RAPAPORT... Lord Ian Balfour, the noted diamond historian, passed away on April 14. Lord Balfour was the author of "Famous Diamonds" that chronicled the history of some of the world’s legendary diamonds, including the Hope Diamond, the Cullinan I and the Koh-i-Noor, among many others. Lord Balfour worked for many years at De Beers. He began writing about diamonds in 1959, with "Notes on Famous Diamonds." He was working on his sixth edition of the book at the time of his death. Born in 1924, Lord Balfour was also an accomplished composer, creating eight operas and six symphonies along with orchestral and instrumental pieces.
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