|
The Cullinan
Diamond
The Cullinan Diamond is the largest rough
gem-quality diamond ever found, at 3,106.75 carats
(621.35 g or 1.3698 pounds), found in Cullinan mine
in the Transvaal in 1905. It was bought by the
Transvaal government for 150,000 pounds and
presented to King Edward VII as the largest diamond
known. It has subsequently been cut into 9 large
stones.
The largest polished gem from the stone is named
Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa, and at 530.2
carats (106.04 g) was the largest polished diamond
in the world until the 1985 discovery of the Golden
Jubilee Diamond, 545.67 carats (109.13 g), also from
the Premier Mine. Cullinan I is now mounted in the
head of the Sceptre with the Cross. The second
largest gem from the Cullinan stone, Cullinan II or
the Lesser Star of Africa, at 317.4 carats (63.48
g), is the fourth largest polished diamond in the
world and is also part of the British crown jewels,
as it forms a part of the Imperial State Crown. Both
gems are on display at the Tower of London, as parts
of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. In 1905,
transport from South Africa to England posed a bit
of a problem with regard to security. Detectives
from London were placed upon a steamer ship that was
rumoured to carry the stone, but this was a
diversionary tactic. The stone on that ship was a
fake, meant to attract those who would be interested
in stealing it. The actual diamond was sent to
England in a plain box via parcel post.
Rumours abound of a "second half" of the Cullinan
diamond, as there are certain indications that the
diamond was part of a larger crystal. It is
suggested that before Frederick Wells sold the
diamond to Sir Thomas Cullinan he broke off a piece
which sized in at about 1,500 to 2,000 carats (300
to 400 g). If this were true, the original Cullinan
diamond would have weighed approximately 5,000
carats (1 kg).
It was found by Frederick Wells, surface manager of
the Premier Diamond Mining Company in Cullinan,
Gauteng, South Africa, on January 25, 1905. The
stone was named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, the owner
of the diamond mine. Sir William Crookes performed
an analysis of the Cullinan diamond and mentioned
among others its remarkable clarity but also a black
spot in the middle. The colours around the black
spot were very vivid and changed as the analyzer was
turned. According to Crookes this pointed to severe
internal strain. Such strains are not uncommon for
diamonds, and have actually resulted in causing
diamonds to explode when reaching the surface, or
even in the pockets of the miners due to the
exposure to the miner's body warmth. The stone was
bought by the Transvaal government and presented to
King Edward VII. It was cut into three large parts
by Asscher Brothers of Amsterdam, and eventually
into some 11 large gem-quality stones and a number
of smaller fragments. At the time, technology had
not yet evolved to guarantee quality of the modern
standard, and cutting the diamond was considered
difficult and risky. In order to enable Asscher to
cut the diamond in one blow an incision was made,
half an inch deep. Then a specifically designed
knife was placed in the incision and the diamond was
split in one heavy blow. The diamond split through a
defective spot which was shared in both halves of
the diamond.
The story goes, however, that the knife broke during
the first attempt. "The tale is told of Joseph
Asscher, the greatest cleaver of the day," wrote
Matthew Hart in his book Diamond: A Journey to the
Heart of an Obsession, "that when he prepared to
cleave the largest diamond ever known, the 3,106
carat (632 g) Cullinan, he had a doctor and nurse
standing by and when he finally struck the diamond
and it broke perfectly in two, he fainted dead
away." It turns out the fainting story is a popular
myth. Diamond historian Lord Ian Balfour wrote that
it was much more likely he opened a bottle of
champagne, instead.
Read more about World's Largest Diamonds
The largest faceted diamond in the world is the Golden
Jubilee, weighing 545.67 carats. It is a Fancy Brownish-Yellow color and
"fire rose cushion cut." It is unusual also because it has a certain
type of rare color banding. The second largest faceted diamond in the
world is the Star of Africa, also known as the Cullinan I. It weighs
530.20 carats and is a pear shape with 74 facets. The third largest
diamond in the world is the Incomparable. It is a golden yellow-orange
color, pear shaped, and weighs 407 carats. The fourth largest faceted
diamond in the world is the Cullinan II. It was cut from the same stone
as the Star of Africa - aka Cullinan I. It weighs 317.40 carats and is a
cushion cut...
World's Famous Diamonds
Passion. Murder.
Insanity. Intrigue. Envy. A mere hint of the fascinating
stories behind the world's most remarkable diamonds.
Many have been associated with famous names - the likes
of Napoleon … Sultan Babur … Lady Astor … Shah Jehan …
Queen Victoria … Catherine the Great … Elizabeth Taylor.
Others have inspired awe and legend on account of their
size, origins or unique qualities. Since nearly the dawn
of time, diamonds have encrusted the armor of great
warriors,...
World's Famous Diamond Mines
The
oldest and most famous diamond mine in North America is
the Crater of Diamonds which is just south of
Murfreesboro, Arkansas. In 1906, diamonds were found
after John Wesley Huddleston bought the land to farm.
He noticed two small stones in the bottom of the bucket
of cattle feed. The stones were sent to Little
Rock jeweler who sent them to Tiffany's in New York and,...
World's Renowned Diamond Cutting Centers
Diamonds being easily transportable and being of high
value allows them to be moved to the most efficient and
economic locations for further processing. The several
factors that are considered in determining the location
of a diamond cutting facility...
Diamonds and De Beers - The Story of the
Diamond Cartel
For more than 100 years, the name De Beers has
evoked all glamour and mystery radiated by a diamond. Through shrewd
marketing and careful manipulation of the market, the South African company
has parlayed these pieces of crystallized carbon into
multi-billion-dollar-a-year business empire. De Beers has truly a family
affair. Built around the twin pillars of De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd.
and Angelo American Corporation of South Africa, the Oppenheimer dynasty
controls most of the world's diamond mining and trade and is one of the
biggest multi-nationals. They are the world's leading diamond producers...
Read more...
Read about Diamond History,
Diamond Trade, Buying Tips and more...
The Romans believed that diamonds brought
courage and bravery during battle. Jewish high priests used diamonds to
decide the innocence or guilt of the accused: A stone held before a
guilty person dulled and darkened; a stone held before an innocent
person glowed with increased brilliance. The Hindus believed that this
brilliant gem was created when....
Back to Diamond
Information Summary...
|
World's Largest Diamonds - Cullinan
