Famous Diamonds
Cullinan I (The Star of Africa), 530.20 carats
The Cullinan I was cut together with 104 other stones by the Asscher Brothers in Amsterdam from the biggest diamond ever found, The Cullinan Diamond, at 3106 carats (named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, the director of the mining company). Today the diamond is mounted on St. Edward’s Sceptre and displayed in the Tower of London. It is the biggest polished diamond in the world, also called The Star of Africa.Cullinan IV, 63.60 carats
The Cullinan IV is one of the 105 stones cut from the biggest diamond ever found, the Cullinan Diamond. Today it is mounted on Queen Mary’s Crown. It can also be taken out and worn as a brooch.Dresden, 41 carats
The Dresden Diamond probably came from India. Its early history is unknown. The diamond was once owned by August the Strong, Elector of Saxony (around the year 1700). Today the diamond is displayed in the Green Vault in Dresden (hence the name).Eugenie, 51 carat
The Eugenie Diamond is an oval stone with good cut and shape, weighing 51 carats. Empress Catharine XI of Russia wore it in a hair-pin and gave it as a present to her general, Potyomkin. Napoleon III purchased the diamond and gave it to Empress Eugenie who wore the stone in a diamond necklace. After the war between Germany and France in 1870, the diamond was bought by Gaekwad of Baroda, an Indian prince, for 75,000 dollars. It is said that the diamond is still in India.Florentine (Tuscan), 137.27 carat
The Florentine Diamond has a mythical history. In 1657, the diamond was owned by the Medici family in Florence (hence the name). In the 18th century, the diamond was mounted on the Hapsburg crown. Afterwards it is known that it was used as jewelry in a brooch. After World War I, the diamond was lost. The diamond is also called the Tuscan.Hope, 40.52 carats
The mythical Hope Diamond is also called the cursed diamond. It is said that Jean-Babtiste Tavernier captured the stone from a statue of the god Rama Sita during one of his journeys to India. The joy from the theft was, however, short-lived, for after he sold the stone to Louis XIV, he traveled to India where he died a violent death. Louis XIV was said to have worn the stone only once and died shortly thereafter. According to another story, the stone was owned for a short time by Fouquet, the French Minister of Finance, who was sentenced to life. During the reign of Louis XIV, it is said that the stone was borrowed by some people, all of whom died tragically afterwards. The jeweler Harry Winston purchased the diamond in 1947 for 176,920 dollars. In 1958, he donated the stone to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. The diamond was delivered to the Smithsonian in a package sent from New York to Washington D.C. as a normal package.Kohinoor, 108.93 carats
In the beginning, the Kohinoor was round, weighed 186 ct and belonged to Indian rulers. In 1739, it was owned by the Persian Shah who gave it the name Koh-i-nur (Mountain of Light). It was later obtained by the British East Indian Company which sent it as a gift to Queen Victoria in 1850. The diamond has since been re-cut and was in the beginning mounted on Queen Mary’s crown; today it can be seen on Queen Elisabeth’s crown displayed in the Tower of London.Nassak, 43.38 carats
The Nassak Diamond originally weighed over 90 carats. It was then displayed in the Shiva temple in Nassak, India. It was obtained as spoils of war by the English in 1818. In 1927, the diamond was re-cut in New York. Today the Nassak Diamond is in a private collection in the USA.Shah, 88.70 carats
The Shah Diamond comes from India. It has three inscriptions with the names of its owners (also of the Shah of Persia, hence the name). The diamond was sent as a gift to Czar Nicholas I in 1829 and is displayed today in the Kremlin.Sancy, 55.00 carat
The Sancy is said to have been worn by Charles the Brave of Burgundy (around the year 1470). In 1570, it was purchased by the French ambassador to Turkey, Signeur de Sancy. There are many stories about the Sancy diamond, many of them lyrical. Today the Sancy Diamond is displayed in the Louvre.Stewart, 120 carats
The Stewart Diamond was found in Waldecks Plant am Waal in 1872 and weighed 288.5 carats. After cutting, the diamond weighed 120 ct. Its current location remains unknown.Tiffany, 128.51 carat
The Tiffany Diamond was found in 1878 in the Kimberley Mine in South Africa and weighed 287.42 carats. The diamond was bought by the famous jewelry company Tiffany in New York and was cut in Paris with 90 facets to the weight of 128.51 carats.
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