Sketch of the Orloff diamond from the book Precious Stones by Max Bauer, published in 1904.

Within the Diamond Fund of the Kremlin is a large diamond known as the Orloff (sometimes spelled Orlov). The origin of this resplendent relic—described as having the shape and proportions of half a hen's egg—can be traced back to a Hindu temple in 18th century Mysore, southern India. Image File history File links Orloff_sketch. ... The Moscow Kremlin The Moscow Kremlin ( Russian: Московский Кремль) is the best known kremlin ( Russian citadel). ... // A scattering of round-brilliant cut diamonds shows off the many reflecting facets. ... Look up hen in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In most birds and reptiles, an apple (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. ... Hinduism (Sanskrit: , , also known as , ) is a religion that originated on the Indian Subcontinent. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Mysore   (Kannada: ಮೈಸೂರು) is the second largest city in the Indian state of Karnataka. ...

The particulars of the Orloff's story have been lost with time, but it is widely reported that the diamond once served as the eye of a Hindu devotional statue. The man held responsible for its removal was a French deserter, a grenadier from the Carnatic wars who apparently converted to the Hindu faith and worshipped at the temple for many years. Whether the deserter did this sincerely or solely to gain access to the statue is not known. The temple, situated on an island in the Cauvery River, was surrounded by seven enclosures; no Christians were ever permitted farther than the fourth. Once having pilfered the stone from its sacred home around 1750, perhaps after untold years of patient planning, the deserter fled to Madras where he would find protection with the English army, as well as a buyer. A Grenadier was originally a specialized assault trooper for siege operations, first established as a distinct role in the early 17th century. ... Carnatic is a name given by Europeans to a region of southern India, between the Eastern Ghats and the Coromandel Coast, in the modern Indian states of Tamil Nadu and southern Andhra Pradesh. ... The Cauvery River (also spelled Kaveri or Kavery) is one of the great sacred rivers of India. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on Jesus of Nazareth, and on his life and teachings as presented in the New Testament. ... Events March 2 - Small earthquake in London, England April 4 - Small earthquake in Warrington, England August 23 - Small earthquake in Spalding, England September 30 - Small earthquake in Northampton, England November 16 – Westminster Bridge officially opened Jonas Hanway is the first Englishman to use an umbrella James Gray reveals her sex... Madras refers to: the Indian city of Chennai, formerly known as Madras, the former Indian state, now known as Tamil Nadu (Plural of Madra): Ancient people of Iranian affinites, who lived in northwest Panjab in the Uttarapatha division of ancient India. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ...

The as yet unnamed stone passed from merchant to merchant in the everlasting quest for profit, eventually appearing for sale in Amsterdam. Salfras, an Armenian (some say Persian) merchant who then owned the Orloff, found an eager buyer in Count Grigory Grigorievich Orlov. The Count paid a purported 400,000 Dutch florins, but would likely have agreed to any amount demanded. Amsterdam Location Flag Country Netherlands Province North Holland Population 743,905 (1 April 2006) Demonym Amsterdammer Coordinates Website www. ... The Persians of Iran (officially named Persia by West until 1935 while still referred to as Persia by some) are an Iranian people who speak Persian (locally named Fârsi by native speakers) and often refer to themselves as ethnic Iranians as well. ... Count Grigory Orlov Orlov (Орлов) is the name of a Russian noble family which produced several distinguished statesmen, diplomatists and soldiers. ... Florin may refer to this modern currency: Aruban florin. ...

Years before the purchase, Grigory Orlov had been romantically involved with a German princess by the name of Sophie Frederick Augusta. The princess was destined to become history's Catherine the Great of Russia. Count Orloff sought to rekindle their forlorn romance by offering her the diamond, as it is said he knew she had wished for it. While he failed to regain her affections, Catherine did bestow many gifts upon Count Orlov; these gifts included a marble palace in St. Petersburg. Catherine named the diamond after the Count, and had her jeweller, C. N. Troitinski, design a sceptre incorporating the Orloff. Catherine II (Екатерина II Алексеевна: Yekaterína II Alekséyevna, April 21, 1729 - November 6, 1796), born Sophie Augusta Fredericka, known as Catherine the Great, reigned as empress of Russia from... The Marble Palace is in North Calcutta and still residence of a family. ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and... Jewellery (spelled jewelry in American English) consists of ornamental devices worn by persons, typically made with gems and precious metals. ...

Now known as the Imperial Sceptre, it was completed in 1784. A description is given by Burton (1986): 1784 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

The sceptre is a burnished shaft in three sections set with eight rings of brilliant-cut diamonds, including some of about 30 carats (6 g) each and fifteen weighing about 14 carats (2.8 g) each. The Orloff is set at the top, with its domed top facing forward. Above it is a double-headed eagle with the Arms of Russia enameled on its breast.

The Orloff is a rarity among historic diamonds, for it retains its original Indian rose-style cut (see diamond cut). Its colour is widely stated as white with a faint bluish-green tinge. Data released by the Kremlin give the Orloff's measurements as 32 millimetres x 35 millimetres x 31 millimetres, its weight being 189.62 carats (37.924 g). The carat is a unit of mass used for gems, and equals 200 milligrams or 3. ... // This article is about the bird. ... In a discussion of art technology, enamel (or vitreous enamel, or porcelain enamel in American English) is the colorful result of fusion of powdered glass to a substrate through the process of firing, usually between 750 and 850 degrees Celsius. ... This article addresses the many styles of diamond cut. ...

Quite a few sources perpetuate the belief that the Orloff is but a part of the larger Great Mogul and therefore the same stone which vanished after the pillaging of Delhi in 1739. Most historians now agree that the two diamonds have completely different origins. This article is about the metropolis of Delhi. ... // About the number 1739 1739 is the smallest integer that can be written as sum of three perfect cubes, in two ways. ...

References

• Burton, E. (1986). Legendary Gems or Gems That Made History, pp. 45-47. Chilton Book Company, Radnor, PA
• Shipley, R. (1939). Famous Diamonds of the World, pp. 15-18. Gemological Institute of America, USA

External links

• Images of the Orloff in its sceptre at The World of Famous Diamonds
• Orloff diamond chapter in "the Great Diamonds of the world" by Edwin Streeter