In Greek, diamond means “indestructible”, and this mineral is formed deep in volcanic rocks. Scientists have long determined the age of this beautiful and eternal mineral, from about 990 million to 4.3 billion years.
Among the main indicators, the weight of precious stones, measured in carats, is distinguished. The price depends on weight and transparency, and we will examine the largest stones and find out which is the largest diamond in the world, and which, after processing, have become the most famous diamonds in the history of Mankind.
Golden Anniversary, (755.5 ct)
He received his name after the richest people from Thailand bought it together and presented it to his king for an anniversary. But they found a magnificent gem weighing 755.5 carats in 1985, and one of the mines in southern Africa became the place of discovery.
But note that the precious gift has already been faceted, which took 2 years. As a result of painstaking work, a brilliant yellowish-brown diamond, in its shape resembling a rose, was obtained.
Its price is now about $ 12 million, and it is stored in the treasury of the monarch, as a valuable exhibit. Its splendor can be seen in the photo of the monarch, who wears jewelry in solemn occasions.
Diamond of Victory, (770 ct)
A 770 carat diamond was found in the west of the African continent in the Uoye River Valley in the Republic of Sierra Leone. The date of finding the stone - January 6, 1945 predetermined the name "Diamond of Victory."
His second name is the Uoye River diamond, in the river valley of which he was found. The stone itself had an amazing rhomboid shape and a fairly high degree of transparency, without visible external impurities.
Subsequently, 30 wonderful diamonds were made from a large mineral. But, unfortunately, it is impossible to see them, since those who purchased them wished to remain anonymous.
The Millennium Star, (777 ct)
A diamond with a beautiful weight of 777 carats and the same beautiful name, was found in 1990 on the African continent near the city of Mbuji Mayi in the Republic of Congo. For three years, it was cut using the most modern technologies of that time, including using a laser.
After the work done, it became a unique pear-shaped, and has 54 faces in which light is radiantly reflected. Owned by the company "De Brice", whose representatives showed it to the world in 1999 in New York.
In the history of diamond there is also an attempt at an unsuccessful abduction, after which the stone was insured for a large amount, and its greatness can often be seen only in the photo.
The Great Mogul, (787 ct)
But this diamond among the largest has a history full of incredible adventure and drama. Found it in India in the middle of the XVII century, weighing 787 carats.
Everyone was surprised not only by the huge size at that time, but also by the enchanting blue shade of the stone. After he was presented to the emperor, he commanded to process the stone. It turned out a magnificent diamond in the form of a rose.
After the murder of the last owner of the Great Mogul, no one saw the precious masterpiece. And this happened in 1747, and the secret of his whereabouts and further fate has not been disclosed to this day.
Incomparable, (407 ct)
An incomparable mineral was found in 1980 by a girl who was walking among the waste of diamond mines at the already familiar African city of Mbuji-Mayi. With his tan sheen, he caught the attention of the girl.
After cutting this find, a beautiful diamond of an unusual shape appeared in the form of a triplet, which was sold at auction for $ 12 million in 1988. After several more trips at world auctions, “Incomparable” ended up in 2009 in one of the museums in the Canadian city of Ontario.
There he was skillfully inlaid in a chic rose gold jewelry, being the central part in the item, surrounded by 91 diamonds.
After cutting, the weight of the mineral from 890 carats decreased to 407 carats.
The Star of Sierra Leone, (969.8 ct)
Initially, a stone found in the mining operations of the Republic of Sierra Leone had a weight of 969.8 carats. He became famous throughout the world for those that possessed almost absolute purity and transparency.
He was found in the mine "Dominico" in 1972, and immediately attributed to the highest category. The New York jeweler offered for him $ 2.5 million, and the deal was immediately completed.
Already at home, the jeweler found a flaw inside the stone, and then cut it into 17 different parts, of which the largest and most unique and received the romantic name “Star of Sierra Leone”.
Excelsior, (373.75 ct)
This diamond appeared to the world at the end of the 19th century, and impressed with its size and weight of 995 carats and transparency. A stone with a bluish-white tint was commissioned to cut a Dutch company.
Unprocessed stone, almost 8 centimeters high before cutting, was the largest ever found in mines in South Africa. After processing, the world saw magnificent diamonds, which, since 1904, have been sold around the world.
It's a pity, but after cutting and receiving diamonds, the Excelsior mineral lost 62% of its original weight. From 971 ¾ carats, only 373.75 carats of the total weight of several faceted stones remained, which were subsequently sold in parts.
Cullinan, (1063 ct)
As soon as diamonds began to disperse around the world, which appeared as a result of Excelsior's cut, the world was struck by another giant, found in 1905 in the bowels of the mines of British Transvaal. His weight surprised everyone - 3106 carats.
They decided to name the found mineral by the name of the owner of the mine, and so it went down in world history. He barely fit in the palm of his hand and was of extraordinary transparency, in the complete absence of any impurities and cracks.
It was presented to King George VII, and later divided into two parts. One under the name "Star of Africa" adorns the tops of the scepter of the British monarchs, and the second - "The Small Star of Africa" took its place in the royal treasury.
Botswana Diamond, (1111 ct)
In 2015, a diamond comparable in size to a tennis ball was discovered at one of the mines on the border of two South African deserts.
On-site measurements were taken and it was determined that the mineral found was fully consistent with international standards. The weight of the largest rough diamond to date is 1,111 carats. As you can see, he has not yet been awarded his own name.
The mineral is still waiting for its jeweler, but now it costs about 110 million dollars, and is assigned to the highest category.
Sergio, (3167 ct)
Unusual in color, the fact is that it is completely black, the Sergio diamond is the largest today, and they found it back in 1895 in Brazil. The worker who found him received a rather large prize.
The largest in size and weight of 3,167 carats is still without treatment. Simply, many speak out that this unique mineral has a meteoric origin.
The processing is also complicated by multiple cracks in the stone and its irregular shape, so to speak, not of diamond quality. So that "Kullian" remains the largest processed diamond in the world.
As one could pay attention to, each of the stones presented in the review, due to its uniqueness, got its own name, and it is worth calling it, an interesting story pops up behind each of them.
Diamond mining is a complex and time-consuming process, but sometimes they come to the surface of the Earth from great depths as a result of volcanic eruptions. After processing, the world's most valuable gems become the decoration of the most magnificent and unique jewelry, including the crowns of monarchs.
Article author: Valery Skiba