On The Rocks
Diamonds
BY BOB JONES
What has always surprised me is the emphasis and value we put on diamonds. Though relatively abundant, they are vigorously mined and have been promoted in a tightly controlled market to keep their value high. If asked to name where all the diamonds are, you might mention a noteworthy diamond company, likely De Beers®, the leading diamond marketer. I doubt you would mention the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. Yet the Almazny Fond (Diamond Fund) within the walls of the Kremlin is rich in diamonds. It is the State Museum housing gold, platinum, diamonds and royal regalia. It is open to the public but the diamond horde it houses is not.
VISITING THE ALMAZNY FOND
Carol and I spent some time in the Almazny Fond Museum where I hoped to take photos of the exhibit and had a small camera in my pocket when we arrived. The guards took it before we had a chance to go inside. So, all I have is my faulty memory of what was there.
The Russian Orloff diamond weighs 299 carats and was bought as a gift for Catherine the Great by Count Orloff who owned Gorky Park.