The Allnatt Diamond
When Porter Rhodes traveled to the Isle of Wight in 1881 to
show to his fine white diamond crystal to Queen Victoria and Empress Eugenie of
France, who was at that time residing nearby, he helped to dispel a myth: South
African diamonds were usually yellowish in color and therefore less valuable.
Both the Queen but in particular the Empress, who was knowledgeable about
diamonds, believed this to be true and were, therefore, surprised to examine a
fine white octahedral crystal originating from the Cape Mines of South Africa.
It was not until the Excelsior was found in 1893, the Jubilee in 1895 and above
all, the discovery of the Premier Mine in 1902 that South Africa finally
achieved recognition as a source of large white diamonds as well as yellow ones.
The early years of the South African diamond mining industry
certainly witnessed the appearance, in unheard of numbers, of large yellow
crystals, many of them octahedral in shape. The reigning Shah of Persia, Nasir
ud-Din Shah (1848-1860) was among the first to appreciate them because he added
numerous yellow diamonds to the Crown Jewels of Iran, the largest of which is a
135-carat monster rivaling the Regent Diamond in size and shape. A few,
including the Tiffany Yellow, came from the Kimberly Mine but by far the
greatest number originated in the De Beers Mine, which is the most likely source
the Allnatt originated from.
This 102.29-carat cushion cut, its color having been certified
by the GIA as Fancy Vivid Yellow, VS2 clarity, is named after its former owner,
Alfred Ernest Allnatt. He was a soldier, a sportsman, an active patron of the
arts and a noted benefactor in many spheres. He paid a then world record price
for The Adoration of the Magi by Rubens which he presented to King's
College, Cambridge, England, as an alterpiece for its famous chapel. He also had
a passion for the Turf and bought 11 yearlings formerly owned by the late Sir
Sultan Mohammed Aga Khan; he commented at the time, "All I know about horses is
they are nice things to amble about on." The Aga Khan also owned several
exceptional diamonds, among them the 33.13-carat pear-shaped Aga Khan III, which
came up for sale at Christie's in Geneva in May of 1988.
Major Allnatt did not buy any of the Aga Khan's diamonds to add
to his yearlings, but he did purchase this very fine diamond and in the
early-1950s he commissioned Cartier to design a floral brooch setting for it.
The piece is a design of a flower with five petals, lined with white
baguette-cut diamonds, the petals themselves being comprised of brilliant cut
diamonds, and the stem and two leaves also being comprised of the same cutting
styles. The Allnatt is at the center of the flower. The entire piece is made of
platinum. It was auctioned by Christies, again in Geneva, in May of 1996. On
that occasion it fetched the phenomenal sum of $3,043,496. The present owner of
the gem is the SIBA Corporation.
Actress Jenna Elfman opens the Splendour of Diamonds Exhibit
at the Smithsonian,
the Allnatt Diamond being the large yellow stone in
front of her on the pad. The
Millennium Star, at the left, is set in a
diamond necklace.
The Allnatt paid a visit to the Smithsonian Museum in 2003,
being part of an exhibit titled The Splendour of Diamonds. The exhibit lasted
from June 27th to September 15th and featured a number of other unusual colored
diamonds, namely the Millennium Star, the Heart of Eternity, the Pumpkin
Diamond, the Red Shield Diamond (now known as the Moussaieff Red), the Ocean
Dream, and the Steinmetz Pink.