cullinan

The Cullinan diamond is one of the largest clear gem diamonds ever found, weighing 3,106 carats (621.2 grams) in rough form before cutting. Discovered in 1905 by Frederick Wells, a miner working for the Premier Mine (now known as the Cullinan Mine) in Pretoria, South Africa, the diamond was named after Thomas Cullinan, the mine’s owner. The stone was purchased by the Transvaal government for £150,000 (equivalent to roughly £15 million today) and presented as a gift to King Edward VII of the United Kingdom in 1907.

The rough diamond was sent to London for cutting, where it was divided into nine major gemstones and numerous smaller fragments. The largest piece, known as the Great Star of Africa, weighs 530.4 carats and is the largest clear cut diamond in the world. It is mounted in the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross, one of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, used in the coronation ceremony of British monarchs. Other notable stones include the Second Star of Africa (317.4 carats), now part of the Imperial State Crown, and the Cullinan III (94.4 carats), known as the Lesser Star of Africa, which is set in the British monarch’s Crown.

The Cullinan diamond is notable not only for its size but also for its historical significance, symbolizing the wealth and power of the British Empire during the early 20th century. Today, the stones remain part of the British Crown Jewels, displayed in the Tower of London. The mine where it was discovered, the Cullinan Mine, is still operational and continues to produce diamonds, though on a smaller scale than in its early years.