The star of the east diamond was owned by Ottoman sultan, Abdul Hammed II, who ruled between 1876 and 1909. Unfortunately, the date of discovery, mine of origin and the exact circumstances during discovery are unknown. When found, the rough stone was weighing 157 carats and later, it got transformed into 94.80 carats. It is widely believed that the stone has Indian origin, since it remained in the sultan's treasure for several years.

Distinct qualities of the stone :

It is a pear shaped, colorless, unknown clarity grade stone, weighing 94.80 carats. Usually, the nitrogen impurities impart yellowish tinge and the boron impurities impart blue color to the diamonds. Being D-colored stone, it is free from nitrogen and boron impurities. The plastic deformation is absent in these types of stones, so that it has even D-colored surface throughout the crystal. It is a perfectly formed crystal, since it is not subjected to any of the irradiation process. The stone exhibits tremendous shining due to its sharp dimensions, which is the result of brilliant cut, given by the master cutters.

History of the stone :

The early history of the stone such as the mine of origin, date of discovery, and under what circumstances the stone was christened, remains a mystery. The stone found its way to the treasure of Ottoman Empire, Abdul hammed II of Turkey, in 1876. After his defeat, in the war, his valuable diamonds including the star of the east was put up for an auction in Cartier's sale, Paris, 1908. Evelyn Walsh, daughter of multimillionaire, who got married to Edward Beale Mclean, purchased the stone from Cartier’s sale, for $200,000. In 1978, The Metropolitan Museum, New York, exhibited the exquisite diamond and Harry Winston; the diamond dealer purchased the stone, but the present owner of the stone is unknown.