Cox, park interpreter.
Hikers of all ages can participate. Cox suggests wearing sturdy walking shoes and dressing for the weather. He also suggested bringing drinking water. The park facilities, including the diamond search area, will be closed for the holiday.
First Day Hikes originated about 25 years ago at Blue Hills Reservation — a state park in Milton, Mass. Last year, more than 55,000 people participated in 1,100 guided hikes across the country that covered more than 133,000 miles. In Arkansas’ state parks, 53 hikes were offered at 33 parks, with 694 hikers covering 1,123 miles, Cox said.
The Little Missouri River Trail at Crater of Diamonds State Park extends through the forest from the campground to a scenic overlook on the Little Missouri River. This 1.2-mile loop provides a relaxing, one-hour hike over level terrain. Half of the trail has paved, barrier-free access, and the unpaved section of the trail is also easily walked.
Jily Ji was 24 when she got her first diamond ring, a 2.5-carat solitaire given to her by her parents. In the three years since, the executive assistant from Shanghai has amassed a 15-piece diamond collection, including a ring, pendant earrings and necklaces that she bought for herself.
“We don’t have to passively wait to be gifted a diamond by a man,” the unmarried college graduate said. “Diamond jewelry is a natural way to express ourselves. It’s a far better investment than most fashion items as it won’t only gain value, but can also be passed down through the generations.”
Financially independent, college-educated and born in China after 1980, Ji personifies a key consumer group the world’s diamond industry is counting on for growth. So-called millennials now account for 68 percent of diamond jewelry sales by value in the world’s most-populous country — worth $6.76 billion last year, according to research by De Beers SA, the world’s biggest diamond producer.
Millennial women — defined by De Beers as those aged from 18 to 34 — spent about $26 billion on diamond jewelry in 2015 in the world’s four main markets, acquiring more than any other generation, Chief Executive Officer Bruce Cleaver said in a report in September. These 220 million potential diamond consumers are still a decade away from their most affluent life stage, representing a “significant opportunity” for the industry, Cleaver said.
Tapping them could buoy prices from the gems, which dropped 18 percent last year, the most since 2008.
No Jade
Diamonds have caught the eye of Chinese consumers only recently because of their exposure to western lifestyles and marketing, said Ji, a business-English graduate, who counts Harry Winston Inc. and Tiffany & Co. among her favorite diamond jewelers. Her mother, for example, is more likely to purchase jade or gold jewelry, she said.
For Chinese millennials, diamonds are more of a fashionable mark of achievement instead of a symbol of everlasting love, said Joan Xu, Shanghai-based associate planning director at J. Walter Thompson, an advertising agency. The trend is changing how companies such as Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd. and Shanghai-traded Lao Feng Xiang Co. are designing and marketing jewelry in China.
Chow Tai Fook, the market leader in Chinese jewelry with a 5.7 percent share, bought Boston-based Hearts on Fire Co. for $150 million in 2014, giving it a greater selection of unique, millennial-preferred pieces, including earrings and pendants with multiple small diamonds embedded in precious metals.
‘Practical and Fashionable’
“We need to tap into this audience very quickly with designs for millennials that are more practical and fashionable, such as mixing gold with diamond,” Chow Tai Fook Executive Director Adrian Cheng said in an interview in Hong Kong.
Chow Tai Fook, for whom millennials make up half its clientele, will introduce new lines and products by the end of 2017 and has signed spokespersons including 29-year-old South Korean actor-singer Li Min-ho and rapper G-Dragon, 28, to reach millennial buyers, Cheng said.
That may help the Hong Kong-based retailer, which operates more than 2,000 jewelry and luxury watch outlets, boost sales and profit, which have slumped since mid-2014 as an economic slowdown and crackdown on graft dampened Chinese demand for luxury goods.
Shanghai-based Lao Feng Xiang, which is majority-owned by the Shanghai government with 3,000 stores throughout China and 5.4 percent of the market, is also working to offer more choice for millennial women, said Marketing Manager Wang Ensheng.
Fashion Chaser
“This consumer isn’t looking for super expensive jewelry,” Wang said in a telephone interview. “She’s chasing fashion, she changes outfits every day, and wants jewelry to match. What we need to provide for her are pieces that are personalized, unique — but not too expensive, as she’ll possess many, not just one diamond piece.”
The young middle-class are the target for Luk Fook Holdings International Ltd., said its executive director Nancy Wong. Hong-Kong based Luk Fook, which has 1,400 stores in mainland China and a 0.7 percent market share, will provide manicurists in some of its stores and “handsome” chauffeurs to win over females customers, she said.
Independence is the top trait Chinese millennial women identify with, according to a Female Tribes survey conducted by J. Walter Thompson that interviewed 4,300 women across nine countries about a year ago. More than two in five Chinese respondents said financial independence was more important than marriage, and 32 percent identified success as financial independence.
Pandora A/S, the Denmark-based maker of silver charm bracelets, said it’s intentionally staying away from love-centric marketing. This year, Pandora doubled its number of stores throughout China from 43 to 81.
No Lovey-Dovey
“You won’t see a couple in our images,” said Isabella Mann, Pandora’s Hong Kong-based vice president of marketing for Asia on the phone. “That has been a premeditated decision. We want our brands to appeal to as many people as possible, and we think it’s dated to show a lovey-dovey couple in a jewelry ad.”
That may be wise. An unfavorable demographic shift leading to fewer weddings has resulted in a “tepid” outlook for Hong Kong-listed jewelry companies, HSBC Global Research analysts Lina Yan, Karen Choi, Erwan Rambourg and Vishal Goel said in an October report. They forecast that wedding rates would fall 1 percent in each of the next two years because of a decline in the population of millennial women.
Divorce in China has also risen, with more than 3.84 million couples splitting up in 2015, a 5.6 percent increase from the year before, said China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs in July.
The national divorce rate is now 2.8 per 1,000 individuals, up from 0.9 in 2002.
Marriage Not Forever
“Companies that are built on the institution of marriage, like diamond companies, will struggle a little bit unless they evolve,” said J. Walter Thompson’s Xu. “The idea was that marriage is eternal — like diamonds — but what happens when marriage is not seen as eternal anymore?”
Millennials getting divorced could ultimately be positive for the diamond industry. De Beers’ research from the U.S. found that Americans spend 20 percent more on the diamond ring bought for their second marriage than their first, said Stephen Lussier, De Beers’ executive vice president for marketing on the phone.
“There’s no reason why second marriages in China should not take the same trend as in the U.S.,” he said. “This gives us an opportunity at a larger market.”
Diamond offcuts. (Courtesy of Evan Smith/Carnegie Institution for Science)
In January 1905, at the Premier Mine in northeastern South Africa, a mine superintendent named Frederick Wells discovered a diamond. It was not unusual to discover diamonds in the mine. But this particular gem was huge: Uncut at 3,106 carats, or 1.3 pounds, the crystal was so large, the story goes, that Wells at first believed other miners had buried a hunk of glass in the mine as a prank.
The gemstone was genuine. It would come to bear the name of the mine’s owner, Sir Thomas Cullinan, who mailed it to London (costing, Century Magazine noted in 1909, $1 in postage while insured at a value of $1.25 million). There, the government of the South African colony Transvaal presented it to British monarch King Edward VII for his birthday. Jewelers carved the Cullinan diamond into nine principal stones — the largest two remain among the Crown Jewels — and dozens of smaller gems.
Most diamonds, of course, do not weigh almost as much as a regulation NBA basketball. But a very few of the carbon crystals, which have earned names such as the Cullinan, the Constellation diamond and the Koh-i-Noor, are far larger than the average engagement gem.
To geochemists like Evan M. Smith, at the Gemological Institute of America in New York, the stones have more than monetary worth or pretty sparkles. The material, and its imperfections, are valuable. Diamonds are hardened capsules of chemical information, containing insights into forces hundreds of miles below the earth. As Smith told NPR, “Diamond is the ultimate Tupperware.”
Smith and his colleagues at American, Italian and South African research institutions recently published an examination of these stones in the journal Science. The typical diamond formed about 100 miles beneath the surface, where pressure squeezed pockets of carbon atoms into precious crystals. The giant diamonds, the new research suggests, were birthed in liquid metal pools even deeper below.
For chemical analysis, the scientists collected a handful of offcuts — the scraps and shavings that result from crafting jewels — from some of the largest diamonds. Such diamonds, like the Cullinan, have little nitrogen content. They tend to be lumpy or irregular in shape and have very few of the flaws called inclusions.
A diamond with inclusions. (Courtesy of Jae Liao/Carnegie Institution for Science)
But these diamonds are not completely perfect. Thanks to an analysis of the inclusions within the offcuts, as well as an inspection of 53 Type II diamonds, which are free of nitrogen, the researchers discovered globs of trapped metal. Three in four diamonds contained iron and nickel alloys in their imperfections, plus sulfur, carbon and hydrogen compounds.
The scientists also detected “a thin fluid jacket” of methane, the authors wrote in the study, that surrounded the inclusions like a film. Fifteen of the diamonds, too, had traces of the mineral garnet.
Taking all of the chemical clues together, the inclusions suggested the existence of liquid metal pockets in Earth’s rocky mantle between 240 and 460 miles below the surface. (Garnet is unstable beyond 466 miles beneath the surface, the scientists noted.) That is as far below our feet as satellites in low Earth orbit, NPR noted, are above our heads; the Kola Superdeep Borehole, the world’s deepest human-made hole, goes down7.5 miles beneath Russian soil.
After the diamonds crystallized out of the liquid metal, shafts of erupting rock called kimberlite propelled the gems to the surface. The kimberlite pipes may have traveled violently, thrust upward at speeds of 30 miles an hour, National Museum of Natural History geologist Jeffrey E. Posttold Smithsonian Magazine in 2006. “Once the diamonds are brought to the surface and cooled relatively quickly, those carbon atoms are locked into place,” he said, preventing the atoms from forming graphite, another all-carbon structure.
Earlier experiments hinted at metallic iron in the deep mantle. Smith, in anews release, called the Type II diamond inclusions “consistent, systematic physical evidence to support this prediction.”
Researchers are examining inclusions in billions-year-old diamonds to learn not just about the deep Earth but also the planet’s ancient history. Steven Shirey, a co-author of the recent study and a geochemist at the Carnegie Institution for Science, said in a 2011 study release that diamond imperfections can “provide age and chemical information for a span of more than 3.5 billion years that includes the evolution of the atmosphere, the growth of the continental crust, and the beginning of plate tectonics.”
Diamond is considered a master healer for its ability to unify the mind and body. It is best used as a support stone, amplifying the powers of other minerals when working on specific issues, especially where congestion of energy has caused a physical imbalance.
The Diamond is beneficial in purifying and strengthening brain function, nerves and sensory organs. It is thought to aid in balancing the brain hemispheres, and to be good for strokes, epilepsy, and to combat aging of the cells and restoring energy levels. It should be avoided in cases of paranoid psychosis, depressive manias, and obsessive jealousy.
Diamonds have been used to cure constipation, urine retention, and in general, all organs concerned with removing waste from the body. Applying a Diamond at the kidneys is reputed to accelerate the evacuation of stones. As the effect will persist after it has been removed, it is recommended to proceed in short sessions of five minutes.
While Diamonds do not work directly on the emotional body, their intense energy can amplify the power of any emotional state, from bliss to despair, and should be worn with vigilance. It may even be necessary to remove them if one is in a particularly bad frame of mind. However, Diamonds infuse all levels of the energetic self with Light and may be used therapeutically to intensify and “burn through” underlying emotional issues, allowing one to feel lighter, more joyful, and more aligned with Spirit.
Diamond carries a high-frequency energy that stimulates and opens all of the chakras, especially the Crowns and Etheric Chakras.
The Crown Chakra is located at the top of the head, and is our gateway to the expanded universe beyond our bodies. It controls how we think, and how we respond to the world around us. It is the fountainhead of our beliefs and the source of our spirituality. It connects us to the higher planes of existence and is the source of universal energy and truth. When the Crown is in balance, our energies are in balance. We know our place in the universe and see things as they are. We are unruffled by setbacks, knowing they are an essential part of life.
Etheric Chakras are considered to be above the head and are attuned to higher, more spiritually enlightened things. They embody true humility and provide a soul connection, the highest self-illumination, and a cosmic doorway to other worlds. Diamonds in particular identify with the immortal part of the self – personal identification with the Infinite, and oneness with God, peace and wisdom.
Diamond Spiritual Energy
For anyone who has lost their identity or self-worth, is confused, reluctant or unable to step into their spiritual destiny in this life, the Diamond brings a sense of radiance, a loving energy that clears the aura and fills the emptiness with purity and Light. It links with the Divine, and as the evolution and required growth manifests within the heart, it allows the soul’s light to shine out and be shared with others.
Diamond also encourages one to look at the struggles and hardships of life and see if the lessons and growth they’ve provided can be used in a positive way. The Diamond lends strength in dealing with high-pressure situations and assists in responding with grace. It asks us to be a model of fortitude in times of adversity, and helps one understand it is in these difficult times our behavior reveals our true inner beauty and our soul’s knowledge.
Diamond Color Energy
The clear, colorless Diamond is not influenced by color energy; rather it is a stone of light, an ideal prism, diffusing all the colors of the spectrum.
Diamonds also form in many colors, adding their own unique properties to the energy of the stone.
Meditation with Diamond
Diamond crystals are perfect transducers, allowing the high-frequency vibrational energies of the spirit realms to be more available to the conscious self. Used in meditation, especially when placed on the Third Eye, these crystals facilitate the entry into meaningful visionary states and may heighten one’s psychic powers. Placing a second Diamond over the heart activates the energetic circuit between the two vital centers and influences them to act in synergistic union as Nature intended.
Diamond Divination
The Divinatory meaning of Diamond: Proof of your abilities will come from an unexpected source. Dreaming of Diamonds signifies victory over enemies.
Diamond and the Angelic Realm
Diamonds often carry the energies of angelic beings that are aligned with courage and Light, and inspire us to bravely express our most sacred self. [Ahsian, 136]If your birthday falls in any of the following periods, a colorless Diamond can be a valuable conduit to your Guardian Angel. The table also provides the name of the Guardian Angel of those born in the time period.
Photos by Samuel Hoffman | The Journal Gazette Diamonds can be tested electronically, but Jim Fairfield of Fairfield’s Rare Coins and Jewelry uses a loupe and years of experience to determine authenticity. Since the mid-1990s diamonds certified by the Gemological Institute of America feature a laser-etched code on the edge or girdle of the gem, a number easily read with a loupe.
Pete Springer is a seasoned jeweler, so he can quickly distinguish between a diamond and a cubic zirconia.
When it comes to man-made diamonds versus those that are mined, it might take a closer inspection to differentiate.
Springer Jewelers doesn’t carry man-made diamonds. Springer said the business his grandfather started 85 years ago doesn’t get many inquiries about them.
“It’s a niche market,” Springer said, although if someone were interested, he could get what he wanted “the next day.”
Fort Wayne-area residents interested in man-made diamond options can find some of the sparkly jewels at Bradley Gough Diamonds.
Brad Gough, who has been in the jewelry business since 1978, said man-made or “lab-created” diamonds can be “absolutely beautiful.”
Gough declined to say what percentage of sales are lab-created diamonds but said interest is growing.
“The important thing is that (customers) deal with a reputable dealer that discloses the difference” between the diamonds, he said.
Fairfield’s Rare Coins and Jewelry said the best gauge is a certificate that comes with diamonds.
Gemological Institute of America is one of the most respected for assessing authenticity, Jim Fairfield, owner of Fairfield’s jewelry said.
Fairfield said he doesn’t sense much interest – or awareness – by local consumers of lab-created diamonds. Even when looking at certificates, consumers should be conscientious, because some certificates could be fake.
“It’s not uncommon,” Fairfield said, “for people to come in with what people think is a diamond and unfortunately we have to give them the bad news that it is a synthetic or a man-made; never a fun job.”
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