The Victorian orchid

The Victorian Orchid is an extremely rare gem; the diamond is one of the rarest stones worldwide because of its unique color. The Victorian Orchid is a Fancy Vivid Purple diamond, SI2 (GIA).

This rare gem is fashioned in a cushion-cut shape at a noteworthy 1.64 carats.

Understanding the stone’s importance and color, we decided to name the stone the “Victorian Orchid,” as the stone’s bright rich purple color is synonymous with the beautiful orchid flower. In many cultures the purple orchid is a symbol of good fortune, royalty, bravery and romance. From Ancient Greek poets to Confucius, Victorian hunters and modern growers, the orchid has always been strongly desired and irresistible.

In early Victorian England, there was no orchid to be found among the estates of the rich and famous. Most members of the general public were largely unaware the species even existed. By the early 1800s a naturalist sent the first orchid to the foggy climate of London. The specimen wasn’t greeted with modest intrigue; following English tradition in going crazy for a novel commodity from a foreign locale, absolute orchid madness swept the nation with the attraction of collectors, merchant traders and royalty. Much like the Vivid Purple diamond, often sought after but rarely found.

Sourcing...

In a few published GIA gemological reports on purple diamonds, their geographic origin is not mentioned. One recurring source, however, is Russia’s Siberia region. Purple diamonds have been found on occasion in all the Siberian deposits explored to date, but they are most often recovered from the pipes of the Mir Kimberlite Field (comprising the Dachnaya, Internatsional’naya (also spelled Internationalaya), Mir, and Sputnik mines). They typically account for 1% of all diamonds from the deposits in those mines, though as much as 6% of some parcels have been described as purple (Gnevushev etal., 1961; Orlov, 1977; Zintchouk and Koptil, 2003).

History...

The Fancy Purple is one of the rarest colors on the natural color diamond spectrum; only a handful have been discovered and documented. Its origin is thought to be connected to plastic deformation, though the exact nature of the defects responsible for purple coloration is not yet fully understood.

The majority of purple diamonds from the Siberian deposits are pale, but crystals with more highly saturated purple colors are sometimes found. Purple diamonds are very rare. It is believed that they have a similar cause of color as pink diamonds; crystal distortion. They are most often found in Siberia and are generally small in size. their color rarely reaches the intense and vivid color grades.

Cutting...

Planning can take up to several years, as each carat removed from the stone is affecting the stone’s overall polished color, shape and carat weight. The Victorian Orchid was carefully studied for up to a year as the planning for its shape and for its cutting angles is a masterful art – bringing the diamond to life with maximum brilliance takes patience and exquisite skill.
After the diamond is cut, the stone is polished using mechanisms permeated with diamond dust – the only known material efficient in polishing a diamond to its full brilliance.

The Victorian Orchid gem is fashioned in a cushion-cut shape at a noteworthy 1.64 carats and is set in a flower designer platinum ring setting by Scott West Jewelry by L.J. West Diamonds.