Which is the largest diamond in the World?

The Star of Africa or the Cullinan Gold is the name of the largest diamond in the World. It weighs in at 3,106 carats and weighs in at 1.3 pounds. Thomas Evan Powell found the diamond in 1905 at Pretoria’s Premier Mine. Powell was an employee and gave the diamond to Frederick Wells to better understand how to use it.

How to Mine the Star of Africa?

It was not difficult to find this diamond; Powell discovered it in a routine inspection 18 feet below. It is not the largest, but it is impressive nonetheless. It is not on the list of the top ten. The small size of the mine and the diamond’s beauty made it very attractive to the media. Internationally, the diamond became a huge hit.

The largest diamond in the World is part of a larger stone.

Sir William Crookes analyzed the diamond and found a black spot in its middle despite the stone’s remarkable clarity. Although black spots are common in diamonds, Crookes determined that the black spot indicated internal strain. The diamond’s one side was almost perfectly smooth. Crookes understood this to mean that although the diamond was larger at one time, it had been broken up by nature, leaving a smooth edge. Crookes discovered that the Cullinan diamond is the largest known diamond. However, it was only half of the diamond.

The World’s largest diamond owner

Cullinan is the name of the mine’s proprietor. Wells presented his discovery of the large diamond to Sir Thomas Cullinan the following day, January 25, 1897. He named the diamond after him.

Cullinan immediately wanted to document the discovery and took a photograph of the largest known diamond in the World while sitting right next to it. Cullinan decided to sell the diamond to Transvaal’s provincial government. The diamond was later given to King Edward VII for his 66th Birthday. Although the King initially refused to accept a gift with such immense importance and value, Winston Churchill convinced him to accept it. Churchill didn’t walk away empty-handed. He was given a replica of his diamond, which he displayed to friends and family with a big smile.

How did it get into the hand’s King Edward VII?

This discovery was of immense importance to King Edward VII from the very beginning. To prevent thieves from stealing the diamond, King Edward VII requested that a decoy be sent to England before the actual one.

How did they cut the biggest diamonds in the World?

The King received the diamond and sent it to Joseph Asscher in Amsterdam, one of the most highly regarded diamond cutters in the entire World. The Cullinan diamond was not an easy task for the skilled cutter. Instead, he spent six years studying every aspect of the diamond before making one cut.

The blade Asscher used for his first attempt broke. Asscher fainted after his second attempt at cutting the diamond. There is no evidence to support this story, but his nephew said Asscher would not faint over a diamond. Others suggested that it was more likely that Asscher would have enjoyed a glass of champagne with his cutter. Asscher would have felt relieved to have cut a large diamond in such a perfect proportion, whatever the outcome.

Is the Cullinan diamond still available?

Cullinan’s diamond isn’t fully intact. Instead, it has been cut into nearly 100 smaller stones and nine large ones. The value of all the stones is still high, with each one being valued at over a million dollars. The largest stone from the original Cullinan diamond is “Star of Africa I” or “Cullinan I”. The largest colourless cut diamond in the world, estimated at 530 carats.

It was also the largest coloured, polished diamond until the Golden Jubilee Diamond, discovered in 1985 at the Premier Mine (the same place as the Cullinan). The British Sovereign’s Royal Scepter now houses the diamond in the Tower of London. There is more to the diamond than just the Cullinan II. The Cullinan II and other smaller cuts of the original Cullinan are also found in the Tower of London, which is part of the Crown Jewels.

Queen Elizabeth II has a private collection of Cullinan diamond cuts that she inherited from Queen Mary. It includes seven major cuts and 96 minor ones.