See full version: The Largest And Purest Diamond Ever Found
Solano sank down on his knees and sank his hands in the sand. He wriggled it around in the moist sand until he touched a large, hard object. He pulled out a sand-encrusted pebble about the size of a hen's egg. He bounced the heavy pebble in his hand, a little surprised by the weight of it. His friends watched in awe as he brushed the pebble clean.
Rafael Solano and his friends had a wild dream. There was nothing sensible about this dream. It was, in fact, so far-flung, so outrageous, that a sensible person would have dismissed it at the first thought. They wanted to find diamonds. After much inquiry, they found a spot that had a reputation for being a possible site. here
The year was 1942; the country, Venezuela. here
Rafael Solano, his back bent, his shoulders crushed by an invisible weight, sat on a boulder in the dry river bed. He lifted his head up slowly. It weighed a ton. He spoke in a low voice, his words almost incomprehensible. He mumbled again to his two friends. more
The millionth pebble, the largest and purest diamond ever found, was sold in New York to Harry Winston, a jewel dealer. He paid Rafael Solano $2,000,000 for the diamond.
The men worked long and hard in apparently futile labor. They kept each others spirits up, and when, at the 999,999th pebble Rafael Solano was about to give up, his friends pushed him to continue.
'Pick up another pebble,' urged one of Rafael's friends. 'Make it a million.' here
Solano sank down on his knees and sank his hands in the sand. He wriggled it around in the moist sand until he touched a large, hard object. He pulled out a sand-encrusted pebble about the size of a hen's egg. He bounced the heavy pebble in his hand, a little surprised by the weight of it. His friends watched in awe as he brushed the pebble clean. here
He threw the pebble down. It bounced off another stone and lay shining in the sunlight. more
Rafael Solano and his friends had a wild dream. There was nothing sensible about this dream. It was, in fact, so far-flung, so outrageous, that a sensible person would have dismissed it at the first thought. They wanted to find diamonds. After much inquiry, they found a spot that had a reputation for being a possible site.
Long hard months had passed for the three men prospecting for diamonds in the watercourse of their native country. They had worked relentlessly, driven by greed, by passion, by an outrageous hope for the future. They had stooped and gathered pebbles from sunup to sundown. They had fought off discouragement with talk about how they would spend their new found wealth. But all they ever found were pebbles. Now, as they all faced each other, their clothes were torn and filthy, merely rags, clinging to their gaunt bodies. They stank of long months of unwashed sweat, which had soaked into skin, hair, and what was left of their clothes. here
[Image Courtesy: Cullinan Diamond] Found in 1905 near Pretoria, South Africa, the rough uncut Cullinan diamond weighed 3,106.75 carats. The original rough stone was later cut into several polished diamonds including the 9 large gems – Cullinan I to Cullinan IX. Cullinan I, also known as the ‘Great Star of Africa’ is the largest polished colorless diamonds and weighs 530.4 carats (The largest diamond in the world – Golden Jubilee Diamond discovered in 1985 and weighing 545.67 carats is a brown colored diamond), while Cullinan II, also called ‘Second Star of Africa’ weighs 317.4 carats. Both the diamonds are in the crown jewels of UK. more
[Diamond Type – BDI Research]
[Image Courtesy: AP, Daily Mail UK] [links]
Originally weighing 78.54 carat, the Archduke Joseph diamond, a antique cushion-shaped, colorless, brilliant, Type IIa, was purchased by Molina Jewelers of Arizona in 1990s and was recut to 76.45 carat for improved clarity and symmetry. The IF, D grade is the largest DIF diamond ever graded at GIA. Recovered in India’s Golconda mines, the Archduke Joseph diamond’s first recorded owner was Austria’s Archduke Joseph August who had deposited the diamond in a Hungarian bank vault in 1933.
The word “diamond” derives from the Greek adamas, which means “unconquerable.” Fewer gemstones generate as much awe for their clarity, tenacity and brilliance.
Leading the collection is a rare 10.59-carat Asscher-cut D-Flawless diamond. The stone was cut and polished from a 30.80-carat rough diamond from Lesotho’s Letšeng mine, the birthplace of some of the largest and highest-quality colorless diamonds in the world. [links]
These diamonds are the rarest of all, accounting for fewer than 2% of natural diamonds, with historical icons such as the Koh-i-noor, the Regent and the Cullinan all sharing these Type IIa characteristics.