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Origin of the name
of the Kahn Canary Diamond
The Kahn
Canary diamond was
discovered in 1977 by
George Stepp. George
Stepp was a logger who
lived in Carthage,
Arkansas and he
discovered the diamond
on a visit to the Crater
of Diamonds State Park. Anything found at the
Crater of Diamonds State Park may be kept by the person who discovered
it regardless of the value of the stone. George Stepp therefore sold the
diamond to Stanley Kahn of Kahn's Jewelers in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. The
color of the diamond was a vivid canary yellow - hence the name: Kahn
Canary Diamond.
Diamonds are Forever...
An Impartial Guide to Diamonds
History of the
Kahn Canary Diamond
The Kahn Canary was
discovered in 1977 at the Crater of
Diamonds State Park which is located in South-West Arkansas near
Murfreesboro. The name of the man who discovered the diamond was George
Stepp who was a logger who lived in Carthage, Arkansas. The rough
diamond crystal weighed 4.25 carats and was colored a vivid yellow.
George Stepp sold the diamond to Stanley Kahn of Kahn's Jewelers in Pine
Bluff, Arkansas. In order to to preserve its flawless natural beauty the
decision was made not to cut the diamond. But it required a special
setting so that the Kahn Canary diamond could be worn as a piece of
jewelry. Stan Kahn contacted the talented designer Henry Dunay to
undertake this task. Henry Dunay was born on May 1 1935 in Jersey City,
New Jersey and served a seven year apprenticeship with a master
goldsmith and was vastly experienced in jewelry design. It was
imperative to preserve its natural, uncut form. The Kahn Canary diamond
was a perfect symbol to represent Arkansas which has the nickname of
“The Natural State.” The Arkansas inspired ring setting designed by
Henry Dunay reflected the natural type of contours found in Arkansas and
was mounted in an 18K gold and platinum ring
setting.
Hillary Clinton
and the Kahn Canary Diamond
The Kahn Canary diamond was a perfect, natural symbol of Arkansas. Her
husband, Bill Clinton, was Governor of Arkansas. In 1993 Stan Kahn
loaned the Arkansas-inspired ring to Hillary Clinton to wear at the
first Inauguration of President Clinton as the 42nd President of the
United States. Hillary Clinton wore the Kahn Canary again in 1997.
How the Kahn
Canary Diamond was formed
The land in Arkansas, where the vivid yellow Kahn Canary diamond was
discovered, is situated on the eroded surface of an ancient volcanic
pipe. Diamonds are formed when extreme heat and extreme pressure cause
carbon atoms to crystallize forming diamonds, approximately ninety miles
under the earth's surface. Diamonds reach the surface of the earth via
volcanic pipes, or channels. When a volcano finally erupts, as one did
in ancient Arkansas, diamonds are also deposited on the surface.
History of the
Arkansas Diamond Rush
The History of the Arkansas Diamond rush started in Pike County, Arkansas during
1906 when a farmer called John Wesley Huddleston discovered two stones on his
land. Huddleston sent the stones to a jeweller in Little Rock
called Charles S. Stifft. The jeweller, Charles Stifft confirmed that the stones were
genuine diamonds. Further verification was requested and the stones were
sent to New York where "…after subjecting them to every test they were
pronounced diamonds of fine grade." In an interview with the Arkansas
Gazette John Huddleston told his story. Huddleston became famous and the
American Diamond Rush began! John Huddleston sold his diamond-bearing
land for $36,000 to a group of men who began the Arkansas Diamond
Company. Horace Bemis bought the adjacent land and formed the Ozark
Diamond Corporation. Despite the Diamond Rush and the yield of diamonds
no one was able to make a fortune. The land bought by Bemis was sold to
the Millar family but their mine was destroyed by arson in 1919. The
adjacent land was bought by Mrs. Ethel Wilkinson. Both plots of land
were opened as tourist attractions and both plots were eventually purchased in 1969 by
General Earth Minerals of Dallas, Texas who continued to run the land as
tourist attractions until 1972.
The Crater of
Diamonds
In 1972 the State Of Arkansas bought the land for a
state park for $750,000. It is called the Crater of Diamonds State Park.
The Crater of Diamonds State Park is the only publicly owned diamond
site in the world where visitors may search for diamonds and keep what
they find! The land has yielded over 70,000
diamonds including the Kahn Canary Diamond. The biggest diamonds
discovered at the site of the Crater of Diamonds are
as follows:
- The "Uncle Sam " weighing 40.23 carats discovered in 1924
- The "Strawn-Wagner " weighing 3.03 carats discovered in 1990
- The "Kahn Canary" weighing 4.25 carats discovered in 1977
- The "Amarillo Starlight" weighing 16.37 carats
discovered in 1972
The Kahn Canary Diamond
The above Kahn Canary
history details important historical events and dates.
Fascinating information about the history of the Kahn Canary stone providing
comprehensive facts, information and about the history of the famous
diamond.
Famous - Canary - Precious - History
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Stone - Guide - Facts - Information -Info
Kahn Canary -
History - Hillary Clinton - Crater of Diamonds
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