Worlds
Largest Diamonds
Click
on images to see worlds largest
diamonds. |
| |
 | KOH-I-NOOR
("Mountain of Light") is
one of the worlds largest diamonds, it weighed in at 186 carats when it
was first discovered *in 1304*. This oval shaped cut stone is believed
to have been set in the famous peacock throne of Shah Jehan. Recut
during the reign of Queen Victoria it now weighs 108 carats and forms
part of the British Crown Jewels. |
 | Cullinan
I - also known as The
Star of Africa
was named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, owner of the mining company, and
currently claims the title of largest cut diamond in the world. Of all
the worlds largest diamonds Cullinan I is the largest. It was cut by
Asscher in Amsterdam, weighs 530.20 carats, and has 74 facets. The
Cullinan now resides in the Tower of London and is set in the sceptre
of King Edward VII. |
 | The Excelsior *which means
higher* is
not only one of the worlds largest diamonds it is the second largest
diamond ever found. It originally weighed 995.2 carats. The diamond was
cut into ten pieces, the three largest weighing 158, 147 and 130
carats. These pieces were then cut into 21 gems ranging from 70 carats
to less than 1 carat. An African mine worker found the diamond as he
was loading his truck, he kept the find secret until he could safely
turn it over to the mine manager who rewarded him with some money, a
horse and a saddle. |
 | Orloff
- the worlds third
largest cut diamond
weighs 194 carats. It was once one of the eyes of the idol Sheringham,
in the temple of Brahma, later it was acquired by the Shah Nadir who
desired to own one of the worlds largest diamonds. In 1775 it was given
to Catherine II. of Russia by Grigori Orloff, one of her ex-lovers, and
has been called the Orloff since then. |
 | The
Great Mogul is one of the worlds largest diamonds. The rough
diamond was discovered in the 17th century, weighed 793 carats and was
named after Shah Jehan... builder of the Taj Mahal. |
 | The
Idols Eye is a famous pear shaped diamond, its polished size
weighing in at 70.20 carats makes it one of the worlds largest
diamonds. The name of the stone comes from the legend claiming that the
Sheik of Kahmir stole it from an idols eye to pay the Sultan of Turkey
a ransom for Princess Rasheetah. |
 | Sefadu
was found in Sierra Leonne in 1970 and is owned by American diamond
company Lazare Kaplan. The uncut stone weighs 620 carats which easily
makes it one of the worlds largest diamonds. |
 | The
Centenary,
was discovered at the Premier
Mine of South Africa on the 17th of July 1986 and joined the ranks of
the worlds largest diamonds, it weighed in at 599.10 carats in rough
form. Master-cutter Gabi Tolkowsky took almost three years to complete
its transformation into the world's largest, modern-cut flawless
diamond. The Centenary has 75 facets on top, 89 on the bottom and 83 on
the girdle, for a total of 247 facets. It weighs 273.85 carats and now
forms part of the British Crown Jewels. |
 | The
Premier Rose became one of the worlds largest diamonds when
it was discovered in 1978. The diamond weighed 353.9 carats and was cut
into three diamonds known as the Premier Rose family. All of them
qualify to be one of the worlds largest diamonds. The largest of the
three kept the name Premier Rose and now weighs 137.02 carats, is cut
with 189 facets, and is the second largest pear shaped diamond in the
world. It was sold in 1979 for $10,000,000.00. |
 | The
Regent another of the worlds largest diamonds was discovered
in 1701 by an Indian slave near Golconda, it weighed 410 carats in the
rough. Once owned by William Pitt, the English Prime Minister, it was
cut into a cushion shaped brilliant of 140.50 carats and, until it was
sold to the Duke of Orleans, Regent of France when Louis XV was a boy
in 1717, was called The Pitt. It was then renamed The Regent and set in
the crown Louis XV wore at his coronation. After the French revolution,
it was owned by Napoleon Bonaparte who set it in the hilt of his sword.
It is now on display in the Louvre as one of the worlds largest
diamonds. |
 | The
Blue Hope
another of the worlds largest
diamonds was once owned by Louis XIV and officially designated the
*blue diamond of the crown*. It was stolen during the French Revolution
but showed up again in 1830 and was bought by Henry Philip Hope of
London, the diamond was named after the new owner. The Blue Hope
Diamond is believed to carry a curse, two of the owners had their
entire family die just one year apart. It now resides in the
Smithsonian in Washington where it is recognized as one of the worlds
largest diamonds. |
 | The
Sancy is named after one of its owners Seigneur de Sancy, a
French Ambassador to Turkey in the late 16th century. It was first
owned by Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, who lost it in battle in
1477. He loaned it to the French king, Henry III, who wore it in the
cap with which he concealed his baldness. Henry IV of France also
borrowed the stone from Sancy, but it was sold in 1664 to James I of
England. In 1688, James II, King of England, fled with it to Paris and
it has never been found since. The Sancy weighed 55 carats making it
one of the smallest of the worlds largest diamonds. |
 | The
Taylor-Burton
diamond was found in the
Premier mine in 1966, the rough stone weighed 240.80 carats. The famous
diamond was purchased by Harry Winston who commissioned the stone
cleaved into two pieces, the larger piece weighed 162 carats and was
eventually cut into a pear shaped 69.42 carat diamond. It was later
auctioned for $1,050,000 and named the "Cartier". The diamond was then
purchased by Richard Burton and given to Elizabeth Taylor and renamed
the Taylor-Burton. In 1978, following her divorce from Richard Burton,
Elizabeth put one of the worlds largest diamonds up for sale to raise
funds for a hospital in Botswana. The current owner is Robert Mouawad,
President of the Mouawad Group.
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