The Algeiba Star

The word for diamond is based on the Greek word “adamas” and its Latin equivalent “diamas,” which means “invincible” or “unconquerable”. Plato believed that diamonds were a highly condensed, pure state of gold. Born under extreme conditions below the mantle several million years ago, the Algeiba Star glows rich in bright yellow, like the purest gold which was crystalized into a constellation.

鑽石的英文「diamond」源自希臘語「adamas」，這個字與拉丁文「diamas」的意思相近，意謂「無敵」或「不能征服」。柏拉圖相信鑽石是在高度凝煉和純粹狀態下的黃金。幾百萬年前「軒轅之星」在地幔下承受極端壓力和溫度而形成，經打磨後散發濃豔的黃色光芒，就像最純粹的黃金凝結成天上的星辰般閃亮耀眼。

The stone itself is named after one of the brightest stars in the sky from the constellation of Leo, which is also known as the Gamma Leonis. The star is said to have been named from Al-Jabbah, meaning “the forehead”, which marks the position of the star in the formation of the lion’s mane. The original rough was recovered in South Africa and was first named the Mahjal diamond after the Maharaja of Kapurthala, Jagatjit Singh. He was the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Kapurthala from 1877 until 1949.

「軒轅之星」以獅子座其中一顆最光亮的星命名，在西方又被稱為「Gamma Leonis」。據說這顆星星源自阿拉伯文「Al-Jabbah」，意思是「額頭」，指星星位於獅子座中代表獅子鬃毛的位置。這枚黃鑽的原石產自南非，最初以坎布薩拉大君賈加提特・辛格（Jagatjit Singh）的名字命名為「Mahjal」鑽石。辛格在1877至1949年間執政，是坎布薩拉邦的最後一位大君。

The Maharaja had visions of creating the “Paris of the East” in Kapurthala and enjoyed travelling across the globe. The Maharaja was an enthusiastic architectural patron and his residence at Jagatjit Palace was well known for its beauty and splendour. He was also well known to have an extraordinary collection of gems and jewels, including jewelled turbans that were mounted with more than 3,000 precious gemstones such as diamonds and pearls. The Mahjal diamond was later sold at Christie’s Geneva in 1983 to an anonymous buyer, which then was modified to its current weight and named the Algeiba Star.

辛格喜好遊歷，希望將坎布薩拉打造成「東方巴黎」。他也是熱衷支持建築事業的贊助人，所居住的賈加提特宮以輝煌華美而聞名。他還是著名的寶石和珠寶收藏家，曾收藏鑲嵌了超過3,000枚鑽石和珍珠的精緻頭巾。1983年，一位匿名買家在日內瓦佳士得購得「Mahjal」鑽石，隨即將鑽石約略修改為目前的重量，並改名為「軒轅之星」。

Throughout history, there have only been a handful of yellow diamonds over hundred carats, such as the 128.54ct Tiffany yellow diamond (originally 287.42 carats) and the 101.29ct Allnatt diamond. Older accounts from Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605-1689) mentioned a 140ct diamond named the “Florentine”, the “Grand Duke of Tuscany” and the “Austrian Yellow”. The earliest yellow diamonds were found occasionally from India and Brazil, followed by South African deposits from the 1860s.

除「軒轅之星」外，歷史上重逾100克拉的黃鑽屈指可數，例如重128.54克拉的蒂芙尼黃鑽和重101.29克拉的「歐那特」黃鑽。法國寶石商人讓・巴蒂斯特・塔維涅（Jean-Baptiste Tavernier）（1605-1689）亦記述過一枚重140克拉的黃鑽，它有「佛羅倫斯」、「托斯卡納大公」和「奧地利黃」等不同名字。最早出現黃鑽的產地有印度和巴西，至1860年代也在南非礦區有所發現。

The Algeiba Star is rich with a captivating yellow hue, graded at the highest levels of Fancy grading for yellow diamonds. Although yellow diamonds may be the most widely encountered fancy diamonds, their colour range is much more uncommon compared to diamonds in the D to Z range. For a diamond that weighs over 130 carats to be graded Fancy Vivid is astonishing. The faceting of the diamond is fashioned into a cushion modified brilliant, which intensifies the hue and the saturation of fancy-coloured diamonds. The kite and triangular formations of the facets reflect and interact with the light source that enriches the diamond’s brilliance and scintillation.

「軒轅之星」的濃豔黃色屬於黃鑽中的最高等級。雖然黃鑽是比較常見的彩鑽，但與 D 至 Z 等級的白鑽相比，其顏色範圍更為罕見。以一枚重逾130克拉的鑽石來說，能夠獲評為豔彩級別實在非常難得。「軒轅之星」被切割成明亮式古墊形黃鑽，令色彩更濃郁飽和。風箏形和三角形的切面更利於反射光線，讓這枚黃鑽更閃爍生姿。

All in all, it is no surprise that stunning yellow diamonds are prized among the most discerning gem collectors. The depth of colour from the Algeiba Star is a result of the original rough’s condensed hue, combined with the exceptional skill from the manufacturer of the diamond that studied and polished each and every facet to ensure its excellence. To quote GIA’s monograph: “The memory of a magnificent diamond is powerful… the Algeiba Star diamond is a sensational expression of nature’s finest offerings… Diamonds are wrapped in the spirit of the stars. What is more awe-inspring than gazing up at billions of sparkling flashes of glitter and gold? Stars may have claimed the night sky, but diamonds have claimed the earth. To witness the shimmering dance of a diamond’s light, cannot be forgotten.”

總的來說，黃鑽魅力隽永，令人驚豔，備受眼光獨到的寶石藏家青睞，實在不足為奇。雖然「軒轅之星」的原石本身就具有厚實的天然色彩，但也需要技藝超群的鑽石工匠仔細研究，小心切割，悉心打磨，鑽石才可以呈現出濃重的黃色，綻發璀璨豔光。引述GIA專著所指︰「瑰麗璀璨的鑽石令人難忘……「軒轅之星」是大自然最精緻的傑作……鑽石就像天上繁星，試問有甚麼比仰望天空看見幾十億閃耀金光的星星更令人心生敬畏呢？星星佔據夜空，鑽石則支配大地。但凡見過鑽石迷人的閃爍光芒，就再也無法忘記它。」