Sapphire and Precious Gemstones: 4 famous jewels that shaped history

1. The Koh-i-Noor Diamond

The famous diamond found its way into the possession of the British royal family as early as the reign of Queen Victoria (1819-1901). However, it only became part of the Crown Jewels during the reign of Elizabeth (1900-2002), who had this impressive and one of the largest cut diamonds in the world embedded in her crown for the coronation of her husband George VI. (1895-1952).

The origin of Koh-i-Noor is shrouded in mystery. For the first time, we learn about it from the chronicle of the court chronicler of the Mughal dynasty that ruled the territory in northern India from 1526. In 1628, the Mughal ruler Shah Jahan had a magnificent throne built, covered with precious stones, including the famous Koh-i-Noor.

The gemstone had various owners over the centuries, until rumours began to circulate that it must be cursed. In 1849, the Koh-i-noor was acquired by the British and given to Queen Victoria. As a sign of triumph, Queen Victoria promptly loaned it to the Great Exhibition (1851) in London.

The Koh-i-noor remains in the British Crown Jewels to this day, but there are claims of ownership by India that demands the return of the Koh-i-Noor.

2. Necklace of Marie Antoinette

The first owner of this pearl necklace was the famous Queen Marie Antoinette of France (1755-1793).

Shortly before Marie was executed by beheading by guillotine, the necklace was given to her friend Elizabeth Leveson-Gower (1765-1839).

Ironically, the French queen never wore the pearls herself.

Half a century later, the Leveson-Gower family added Burmese rubies and a diamond chain to the pearls: the result was an intriguing piece of jewellery that caught the attention of wider society, for the last time in 2018. That's when Marie Antoinette's pearls were auctioned by Sotheby's in Geneva and sold for an impressive $32 million.

3. Star of Asia

The massive 330-carat sapphire is one of the world's finest star sapphires. The enigmatic name refers both to its origin - the gem is said to come from the Mogok region of Burma, which is famous for sapphire and ruby mining - and to the unmistakable six-pointed star located in the centre of the gemstone.

Sapphires are mentioned in ancient legends, too. The Persians, for example, believed that the earth rested on a giant Sapphire and that its reflection gave the heavens its blue colour.

One legend from Sri Lanka tells the story of a hunter who fell in love with one of the stars. He came to the same spot to admire the star every evening. One day, an animal attacked him.

The hunter used his boomerang to defend himself instinctively, but the boomerang bounced off the animal's horns and hit the star. A chip of the star fell at the hunter's feet. It was shiny, blue like the sky, and there was a star in it. And that’s the legend of how star sapphire came into existence.

4. Black Orlov

There are rumours surrounding one of the rarest black diamonds that are even darker than its colour. Originally, the gem was supposed to adorn a statue of the Hindu deity Brahma in one of the sacred Hindu temples in southern India. However, it was stolen in the 19th century.

From then on, the diamond was believed to be cursed, because it brought only bad luck to its owners. The thief who took it from the temple died a quick death. A similarly tragic fate is said to have befallen the Russian princess Nadia Vygin-Orlov. The magnificent gem is named after her.

From Russia, the Black Orlov eventually made its way to the United States, where it changed hands several more times. Fearing that the gemstone was indeed cursed, it was cut into three pieces in an attempt to break the curse. And maybe it worked, because it hasn't been known to bring death to its subsequent owners.

Adorn your historical costume with jewellery

Fine-tune your historical costume before a carnival or a reenactment of a historical battle! With stylish Viking beads or a Celtic pendant, you'll obtain the favour of gods, or maybe just looks of admiration from the audience. But that counts as well!

Jewels will make your outfit stand out wherever you go! If you need any help with choosing the right torc or other historical jewellery, let us know! We are here to help!