Where is the Orlov diamond now?

HOW I GOT INTO RUSSIA
DIAMOND “ORLOV”?
Answers Anastasia Voiko,
author of the portal “Culture.RF” HOW I GOT INTO RUSSIA
DIAMOND “ORLOV”?
Answers Anastasia Voiko,
author of the portal “Culture.RF” Contemporaries believed that Count Orlov could not have spent so much money on a gift to the Empress. And if Catherine II had officially bought the stone herself, her contemporaries would have condemned her for wasting public funds. The Orlov gemstone is one of the most famous diamonds from the Russian Diamond Fund. Mineralogist Alexander Fersman wrote: “It may serve as an example of the rare purity of water, of a very pleasing hue, a faint bluish-green tint, so beautiful in some of the old stones of India.” There are many legends associated with this diamond. Even its exact origin is unknown. The precious stone was found on the territory of the Mughal Empire, which was the name given to the state that arose in India in the 1650th – 787th centuries. Fersman wrote that it was the “Orlov” that was previously known as the “Great Mogul” diamond; it was discovered in 300. The original weight of this legendary stone was XNUMX carats, the largest diamond ever discovered in India. Shah Jahan, the Mughal Emperor, commissioned the Italian master Hortensio Borgio to cut the stone. The jeweler’s work was unsuccessful: the diamond’s weight became less than XNUMX carats. In the XNUMXth century, the French traveler Jean-Baptiste Tavernier described the “Great Mogul”: The Orlov gemstone is one of the most famous diamonds from the Russian Diamond Fund. Mineralogist Alexander Fersman wrote: “It may serve as an example of the rare purity of water, of a very pleasing hue, a faint bluish-green tint, so beautiful in some of the old stones of India.” There are many legends associated with this diamond. Even its exact origin is unknown. The precious stone was found on the territory of the Mughal Empire, which was the name given to the state that arose in India in the 1650th – 787th centuries. Fersman wrote that it was the “Orlov” that was previously known as the “Great Mogul” diamond; it was discovered in 300. The original weight of this legendary stone was XNUMX carats, the largest diamond ever discovered in India. Shah Jahan, the Mughal Emperor, commissioned the Italian master Hortensio Borgio to cut the stone. The jeweler’s work was unsuccessful: the diamond’s weight became less than XNUMX carats. In the XNUMXth century, the French traveler Jean-Baptiste Tavernier described the “Great Mogul”: A large diamond in the shape of a round rose, very tall on one side. There was a small cut on the lower rib, and in it there was a small cloudy spot. This diamond is very clear and weighs 319 ½ ratis, which is 280 of our carats, since a ratis is ⅞ a carat. There were several cloudy spots in it. If this stone had been in Europe, it would have been handled differently: good pieces would have been extracted from it, and it would have retained more weight instead of being ground into powder during cutting. In 1739, Delhi, the capital of the Mughals, was captured by the Persian ruler Nadir Shah. He took the entire treasury of the Indian emperors to Persia. Eight years later, Nadir Shah was killed, civil war began in the country, and the stone disappeared. French diplomat Louis Dutan in his book “Precious and Noble Stones” described how the “Great Mogul” came to Europe. The stone was allegedly located in the eye of a statue of one of the Indian gods, which stood in a sanctuary in the south of the country. A French soldier kidnapped him from there. And then, according to legend, he sold the stone to the British. A plan was born in the soldier’s head. He deserted the army, declared himself a Hindu sympathizer, and accepted their religion. He forgot his French name – Yves Desroches, became Raj and began to pray fervently. A year later, rumors of his holy deed spread around the region. The newly-minted Raj was received by the high priests of Brahma (Vishnu, Krishna) and allowed to pray in the sacred Sri Rangam temple. However, he was not allowed into the seventh pagoda, and then the newly-minted Raj hid in the temple and in the darkness of the night made his way to the statue of Brahma. His dim candle illuminated the eye of the deity. The thief reached out and snatched the stone. But in the flickering light it seemed to him that Brahma’s other eye sparkled menacingly and maliciously. Iv-Raj got scared and jumped out of the temple, stealing only one treasure. Elena Korovina. “The Great Secrets of Gold, Money and Jewels” In the 1760s, the diamond changed several owners until it came to the Armenian merchant Gregory Safras. He boasted to the Astrakhan Governor-General Ivan Jacobi that he had obtained “ a rare thing in the world, a diamond stone of an expensive price ” At the same time, the diamond received the name “Amsterdam”: the merchant kept it in a safe in this city. Safras sold the stone to his wife’s nephew, Catherine II’s court jeweler Ivan Lazarev. So the diamond received another name – “Lazarevsky”. And already from Lazarev in 1773, Count Grigory Orlov acquired the stone. According to one version, Orlov bought the diamond with his own funds. So he wanted to return the favor of Catherine II. The count paid 400 thousand rubles for the stone. Diplomat Victor von Solms recalled that Orlov gave the empress a diamond on November 24, 1773, on her name day. He was the only one who came to the holiday in Tsarskoe Selo without a gift. And in the middle of the evening, Orlov unexpectedly took out a small box in which lay the legendary stone. According to another version, Catherine II herself bought the diamond with funds from the treasury. At that time, 400 thousand rubles was a large sum. Contemporaries believed that Count Orlov could not have spent so much money on a gift to the Empress. And if Catherine II had officially bought the stone herself, her contemporaries would have condemned her for wasting public funds. Therefore, she gave Orlov the money, he bought the diamond and solemnly presented it to the empress. In 1774, court jewelers set the stone into the top of the imperial scepter. At the same time, the diamond received its modern name – “Orlov”. In front of the crown lies a golden scepter, and the famous “Orlov” sparkles in it. How much blood and tears, how much misfortune and grief are associated with the fate of this diamond, as beautiful now as when it was called the “Sea of ​​Fire”, calmly sparkling with its ancient Indian cut. Alexander Fersman. “Memories of a Stone” For a long time, the scepter – one of the symbols of imperial power in Russia – was kept in the Diamond Room of the Winter Palace. Each of the country’s rulers held it in their hands when they were crowned kings. After the revolution, the item ended up in the State Repository of Valuables. In the 1920s, the Bolsheviks wanted to sell the scepter along with other jewelry of the imperial family, but it turned out to be too expensive, so no one bought it. Nowadays, the scepter is kept in the Armory Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin. Jewelry experts and ordinary jewelry lovers have definitely heard about the Orlov diamond. This is a large diamond with a unique shape and cut. The latter is also called Indian rose, which speaks of its Asian roots and similarity to a beautiful flower. Many small edges emit incredible shine in natural and artificial light. But the Orlov diamond is known not only for its appearance, but also for the legends associated with its origin. He also has several “brothers,” one of whom is credited with mystical properties. Today we will introduce you to the basic truths and myths about the Orlov diamond. We are sure that the information will be useful to everyone who is interested in jewelry, precious stones, as well as the history of the Russian imperial house.

Uniquely cut diamond named after Count Orlov

The diamond with the name of the legendary count, the favorite of Empress Catherine II, is a diamond in the shape of a chicken egg cut in half. Its dimensions are also appropriate. The stone has a bluish-greenish tint, an uneven chipping surface, and the Indian rose cut ensures the stunning shine of the mineral in the light. With such decoration it is impossible to go unnoticed – the stone attracts attention and arouses admiration from everyone who saw it. It is difficult to imagine such a jewel being included in the outfit of someone other than a king, king or emperor. Since the mid-18th century, this stone has adorned the scepter of Catherine II and is a family heirloom of the Russian crown. It has retained its original cut, and therefore carries historical value.

The history of the appearance of the diamond by Catherine II

As we have already said, the Orlov diamond is interesting not only for its Indian rose cut and its size, but also for its history of origin. The path of the mineral to the Russian Empire was quite long. It is generally accepted that it originally served as decoration for one of the statues in the Indian Buddha temple. There he was noticed by a British soldier. The military man decided that such a miracle of nature should not remain in the temple, and stole the diamond, for which he even had to become a novice and live for some time in a Hindu religious community. After the theft, the British fled India, but was so afraid for his life after the crime that he tried to sell the jewelry as quickly as possible. A few years after the theft, the diamond was discovered in Central Asia – it became the property of the ruling Mughal dynasty. The stone came to the Shah in its natural form with a weight of about 300-400 carats. A local jeweler processed the unique jewel and gave it its original shape. The Indian rose appeared in all its glory, but its size decreased significantly after work. The diamond already weighed about 190 carats and had 120 facets. The result did not make the Shah very happy, and he decided to punish the master and take the stone without any payment. For some time, the jewel was in the treasury of the Mughal dynasty, but after one of the uprisings it ended up in the hands of the rebels, who sold it to a merchant from Armenia. He was engaged in the purchase and sale of Persian carpets and decided to invest all his savings in a unique diamond. After acquiring the jewelry, the merchant left Asia for Europe and left the mineral in a bank in Amsterdam. The death of the merchant also influenced the fate of the stone – it was inherited by the daughter of an Armenian, who, together with her husband named Lazarev, decided to sell the diamond. The new owner was Count Orlov, who decided to use the diamond as a gift to the Empress. At that time, Catherine II’s favorite was Prince Potemkin. The count wanted to regain the empress’s favor, and the incredible beauty of the Indian Rose stone could become a powerful argument. Unfortunately, despite the fact that the ruler really liked the mineral and accepted it as a gift, she did not want to restore relations with the count. But the diamond became the decoration of the scepter and the family jewel of the Roman family. And the count’s surname is immortalized in the name of the diamond. Today the Orlov diamond is in the Diamond Fund of the Russian Federation and is one of its main pearls. The stunning beauty of the Indian Rose cut and the fascinating history of the stone’s origins attract the attention of millions to this jewel. Sometimes it is called by other names – Lazarev and Amsterdam. Once you get acquainted with the history of the origin of the diamond, you can easily understand where these names come from.

Legends about the “cursed” black diamond Orlov

Diamond Orlov has a “brother” – Black Orlov. It received this name for its color and mystical essence. There are many legends associated with this mineral. Black diamond has other names:

• Ice Shard of Cocytus;
• Stone of devilish power.

The information we have collected about this product is very contradictory. There are many questions and uncertainties about each event, but some of this may be true. The main legends about the Black Orlov diamond:

1. The stone adorned a Buddha statue in India, but was stolen by an unknown monk. The weight of the mineral was more than 95 carats, and such a treasure could not remain unnoticed for long by people with criminal intentions. After the theft, a curse was placed on the diamond, which continues to this day.
2. The mineral belonged to Countess Natalya Orlova and drove her to suicide while traveling in Europe. But this fact is not confirmed by historians. And Natalya was only one in the Orlov family, and she lived to be 90 years old.
3. The owners of the diamond were also real personalities, whose existence is documented – Princess Golitsyna-Baratynskaya and Maria Leshchinskaya. Both women committed suicide while in possession of the black mineral.
4. After gaining notoriety, the stone was split into several pieces by one jeweler, and now only the largest element is known – a rectangular diamond. He is rumored to be in New York, but there is no official confirmation.

All natural diamonds, according to esoteric experts, have very powerful energy. They affect not only their owners, but also their environment. Mystical power is most dangerous in black diamonds. They are difficult to process and are capable of subjugating people to their energy. Black Orlov is a diamond that influenced the destinies of many individuals. Even the jeweler who split it fell under the influence of the mineral. He lost his money and property, lost his mind and could no longer continue to do his business.

Despite the high value of diamonds, it is extremely difficult to sell stones like Black Orlov. People who have the right amount of money are often very superstitious and are unlikely to want to possess such a source of negative energy. There are rumors that the last owner of the diamond tried to put it up for auction in America under a different name, but the deception was discovered and the deal did not take place.

Diamond Shah – another treasure of the Russian emperors

In addition to the Orlov diamond and its “black brother,” there is another mineral stone that is often remembered along with the first two. It was also found in India and is now kept in the Russian diamond fund. This is the Shah diamond. This mineral is an irregularly shaped octahedron weighing almost 90 carats.

The length of the stone reaches 3 centimeters. Due to the lack of cutting, the Shah diamond is not a diamond, but it is beautiful even without treatment. The transparency of the mineral has a yellowish tint, which gives it a special depth. A small groove on the crystal suggests that it was worn as a talisman around the neck. There are also three inscriptions on the edges, which indicate the names of the owners of the mineral:

• Sultan of Ahmednagar;
• Shah Jahan I;
• Shah Feth Ali Shah.

To apply such inscriptions, ancient jewelers used a different stone. Diamond Shah was passed down from generation to generation and acted as a symbol of power in India, and then in Iran. The jewel came to the Russian Empire at the beginning of the 19th century. The son of the second Shah of Iran presented Nicholas I with many treasures as a gift, and the diamond was one of them.

There is a version that with the help of such an unusual mineral, the Iranian ruler tried to apologize for the murder of Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov, who served as ambassador to Persia, where he was killed by a mercenary in 1829. The Emperor accepted the gift, and the stone still remains in the Russian Federation. The lack of cutting makes the Shah diamond especially beautiful and spectacular.

Why are diamonds so popular today?

We have discussed several popular diamonds, and some people may reasonably wonder why these stones are given such a high status. After all, very similar products can be made from glass. There are several reasons for the popularity of diamonds:

• natural origin;
• high strength;
• very long “life”;
• an indescribable play of light on the edges.

The main property of any diamond is not transparency, as some might think, but hardness. This indicator for diamonds on the Mohs scale is maximum – equal to 10. This mineral is a modification of carbon. Nature creates three types of such materials.

We all know the first two. These are diamonds and graphite. And the third variation of carbon is present in meteorites. This is why diamonds are credited with a cosmic essence. Apart from carbon, there are no impurities in the stones. The atoms of this substance are very tightly “packed”, which ensures such hardness of the stone.

Almaz Orlov and other minerals that we talked about today existed for many years until they were discovered and introduced to society. They will live for many more centuries without losing their natural beauty and strength. The unique physical properties and appearance of diamonds have also influenced people’s perception of them.

Mystical properties, positive and negative energy, influence on the human mind and destiny – it is difficult to imagine other stones to which so many things would be attributed. In addition, owning a large diamond with a unique shape was considered a sign of power. Only emperors, kings, kings and shahs could be the owners of such ancient and luxurious products.

The structure of a diamond takes several billion years to form. This is one of the most ancient things on our planet. Scientists still do not understand exactly how the first diamonds appeared on Earth. And we can only admire the beauty of these minerals and listen to the legends that are associated with them.

And the Orlov diamond (aka Lazarev, aka Amsterdam) is an Indian rose that cannot leave any connoisseur of jewelry and jewelry products indifferent.