See full version: What is the Largest Diamond in the World
The Cullinan diamond is not fully intact; instead, it has since been cut into nine large stones and nearly 100 smaller ones. This cutting, however, does not diminish the value, as all of the stones are valued at millions of dollars together. “Star of Africa I,” or “Cullinan I,” is the largest stone to come of the original Cullinan diamond. Estimated at 530 carats, the diamond is the largest cut colorless diamond in the world.
The process of uncovering this diamond was not special in any way; Powell found it during a routine inspection eighteen feet below. Even more impressive, the diamond mine is large, but it is by no means the largest diamond mine in the world. In fact, it is not even on the list of the top ten. With this being said, the press grew very intrigued because of the diamond’s size and the smallness of the mine. The diamond, therefore, became an international sensation.
Additionally, it was the largest polished diamond of any color until the Golden Jubilee Diamond was discovered in 1985 in the Premier Mine, the same location in which the Cullinan diamond was found. Today, the diamond is located in the Tower of London in the British Sovereign’s Royal Scepter. The diamond is not alone there, as the Cullinan II, along with some of the other smaller cuts of the original Cullinan diamond, is also located in the Tower of London as part of the Crown Jewels.
From the beginning, King Edward VII was aware of the immense value of this special discovery. Therefore, in the process of sending the stone to England, he requested a decoy diamond be sent before the actual diamond in order to prevent thieves from stealing it.
The name, Cullinan, comes from the mine’s owner; Wells decided to present his finding of the large diamond to Sir Thomas Cullinan on January 25th, the same day in which the diamond was found, and therefore, he christened the diamond after the mine’s owner. [links]
Known as the “Star of Africa,” or the Cullinan Diamond, the largest diamond in the world is a whopping 3,106 carats for a weight of 1.3 pounds. The diamond was originally found in 1905 in the Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Africa by Thomas Evan Powell. As simply an employee, Powell gave the diamond to Frederick Wells, the mine’s supervisor, in order to gain a better knowledge of what to do with it.
[NOTE: Listed and numbered by ‘Largest Gem-Quality Rough Diamonds’ ever discovered. Includes ‘Variable -quality rough diamonds as well’ by size***. As of June 2021.
Carat Weight: 3,106.75 carats (621.350 g)
Color: Near colourless
Country of origin: South Africa
Mine of origin: Premier Mine
Cut by: Asscher Brothers
Original owner: Premier Diamond Mining Company
Owner: Queen Elizabeth II in right of the Crown (I and II) and as a private individual (III–IX)
Planet earth's geological history is fascinating. Within this history, Diamonds are earth’s oldest preserved minerals and have captured human imagination unlike any other mineral. Diamonds are geological masterpieces, forged by nature, billions of years ago. Until 1725, India was the world's only source of diamonds, followed by discovery of diamond mines in Brazil. Countless diamond discoveries were made, mostly alluvial, till diamond mining became a preferred method of recovering diamonds. Discovered rough diamonds are cut, polished and are then set in your dazzling piece of jewelry.
Did you know the largest and arguably the most famous gem-quality diamond ever to be found is the beautiful Cullinan diamond? The rough diamond weighed a staggering 3106 carats when it was found in South Africa by Sir Thomas Cullinan, in 1905. The diamond was then given to King Edward VII of the United Kingdom as a gift and taken to Amsterdam, where it was cut. Today, the diamond consists of nine large stones and ninety-six smaller stones; two of the largest stones forming part of the Crown Jewels. But, believe it or not, the diamond is only one of the largest diamonds ever to be found in the world. Here’s a list of the eight largest diamonds ever to be found in nature:
The Incomparable diamond weighs 407.48 carats
The gorgeous Woyie River diamond was named after a river near Koidu in Sierra Leone, where it was found in 1945. The rough diamond weighed 770 carats and was dubbed one of the largest alluvial diamonds ever to be found. The Woyie River diamond is also the third largest gemstone to be discovered in Africa after the Cullinan and Excelsior diamond. The diamond ended up being cut and polished into thirty smaller colourless diamonds. here
The 14.23 carat diamond is quite a rarity according to Christie’s, who only sold around 20 such pink stones over 10 carats in almost 250 years of history. more
Thanks to their mesmerizing beauty, but also due to their great rarity, there are gemstones that have been sold for mind-bogglingly high sums of money, making them probably the single most valuable objects on the planet for their size and weight. Rare pieces are very hard to get so make sure you go to a reliable dealer like Berganza. In fact, one might even argue that the value of some stones is virtually immeasurable. Details below!
In an incredible stroke of luck, this jaw-dropping gem was discovered by chance by a young girl in the Congo three decades ago in a pile of kimberlite (a by-product of diamond mining). Its centerpiece is the world’s largest internally flawless diamond (which is a massive 407.48 carats!), but the necklace also features no fewer than 102 smaller stones. [links]
At almost $2.4 million per carat, this eye-catching gem also set a world record price per carat for any colored diamond sold at auction. here