The Heart of Eternity is a diamond measuring 27.64 carats (5.528 g), rated in color as "Fancy Vivid Blue" by the Gemological Institute of America. The Heart of Eternity was cut by the Steinmetz Group, who owned the diamond before selling it to the De Beers Group.
The Heart of Eternity is a member of an exceedingly rare class of coloured diamonds. It was found in the Premier Diamond Mine of South Africa. Blue (Type IIb) diamonds account for less than 0.1% of the output of the Premier mine, which is the only mine in the world with an appreciable production of blue diamonds. Of the ten coloured diamonds that drew the highest bids, six of those ten were blue diamonds, rating values as high as $550,000 to $580,000 per carat ($2750–2900/mg).
The Heart of Eternity was unveiled in January 2000 as part of the De Beers Millennium Jewels collection, which included the Millennium Star. The Heart of Eternity was featured with ten other blue diamonds; the collection of blue diamonds totalled 118 carats (23.6 g). The De Beers Millennium Jewels were displayed at London’s Millennium Dome throughout 2000. An attempt on 7 November 2000 to steal the collection was foiled.
During its exhibition at the Smithsonian, the Heart of Eternity was noted to be on loan from a private collector, giving rise to speculation that it was sold during the exhibition at the Millennium Dome in London.
Famous quotes containing the words heart of, heart, eternity and/or diamond:
“Commercial to the core, Elvis was the kind of singer dear to the heart of the music business. For him to sing a song was to sell a song. His G clef was a dollar sign.”
—Albert Goldman (b. 1927)
“The conduct of God who disposes all things kindly, is to put religion into the mind by reason, and into the heart by grace. But to attempt to put it into the mind and heart by force and threats is not to put religion there, but terror.”
—Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)
“For a person who is dying only eternity counts.”
—Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990)
“pulling off the fat diamond engagement ring,
pulling off the elopement wedding ring,
and holding them, clicking them
in thumb and forefinger,
the indent of twenty-five years,
like a tiny rip leaving its mark....”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)