The Legendary Moussaieff Red Diamond

This stunning wide band features 39 fancy pink diamonds. Pink and red diamonds are rare. The most famous red diamond is the Moussaieff Red Diamond.   The Moussaieff Red Diamond is among the rarest of rare legendary diamonds in the world. This is precisely why the photo for this post does not feature a red diamond. This stunning band set with 39 fancy pink diamonds is the closest I could come to red.  

In the Beginning

In 1990, a Brazilian farmer found the magnificent red diamond rough in the Abaete River. The river runs through the state of Minas Gerais, undoubtedly the most legendary diamond mining region in South America. Gold seekers discovered the first diamonds in the Abaete River in 1780. The diamond mines in Minas Gerais have since produced some of the world's largest diamond specimens, several of them richly colored. Upon discovering this rare beauty, a red diamond in the rough which weighed an astonishing 13.90 carats, the farmer promptly put it up for sale. American diamond expert William Goldberg purchased the rare stone for his collection. According to the company's website, Goldberg made five trips to South America to acquire the stone. From there, he and his team prepared to cut the stone. They chose a modified triangular brilliant cut (also called trilliant cut). In its final form, the rich cranberry-red diamond weighs 5.11 carats. Though it lost over 8 carats of rough, the result is mesmerizing. Goldberg named it the Red Shield. It is the largest fancy red Type IIa faceted diamond in the world, and the largest fancy red diamond ever graded by the Gemological Institute of America.  

The Red Shield Diamond

Red diamonds are the rarest of the rare. Experts estimate that for every one million carats of rough diamonds mined, one carat of pink diamonds emerge. Red diamonds prove even rarer than pink. Indeed, the Cape Town Diamond Museum states that less than 30 true red diamonds have ever been discovered. Most of them weigh less than half a carat. (source) Many colored gemstones acquire their color from trace elemental intrusions in the crystal lattice. Not so with red diamonds. Like colorless diamonds, red diamonds are comprised of pure carbon. The red color results from a structural abnormality called plastic deformation. As light passes through the stone, this deformation bends the light in such a way that it reflects a ruby red color. Sometime between 2001 and 2002, Moussaieff Jewelers purchased the Red Shield from Goldberg for an estimated $8 million. (source) They promptly renamed the stone The Moussaieff Red Diamond.  

The Moussaieff Red Diamond

In 2003, Moussaieff Jewelers loaned the stone to the Natural History Museum of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Curators at the museum included it in their Splendor of Diamonds exhibition. It shared the exhibition platform with several other legendary diamonds, including the Millennium Star, the Pumpkin diamond, and the Heart of Eternity. Again, in 2008, the Natural History Museum of the Smithsonian included The Moussaieff Red Diamond in another exhibition in 2005-2006. Once again, it shared the limelight with the Millennium Star, as well as with The Steinmetz Pink and the Aurora Collection.  

Beginning in Jerusalem

Moussaieff Jewelers holds distinction as one of London's oldest jewelry houses. However, it all began in Jerusalem, by way of Uzbekistan. In 1850, Rabbi Shlomo Moussaieff enjoyed a lively business trading natural pearls in Uzbekistan. By the end of the century, after emigrating to Palestine, Shlomo co-founded the famous Bukharian Quarter in Jerusalem and enjoyed continued success as a gem trader. Of his seven children, one of them moved to Paris where he traded in fine gemstones. This son, Rehavia, also had a son, in 1963, whom he named Shlomo. Sadly, when Shlomo, Jr. came of age (13 years old), his father threw him out, disappointed that he could not read. To make up for his illiteracy, Shlomo honed his impeccable memory. For the next five years, Shlomo worked in the caves of Jerusalem's Sahedria district. In an interview with Haaretz, Shlomo admitted stealing ancient coins from the caves and selling them to archaeologists. (source) At age 18, he joined the Etzel militia to fight. Taken prisoner by the Jordanians, Shlomo eventually gained his freedom and returned to his family. He worked for a low wage in the family jewelry shop, simultaneously smuggling antiquities and gold from Jordan to Israel. His captor in Jordan proved an ally in the smuggling business.  

Moussaieff Jewelers in London

Eventually, for fear of getting caught and imprisoned, Shlomo moved to London. His only asset upon arriving in the big city, a license to open a jewelry store in the Hilton. By 1967, Moussaieff Jewelers established a booming business in London's jewelry industry. In 2004, Shlomo retired, leaving his wife, Alisa, and their three daughters at the helm. As of 2001, the family owned three jewelry shops in London. They sell only the highest quality luxury jewelry to high-end clients. To this day, Moussaieff Jewelers also continues to sell natural pearls. They remain one of the few in London to do so, sourcing the oceanic wonders primarily from antique and estate jewelry purchased at auction and through their vast network of suppliers. As far as I know, the Moussaieffs retain ownership of the Moussaieff Red Diamond. I found only a few pictures of this beautiful and legendary red diamond. The best remain on Goldberg's website. Click here to take a look.