The most precious of stones

Diamonds it is. It is indisputable. This faceted precious stone also represents a multiple human symbol: A symbol of diachronism, since diamonds are forever and are passed from generation to generation, A symbol of resistance, since it is the hardest mineral A symbol of aesthetics, since it is the clearer and most shining creation of nature A symbol of rarity, since it is hard to find A symbol of status and wealth, since it represents the greatest amount of money in the smallest possible size. Offering such a piece of jewellery with a diamond to a woman states the immensity of what he is disposed of doing for her. Diamond is the most expensive item one can wear on his body. I will relate an incident which took place in Hong Kong, when an extremely rare stone of 101,41 carats appeared, of colour D (almost colourless, one of the best…) and of a flawless clarity. A couple of Asians stated their interest in purchasing the stone, describing it as cute. Before the end of the evening, the man finally bought it and offered it for his wife. Needless to say, the witnesses to the event must have been very touched by this gesture of love. Diamonds are the easiest way of transporting one’s fortune: the Romanoffs did so in 1917, while abandoning Russia, and in 1940, the Jews who managed to escape the pursuits. Of course, legends and history have added even more to the aura of the stone of stones. The 13 pieces of Maria Callas’ collection sold at an auction in 2003 reached prices three times higher than their original price. The collection of the Duchess of Windsor, evaluated in 1987 at 7 million dollars, was finally sold for 51 million dollars due to its historical value. Greek public is educated and friendly enough concerning diamonds. From discussions happening from time to time in different meetings, the New York public for instance is not interested in complicated designs, but focuses on the quality and size of the stone, as opposed to the French, who focus on the design of the jewellery attached to the stone. Greeks position themselves somewhere in the middle, and usually ask for simple big stones of the highest quality and color, with very intricate bindings. And since I previously referred to the Duchess of Windsor, her husband was another famous lover of diamonds, since he designed all of his wife’s jewellery. Also, one of the most famed diamond ‘hunters ‘ was Richard Burton, even if only to satisfy the passion of his wife Elizabeth Taylor. From the diamond chains of rock stars to the famous earrings of David Beckham and the brilliants worn by business men as cufflinks, it is a fact that the small faceted stone continues to capture the desires of men and women. Women are charmed by the jewellery… …Men are charmed by the first matter (exhibition “ Precious Stones-precious relationships”/ Imaret 06/04/200) Antigoni Kapountzi