The fascinating backstory of the Black Orlov Diamond, adds to its provenance of mystery, intrigue and value. At 67.49-carats, it is one of the largest black diamonds on record. The shadowy history behind this dark stone is mostly unverified, however the tales persist, including a rumor that the gem is cursed.
Black Orlov Discovery
Originally 195-carats, the black diamond was allegedly set in the eye of a statue of the Hindu God Brahma (God of Creation) in Pondicherry, India, which is why the Black Orlov is sometimes known as the Eye of Brahma. According to legend, in the early 1800s, the gem was stolen from the statue, launching an avalanche of stories about the diamond being cursed. There are two versions of the story. One story states that a Hindu monk stole the diamond from the statue and was later murdered. Another story says that a Jesuit cleric stole the diamond, however there is no record of that happening. Gemologists today are uncertain about this origin story because black diamonds are not native to India, but are more likely to come from Brazil or Africa, leading some to believe that the stone was imported.
According to the Gemological Institute of America, black diamonds get their color from “large quantities, or clouds, of minute mineral inclusions such as graphite, pyrite or hematite that extend throughout the stone.” Black diamonds are generally opaque and have a sheen that makes the gems look almost metallic. Most black diamonds on the market today are heavily included diamonds that have been treated to turn them an inky black.
Black Orlov In Russia
Eventually, the black diamond, which was not yet named, showed up in Russia. It was then purchased by Princess Nadia Vyegin Orlov. One small detail: There was no Russian princess by that name. However, there was another royal, Princess Nadezhda Petrovna Orlov who escaped Russia, during the Bolshevik Revolution. No one is quite sure if the Princess changed her name when she left the country, but it is thought that the diamond got its name from her. It was later reported that she jumped from a window in a building in Rome in 1947, however that report was never verified.
Another princess, Princess Leonila Galitsine-Baratinsky, who was thought to own the stone, is also said to have jumped to her death in Rome, in 1947. However, a woman of the same name living in Europe had died in 1918. Could it be a case of mistaken identity or identity theft? There is a record of a Princess Leonila who was married to the Royal Navy Officer Prince Andre Glinstine, but there is uncertainty as to whether or not she owned the gem.
Black Orlov In New York City
In 1932, J.W. Paris, a European diamond dealer acquired the black diamond and took it to New York City to sell. Paris sold the diamond soon after arriving in New York City, but a few days after the sale, he allegedly jumped out the window of a high-rise building on Fifth Avenue. Supposedly, Paris left two letters, one to his wife and the other to a jeweler, the contents of the letters are unknown. Although Paris was thought to have had some financial troubles, there is no record of anyone jumping out a Fifth Avenue building window from that time.
Recutting the Black Orlov
During the 1950s, diamond dealer Charles Winson purchased the Black Orlov and had it recut in an effort to break the alleged curse. The gem was cut into three sections, two of which seemingly vanished, or got lost in the cutting process. The remaining 67.49-carat diamond is what we know today as the Black Orlov. For the next couple of decades the whereabouts of the Black Orlov are murky. The Kazanjian’s, a Los Angeles-based family of vintage jewelry dealers, owned the stone during the 1960s. After that, it disappeared again, resurfacing in the early aughts at which time it was owned by Johnstown, Pennsylvania jeweler Dennis Petimezas. He consigned the Black Orlov to Christie’s auction house, where it sold for $352,000 on October 11, 2006. So far, no new reports of the Black Orlov curse creating havoc.
Top: Black Orlov Diamond.
Authored by Amber Michelle