The Largest Diamond Ever Exist

The largest diamond to ever exist was discovered on January 26,1905. It was called the Cullinan Diamond. It was found in the Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Africa. This diamond weighed 3,106.75 carats (621.35 gms). The diamond weighed 1.33 pounds. It was discovered during a routine inspection by the mine superintendent, Mr. Frederick Wells. Fredrick Wells was 18 feet below the earth’s surface, when he spotted a flash of starlight just above him. The diamond was on the wall a few feet above him. He climbed up and got it out. His discovery was presented that same afternoon to Sir Thomas Cullinan who owned the mine. Cullinan then sold the diamond to the Transvaal Provincial Government. The stone was presented to Britain’s King Edward VII as a birthday gift on his sixty-sixth birthday. King Edward VII was worried that the diamond might be secretly stolen in transit from Africa to London. So he set up a decoy, with a phony diamond, aboard a steamship loaded with detectives.

Eventually the Cullinan was divided into 106 polished diamonds. One of the largest stones that was cut from the Cullinan diamond is called Star of Africa I or Cullinan I, and it weighed 530 carats. It is the largest, fine-cut, colorless diamond in the world. The second largest stone cut from Cullinan diamond is called the Star of Africa II or Cullinan II. It is 317 carats. These stones along with the Cullinan III, which is the third largest diamond cut, are displayed, and well guarded, in the Tower of London with other crown jewels from Britain.