* The Great Star of Africa - 530.20 Carats - The largest polished diamond in    the world. This gem, which is among the British Crown Jewels, has 74 facets.

* The Orloff - 300 Carats when found - This gem may be found in the Diamond Treasury of Russia in Moscow. It may have been set at one time as the eye of God in a Hindu Temple before being stolen by a French soldier.

* The Centenary Diamond - 273.85 Carats - Weighing almost 600 Carats in the rough, a master-cutter took 3 years to transform the stone into the largest
modern-cut flawless diamond. Also a part of the British Crown Jewels, it was first presented at the Tower of London in 1991.

* The Regent - 140.50 Carats - Discovered by an Indian slave in 1701, this stone was cut brilliantly from 410 Carats in the rough. It has been owned by the Duke of Orleans, Regent of France (then called the Pitt); then set in Louis XV coronation crown; and then set in Napoleon Bonaparte's sword hilt. It can be seen today at the Louvre in Paris.

* Koh i Noor (Mountain of Light) - 105.60 Carats - An oval cut gem, now part of the British Crown Jewels. It was once believed to be used as one of the peacock's eyes in the peacock throne of Shah Jehan.

* The Idol's Eye - 70.20 Carats - Another pear-shaped stone, also probably set as the eye of an idol. This gem may also have been used to pay ransom to the Sultan of Turkey for a princess he abducted.

* The Taylor-Burton - 69.42 Carats - As you might guess from the name, Richard Burton bought and named this stone as a gift for Elizabeth Taylor. She sold it in 1979 to use the proceeds for charity and reportedly received $3 million. It was last seen in Saudi Arabia.

* The Sancy - 55 Carats - This stone, which hasn't been seen since the French Revolution, was owned by a French Ambassador to Turkey. He kept loaning it to the French Kings but it was eventually sold to England's King James I before its disappearance.

* The Blue Hope - 45.52 Carats - This most famous stone is named after Henry Philip Hope, whose family all died in poverty, after he acquired the stone. It can be viewed at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C.

* Hortensia - 20 Carats - A peach colored stone, named after the Queen of Holland, the first step-daughter of Napoleon Bonaparte. This gem is part of the French Crown Jewels and may be viewed at the Louvre in Paris.