Quality diamonds

The Allnatt Diamond is a diamond measuring 101.29 carats (20.258 g) with a cushion cut, rated in color as Fancy Vivid Yellow by the Gemological Institute of America. This diamond is named after one of its holders, Major Alfred Ernest Allnatt, a soldier, sportsman, art patron and benefactor. While it is not known precisely where the Allnatt originated, many experts believe that it was probably found in what is now known as the De Beers Premier Diamond Mine.

The Allnatt’s origins are unknown prior to Major Allnatt’s purchasing of the diamond in the early 1950s. After purchasing the diamond, he commissioned Cartier to make a setting for it. The final setting was a platinum flower with five petals, a stem and two leaves, all set with diamonds. The Allnatt was resold at auction in May 1996 by Christie’s in Geneva for $3,043,496 US. At the time of its sale the Allnatt was 102.07 carats (20.414 g). and was graded Fancy Intense Yellow. After being sold to the SIBA Corporation, the diamond was re-cut to its current weight and the intensity was upgraded as a result.

The Allnatt was displayed as part of the Smithsonian’s “The Splendor of Diamonds” exhibit, alongside The De Beers Millennium Star and The Heart of Eternity.

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Thunderbolt is a Norwegian heavy metal band that combines the classical influence of bands like Iron Maiden, Helloween, and Black Sabbath with a more modern, powerful sound like that of Bad Brains and Entombed.

History

After releasing their demo Bandits at 6 O’Clock in 2001, the band received multiple offers for a record contract and subsequently signed in Scandinavia with Face Front / WME (and Massacre Records outside of Scandinavia) for the release of their 2003 debut album Demons and Diamonds. The album received acclaim in Norwegian and international music press and was even appreciated by the mainstream Norwegian press — rare for a band in this genre.

Following the success of Demons and diamonds, the band played several gigs and festivals in Norway, Germany, and Scandinavia from 2003 through 2005.

Recording and mixing of the follow up album Love and Destruction was finished in the summer of 2005. However, due to matters in the hands of the record label it took quite a while to make administrative arrangements and bring this album to the public, It was finally released Friday 19. May 2006 and followed up by a Norwegian tour together with Paul Di’Anno (although prior to the release) as well as a major European tour supporting King Diamond (May-June 2006).

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“Insatiable” is a song by Prince and the New Power Generation from the 1991 album Diamonds and Pearls. It is a slow, simmering ballad that often draws comparisons to 1989’s “Scandalous”. The B-side was “I Love U In Me” which was originally the flipside to “The Arms of Orion”. “Insatiable” was only released in the U.S. as a 7″ single. It performed well on the R&B charts, reaching #3, but didn’t break the Top-40 on the U.S. charts.

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The Pumpkin Diamond is a diamond measuring 5.54 carats (1.108 g) rated in color as Fancy Vivid Orange by the Gemological Institute of America. While this may seem relatively small when compared to other famous diamonds, the Pumpkin Diamond is, in fact, one of the largest Fancy Vivid Oranges the GIA reports having rated and is unique compared to other orange diamonds because it is relatively light-colored and notably intense. The Pumpkin Diamond was mined in Central African Republic and then imported into South Africa for sale, it was later cut and polished by William Goldberg, and put to auction at Sotheby’s where it was bought by Ronald Winston of the House of Harry Winston for the price of $1.3 million. It is currently estimated to be valued at $3 million.

Formerly referred to simply as the 5.54 Vivid Orange, Winston named the diamond “The Pumpkin Diamond” as he bought it the day before Halloween. After buying the Pumpkin, Winston proceeded to have the diamond set in a ring between two smaller white diamonds. Halle Berry wore the ring to the 2002 Oscars where she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Monster’s Ball.

While it is difficult to tell exactly what status the Pumpkin Diamond currently enjoys, the official GIA web site reports it as “one of the largest Fancy Vivid orange natural color diamonds in the world.” The Color Diamond Encyclopedia, on the other hand, terms it “the world’s largest fancy vivid orange diamond.” In 1997, when it was purchased by The House of Harry Winston, the Gemstone Forecaster referred to it as “the only vivid orange ever graded by the GIA.”

The Pumpkin Diamond was displayed as part of the Smithsonian’s “The Splendor of Diamonds” exhibit, alongside The De Beers Millennium Star, the world’s largest top colour (D) internally and externally flawless pear-shaped diamond at 203.04 carat (40.608 g) and The Heart of Eternity, a 27.64 carat (5.528 g) heart-cut blue diamond.

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“Diamond mine” redirects here. For the game from PopCap Games also known as Diamond Mine, see Bejeweled.

There are a limited number of commercially viable diamond mines currently operating in the world. Diamonds are also mined alluvially over disperse areas, where diamonds have been eroded out of the ground and deposited by water or weather action. There is also at least one example of a non-commercial diamond mine (Crater of Diamonds State Park).

List of diamond mines

• Botswana
  • Damtshaa diamond mine
    
  • Jwaneng diamond mine
  • Letlhakane diamond mine
  • Orapa diamond mine

• South Africa
  • Baken diamond mine
  • Cullinan diamond mine (previously “Premier mine”)
  • Finsch diamond mine
  • Kimberley, Northern Cape
  • Koffiefontein mine
  • The Oaks diamond mine
  • Venetia diamond mine

• Other African locations
  • Kampangala diamond mine, Congo
  • Murowa diamond mine, Zimbabwe
  • Williamson diamond mine, Tanzania

• United States
  • Crater of Diamonds State Park
    

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Carbonado, commonly known as the ‘Black Diamond,’ is a natural polycrystalline diamond found in alluvial deposits in the Central African Republic and Brazil. Its natural color is black or dark gray, and it is more porous than other diamonds.

Unusual properties

Unlike other natural polycrystalline diamonds, carbonado has no mantle-derived inclusions and its carbon isotope value is very low. Additionally, carbonado exhibits strong luminescence (photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence) induced by nitrogen and by vacancies existing in the crystal lattice. Analysis of the luminescence suggests that radioactive inclusions existed in the formation process of carbonado. These and other characteristics that separate the carbonado from other diamonds have led to questions as to the carbonado’s origin.

Early theories on origin

The origin of carbonado is controversial, with several hypotheses proposed:

1. Direct conversion of organic carbon under high-pressure conditions (the Earth’s interior.) This is the standard, geological process of diamond formation. The problem with this hypothesis is that, were carbonado formed by phase transformation of organic graphite inside the Earth, they would be found all over the world. However, carbonado appears only in the Central African Republic and Brazil, in areas that are far from other diamond deposits.
2. Shock metamorphism induced by meteoritic impact at the Earth’s surface. According to this hypothesis, carbonado were created by meteoric impact. The problem with this hypothesis is that shock-induced natural polycrystalline diamonds usually have hexagonal diamond (lonsdaleite) inside the samples, and carbonado does not.
3. Radiation-induced diamond formation by spontaneous fission of uranium and thorium. The problem with this hypothesis is that the energy of radiogenic fission is too small to create polycrystalline diamonds of the large grain size of carbonado (up to 500 micrometers).

Extraterrestrial origin

A team of U.S. geologists have published evidence relating to a different origin of these black diamonds: interstellar space. They have found that black diamonds contain trace elements of nitrogen and hydrogen which they claim are sure indicators of an extraterrestrial origin.

The study published in 2006 by Stephen Haggerty and Jozsef Garai, of Florida International University, analyzed the hydrogen in black diamond samples using infrared-detection instruments at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. The researchers found that the chemical properties of carbonado indicated that the mineral formed in a supernova explosion that took place prior to the formation of our Solar System.

In this sense, carbonado are theorized to be akin to carbon-rich cosmic dust, likely having formed in an environment near carbon stars. The diamonds were eventually incorporated into solid bodies that subsequently fell to Earth as meteorites.Garai et al. 2006 Astrophysical Journal Letters, vol 653, pp L153-L156 http://www.fiu.edu/~jgara002/research%20statement/carbonado/carbonado-infrared.htm Infrared Absorption Investigations Confirm the Extraterrestrial Origin of Carbonado-Diamonds

References

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Aziz Salih Nuhmah was appointed Iraqi governor of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein during the 1991 Gulf War. He is a member of the “dirty dozen”, allegedly responsible for torture and murder in Iraq. He was taken into custody on May 22nd, 2003, according to www.centcom.mil.

Nuhmah is the King of Diamonds in the most-wanted Iraqi playing cards.

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The Crown of Queen Adelaide was the consort crown of Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, wife and Queen consort of King William IV of the United Kingdom. It was used at the coronation of William and Adelaide in 1831. It was emptied of its jewels soon afterwards, was not worn again by Queen Adelaide, and has never been worn since.

Reasons for creation

Since the 1690s English and British queens consort had been crowned with the Crown of Mary of Modena, first made for the wife of King James II. However criticism of the continued use of this crown had mounted, for reasons of age, size, state of repair and because it was seen to be too theatrical and undignified. In the preparations for the coronation in 1831 it was ruled that the Modena crown was “unfit for Her Majesty’s use”. Plans were made for the creation of a new consort crown.

Design

The new crown following British crown tradition in having four half arches, meeting a globe, on top of which sat a cross. The Queen had objected to the standard practice of hiring diamonds and jewels for a crown prior to its use. Instead diamonds from her own private jewellery were installed in her new crown. Following the coronation, the diamonds were all removed, and the crown stored as a shell.

Subsequent history

Since Queen Adelaide, all British queens consort have had their own special consort crown made for them, rather than wearing the crowns of any of their predecessors. Later consort crowns were made for Alexandra of Denmark (1902), Mary of Teck (1911) and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (1937).

Footnote

1. Anne Keay, The Crown Jewels (Historic Royal Palaces, 2002) p.58.

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Pusoy Dos, is a variation of Big Two that is popular in the Philippines.
In Pusoy Dos, the order of the suits is strictly diamonds > hearts > spades > clubs, with the two of diamonds being the highest card in the game and the three of clubs the lowest. On the other hand, Big Two is sometimes played with the order of the suits being spades > hearts > clubs > diamonds and sometimes with the order of the suits being spades > hearts > diamonds > clubs.

Also, Pusoy Dos has some differences in scoring.

Also called “pepito” in Ilocano.

Younger generations of Pusoy Dos players have begun using Pusoy Dos Taunts to successfully raise the entertainment aspect of Pusoy Dos. For example, Shaft Openers and Fantastic Wieners have been employed to further the game’s enjoyment.

Optional Variations

Hands consisting of two pairs are allowed in some versions of Pusoy Dos, while flushes and straight flushes are not allowed.

Main Variation

The most common variation played commonly by middle schoolers and high schoolers follows the rules as shown in Big Two with some differences. Firstly, there is no scoring. It’s round by round with no bigger goal. Secondly, three of a kind is not a valid hand. It must be broken up into pairs or used with a separate pair as a full house. Finally, it is a common practice to reshuffle if one is dealt all four twos. The one who is handed those is considered to have lost, ironically. However, people with four twos often lack other good cards and thusly lose anyway. Also, the order of suits from low to high respectively is clubs, spades, hearts, diamonds. If you’re playing someone, it’s like following this format.

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Christopher Jonathan “Chris” Hope (born 14 November 1972 in Sheffield) is an English professional footballer who currently plays for Rushden & Diamonds.

Chris Hope began his career as a trainee with Darlington. However, before he had even made a first team appearance, he joined Nottingham Forest at the beginning of the 1990/91 season and spent two seasons at the City Ground. Again, Hope did not make a first team for Nottingham Forest, and so a move away from the City Ground beckoned and he joined Scunthorpe for £50,000 at the beginning of the 1993/94 season.

Hope was an integral part of the side at Glanford Park and notched up 333 appearances (288 in the league) in seven seasons. A steady influence at the back, Hope managed an impressive 177 successive appearances without missing a game. A move from Lincolnshire to Kent soon beckoned, however, and Hope swapped Scunthorpe for Gillingham who paid £250,000 for his services. Hope made his debut in the club’s first ever game in the First Division (a 3-1 home defeat to Stockport County) and went on to play in more than 200 appearances for the Gills. Following on from his time at Scunthorpe, Hope managed to play in 176 successive games, before finally missing a game through suspension.

Following the departure of ex-club captain Paul Smith, Hope was appointed the club captain for the Gills for their first season back in League One in the 2005/06 season.

Hope signed an extension to his contract keeping him at Priestfield until the summer of 2006, however, he missed much of the 2005/2006 season due to injury and was released on 9 May 2006.
On 7 July it was announced that he had signed a 2 year deal with Rushden & Diamonds F.C.[1]

Hope is predominantly a central defender, although he has operated on both the right and the left side of defence as well as in midfield during his career. Hope’s height and strength mean he is a fomidable force at the back where he is rarely beaten in the air.

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