Paragon (diamond)
A paragon is a perfect diamond — flawless and without inclusions. In the 16th century, a mass of 12 carats (2.4 g) was sufficient to qualify for this designation, but today the threshold lies at 100 carats (20 g).[1]
The largest flawless diamond in the world is known as The Paragon, a D-class gem weighing 137.82 carats (27.564 g),[2] and the tenth largest white diamond in the world. [3] The gem was mined in Brazil and attracted attention for being an exceptional white, flawless stone of great size.[4] The Mayfair-based jeweller Graff Diamonds [5] acquired the stone in Antwerp, cut it into an unusual seven-sided kite shield configuration, and set it in a necklace which separates to both necklace and bracelet lengths. Apart from the main stone, this necklace also contains rare pink, blue, and yellow diamonds, making a total mass of 190.27 carats (38.054 g).[6] The necklace has associations with the end of the millennium and was worn by model Naomi Campbell at a diamond gala held by De Beers and Versace at Syon House in 1999.[7]
References
- ^ Joan Younger Dickinson (2001), The Book of Diamonds, p. 215
- ^ Graff Jewelry Company, LUXemag, 21 June 2009
- ^ Dan McDougal (19 December 2008), The world's largest white diamonds, Daily Mail
- ^ Dictionary of Gems and Gemology, Springer, 2005, pp. 558–619, doi:10.1007/3-540-27269-0_16, ISBN 978-3-540-23970-3
- ^ Murphy, Robert (March 1, 2008), "In the cut", W
- ^ Julia Neel (12 August 2009), "The Paragon", Vogue
- ^ Suzy Menkes (June 15, 1999), Those Sparkling Celebrities