The Bejeweled Maharaja and Maharani Paintings of Royal Mysore by Reena Ahluwalia. My paintings act as a bridge between the past and the present, reminding us of the significance these gems hold in Indian culture. I have painted the Maharaja and Maharani as beings with diamond-clad bodies, wearing historically accurate jewels. A reminder that we too are the modern-day Maharajas (king) and Maharanis (queen) of our own lives, and can leave a lasting legacy, as enduring and luminous as the diamonds and gemstones that grace the Maharaja and Maharani. The Royal Mysore paintings are in the permanent collection of the CKC Crystal Museum, in Bengaluru, India.
Read moreType IIa Diamonds
Type IIa diamonds are the most valued and the purest type of diamonds. They contain either very little or no nitrogen atoms in the crystal structure. White stones are exceptionally colorless and fancy colored diamonds are often found with a brown, purple, blue, or pink tone. They represent only 1% - 2% of all mined diamonds in the world.
What makes the Type IIa diamonds even more special is that they are “super-deep” diamonds. Most Type IIa diamonds originate from extreme depths in Earth’s mantle, a depth between 360 and 750 km. To put it in context, most diamonds are formed between 150 to 230 kilometers below the Earth's crust.
In the world of mined diamonds, Type IIa are so rare that they command a 5% to 15% premium, when they can be found.
One of the most well-known examples is the “Elizabeth Taylor Diamond” (formerly known as the “Krupp Diamond”), a 33.19-carat Type IIA diamond.
Purchased for $300,000 in 1968 by Richard Burton, the ring became one Elizabeth Taylor’s most cherished white diamonds; one she wore nearly every day. Of the ring, she once said, “[It] gives me the strangest feeling for beauty. With its sparks of red and white and blue and purple, and on and on, really, it sort of hums with its own beatific life.” The Asscher-cut diamond ring recently sold at auction for a whopping $8.8 million.
Other iconic historic Type IIa diamonds include the Cullinan, the Lesedi La Rona, the Koh-I-Noor, the Darya-I-Noor, the Archduke Joseph, the Regent, the Agra, The Star of the South, The Winston legacy and the Beau Sancy. Type IIa diamonds also have a famous historic connection with Golconda diamonds mined from the historic Kingdom of Golconda in India.
Type IIa and connection with Golconda Diamonds.
A Golconda diamond is a diamond from a specific geographic area within the historic Kingdom of Golconda in India. Diamonds with proven Golconda provenance are of a specific type of rare, pure carbon diamond known as Type IIa. Less than 1-2% of the world's diamonds are Type IIa.
The kingdom of Golconda is situated in India's Deccan plateau. Golconda was a region located between the lower reaches of the Godavari, Wainganga, Wardha and Krishna-Venva rivers, in the present-day states of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, central India.
Golconda Diamonds: Rahul Kadakia, Department Head, Jewelry, Christie's Americas, describes these very special and rare diamonds. (2005) (RT 3:13)
In the past I have authored posts on, Bejeweled Maharaja & Maharani of Mysore, Koh-i-Noor Diamond, Diamonds on World Postage Stamps, Top Ten - Largest Diamonds Discovered In The World, Splendors of Mughal India, The Magnificent Maharajas Of India, Mystery & History Of Marquise Diamond Cut, Ór - Ireland's Gold, The Legendary Cullinan Diamond, Bejeweled Persia - Historic Jewelry From The Qajar Dynasty, Famous Heart-Shaped Diamonds, Type II Diamonds, Green Diamonds, Red Diamonds and more. Over years, I have spent countless hours in self-driven studies on diamond, jewelry history and research. I wrote these blogs for a simple reason - to share my collected knowledge with all who are interested, so that more can benefit from it. Take a look and enjoy! -- Reena