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The Orlov Diamond

The Orlov Diamond is a 189.62-carat colored gemstone that is now part of the Diamond Fund collection in the Moscow Kremlin. It shines in a slightly bluish-greenish hue.

The Orlov diamond can still be admired today in its original Indian rose cut. The cut of the gemstone has a total of around 180 facets. In the upper area, the concentrically arranged facets are triangular, while in the lower area they are square.

On one side, the gemstone has a slight notch, which is why its shape is compared to that of half a pigeon's egg.

Orlow Diamant The Russian Tsar's Sceptre with the Orlov Diamond

The History of the Orlov Diamond

According to legend, the Orlov diamond formed the eye of an Indian god statue a long time ago.

It was not named until much later, in reference to Prince Grigori Grigorievich Orlov (1734-1783). Orlov was an unhappy lover of the Russian Tsarina Catherine the Great, and gave the diamond to the Tsarina as a gift. On the orders of Catherine the Great (ruled from 1762 to 1796), the gemstone was incorporated into the Russian Tsar's sceptre, in which it can still be admired in Moscow today.

speculation about the origin of the diamond

There are speculations that the Orlov diamond is identical to a legendary gemstone that was lost a long time ago: the Great Mogul with a gross weight of almost 800 carats. There is a lot of evidence to support this theory. The faceting of the Orlov diamond corresponds to that of the Great Mogul and both gemstones have a conspicuous inclusion.

According to the records of the French world traveler Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605-1689), the Great Mogul Diamond was cut in the shape of an egg split in the middle - another similarity with the Orlov Diamond. However, this issue has not yet been clarified with absolute certainty.

Discover more famous diamonds and learn their stories.