The Star of the East diamond is a 94.80-carat pear-shaped stone whose origins remain mysterious. One thing, however, is certain: in 1908 the majestic diamond cast its spell on Evalyn Walsh McLean in a necklace devised by Cartier.
The fame of certain gems is indisputably linked to the mystery surrounding them. Such is the case with the Star of the East. This pear-shaped diamond, weighing 94.80 carats, was allegedly found in India and apparently belonged to Ottoman sultan Abdul-Hamid II (1842–1918). Although no written sources confirm that origin, the rest of the tale is solidly documented in the Cartier archives. On December 15, 1908, the newlyweds Evalyn Walsh (daughter of an extremely rich gold prospector) and Edward Beale McLean (son of the owner of the Washington Post and Cincinnati Enquirer newspapers) walked into the Cartier Paris premises on Rue de la Paix and bought a necklace of diamonds set in platinum, a natural pearl weighing 32.50 grains, a 34.50-carat hexagonal emerald—and the Star of the East diamond. Later, the young woman would have the diamond set on an aigrette. She was so attached to the diamond that she kept it for nearly forty years.
The Star of the East then passed through the hands of King Farouk of Egypt, returning to Cartier when the king, who had not fully paid the bill, died. No one knows for sure who owns the diamond today.