As told by Peter Magnine - The history of the Magnine Diamond many years ago, when Nuns were Nuns, the MAGNINE family had one of our very own.
Sister Mary Eudora was a member of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Sister Eudora was the daughter of Mary MAGNINE MARTURANO. Mary was one of the sisters of my Grandfather Peter. Mary MARTURANO had 5 daughters and Sister Eudora was the oldest. Sister Eudora became a BVM in 1929 and she was assigned to the Mother House in Iowa. But she would frequently return home to Chicago to visit her family including her many cousins. As is the practice in the Church people make donations. Sometimes it is money and sometimes it is property.
And this is where the story of "THE MAGNINE DIAMOND" starts.
An unknown person donated a Diamond to the Church. Sister Eudora was given the assignment to have the Diamond appraised and to sell it with the proceeds going to the Church.
This is evidently where my father John comes into the picture. John was one of Sister Eudora's cousins. John agreed to accompany Sister Eudora in her quest to sell the Diamond for the Church. John also told Sister Eudora that whatever it was appraised for he would buy it, and he did. John had the Diamond and wore it in a ring for many years finally giving it to his son Peter.
Peter gave the Diamond to his wife Bonny. Bonny wore it for many years and finally put it away for our son John-Robert. Bonny told J-R that he could have the Diamond when he found the woman he was ready to marry.
Well that day finally arrived. J-R asked his mother to bring "The MAGNINE DIAMOND" on our vacation to San Francisco.
And then on a dark and cold night on Alcatraz J-R popped the question and presented "The MAGNINE DIAMOND" to his beloved Maria de los Angeles. He gave her THE ROCK on the Rock. And so "The MAGNINE DIAMOND" is beginning the next part of its journey through life.
