Why famous diamonds?
There are a number of famous diamonds that have gained fame due to their special beauty, their exceptional size or their history as owned by well-known personalities.
The fame of these famous diamonds is largely based on their special characteristics based on the Four Cs : Colour, Carat (size), Clarity and Cut.
The Cullinan Diamond
In 1905, Frederick Wells discovered the world's largest rough diamond to date in South Africa's Premier Mine. The exceptionally valuable diamond weighed a record 3,106 carats when discovered.
For fear that the diamond might shatter due to internal stresses and because of the fact that it had dark spots in the core, in 1908 this unique diamond was cut into several smaller diamonds, which are now known worldwide as the famous Cullinan I-IX .
Koh-i-Noor Diamond
The Koh-i-Noor diamond is one of the most famous diamonds, primarily because of the legendary legends surrounding it. It is said to be a jewel mentioned in the Sanskrit epic, over which the gods of the Hindu religion fought. In the Middle Ages, it was part of the then-famous Peacock Throne in Delhi. Today, the oval 105.60-carat diamond is part of the British Crown Jewels.
The Excelsior Diamond
Because of its impressive carat weight of 995.2ct and its special shape, the Excelsior is also one of the famous diamonds.
Its name comes from the diamond's unusual shape – while one side was flat, the opposite side had a protruding point.
The rough diamond was discovered in 1893 in the Jagersfontein Mine in South Africa, which had already gained a reputation for producing numerous diamonds of a beautiful white color with a slight blue shimmer. Cutter Abraham Asscher split the rough diamond into several pieces, from which he cut a total of 21 gemstones. These famous diamonds were then numbered according to their size (e.g., Excelsior I at 69.68 carats, Excelsior II at 47.03 carats).
The Golden Jubilee Diamond
The amber-colored Golden Jubilee diamond owes its place among the famous diamonds to the fact that it is the world's largest cut diamond at 545.67 carats.
The renowned cutter Gabi Tolkowsky managed to minimize the loss during the cutting process enormously and thus 72% of the 755-carat rough diamond was preserved. The result was a fire-rose cushion cut with 148 symmetrically arranged facets . The gemstone was given its name in 1997 when it was given to the Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej for his 50th anniversary on the throne. Since then it has been part of the Thai crown jewels.
Star of Sierra Leone
The Star of Sierra Leone is on the list of famous diamonds because it is the third largest rough diamond in the world in terms of gemstone quality. It was found in Sierra Leone in 1972. Its main feature is that 13 of the 17 diamonds that were cut from it are absolutely flawless.
(1) Image source: Wikipedia, Permission: PD-OLD
(2) Image source: Wikipedia; "The Crystal Palace and its contents. An illustrated Cyclopedia of the Great Exhibition 1851"
(3) Image source: Wikipedia, Author: Edwin W. Streeter
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