What is the weight of a victory diamond?
When cutting a diamond into a brilliant, up to 60% of the original size of the stone can be lost. Diamonds that are unique in size are considered works of art and national treasures. The quality of the cut is a criterion that is considered of paramount importance, however, people tend to gravitate towards large stones, even if the cut and brilliance are inferior. The legendary diamonds that went down in history, in addition to their size and masterful cutting, also had unique shades.
TOP 12 largest diamonds in the world
The appearance of unique, large diamonds is in itself an event worthy of being called a sensation. Their transformation into diamonds is a task entrusted to the best jewelers of their time.
Golden Jubilee Diamond
The stone is kept in the Grand Palace of Bangkok, but it is periodically displayed in different countries during exhibitions and cultural events. The owner is the King of Thailand. The diamond was jointly acquired by Thailand’s richest businessmen and presented as a gift for the golden anniversary of the reign of monarch Bhumibol Adulyadej. The source weighed 755,5 carats and was found at the Premier mine in South Africa. After cutting, which took the eminent cutter Gabi Tolkowsky 2 years, the golden-brown diamond weighed 545,67 carats and took on the shape of a “cushion with elements of a fiery rose.” Interestingly, this stone received a papal blessing in the Vatican, where it was specially sent after its purchase in 1995. The diamond was also blessed by the head of Buddhist monks in Thailand.
Victory Diamond
The diamond had a high degree of transparency without impurities and a beautiful diamond shape. After processing, 30 high-quality diamonds were obtained from the diamond, which are now in a private collection. The mineral was found on January 6, 1945 in the valley of the Woye River in Sierra Leone, its second name is “Woye River”. The weight of the find was as much as 770 carats.
Millennium Star
“Millennium Star” is a beautiful colorless diamond, a leader among its “brothers”, with an elegant teardrop shape. Its cutting took Steinmetz Diamond Group 3 years, including the use of modern laser tools. It is noteworthy that cutting, grinding and finishing of the stone were carried out in three countries. The cutting was carried out in Belgium, the stone was polished in South Africa, but the final work was carried out in New York, where the stone was subsequently presented to the public. After processing, the weight of the stone was 40,6 grams, or 203,04 carats. The Millennium Star Diamond was cut (54 facets), reducing its weight to 203.04 carats and entered the famous De Beers diamond collection and became an exhibit in a public exhibition in 1999. In 2000, they tried to kidnap him. The diamond was discovered in the territory of the modern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the alluvial plains in the Mbuji-Mayi district of Zaire. The original weight of the diamond was 777 carats.
Great Mogul
The stone was found around 1650 in the Indian Kollur mine (in the modern state of Andhra Pradesh). In addition to its fantastic size and weight of 787 carats, the diamond had a beautiful blue tint. The stone was presented as a gift to Emperor Jahan, the fifth ruler of the Mughal dynasty, who gave the diamond to the jewelers. After cutting, the “Great Mogul” received the shape of a rose and already weighed 280 carats. 15 years later, the son of the Shah, Aurangzeb, presented the stone to the Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, who was not only a traveler, but also a gold merchant. In 1747, the last owner of the “Great Mogul” was killed, and the stone was never found. There is a version among historians that later the “Great Mogul” became the basis for the creation of another diamond – the “Orlova”.
Kohinoor
Today this stone is part of the collection of the House of Jewels of the Tower of London. The history of Kohinoor continues from the 12th century. The diamond came into the possession of the British Crown only in 1849. The stone originally weighed 793 carats and was discovered at the Kollur mine in India. Throughout its history, Kohinoor has been included in a large number of famous jewelry and crown jewels. Kohinoor fell into the hands of the British already in the weight category of 191 carats, was subjected to processing and received its current size – 105,6 carats. Although the diamond has long belonged to the British crown, there are still representatives from India, Afghanistan and Pakistan who dispute the legality of ownership of the stone in their favor.
Lesotho diamond weighing 910 carats
The value of this gem-quality diamond can exceed $40 million. The stone ranks 7th in size in the world ranking. The 910-carat Lesotho was discovered in 2018 at the Letseng mine, which is known for producing some of the most expensive stones on the global diamond market.
Star of Sierra Leone
The mineral was discovered in 1972 in the depths of the Dominico diamond mine. The original mass of natural diamond was 969,9 carats. The mineral was recognized by experts as almost impeccable in purity and transparency. The stone was purchased by a jeweler from New York, the transaction amount was 2,5 million dollars. The stone was cut, its weight was already 143,2 carats. However, the owner was in for an unpleasant surprise – a flaw was discovered inside the diamond. The jeweler decided to re-process the stone, resulting in 17 diamonds, 13 of which were of the highest quality. “Star of Sierra Leone” is the name of the largest diamond from this collection.
Diamond Excelsior (Excelsior)
An amazing clear stone of a bluish-white hue with a leaf-shaped shape was found in the South African Jagersfontein mine in 1905. The weight of the mineral was 971 carats. Excelsior was 8 centimeters high before processing! The Dutch experts who were entrusted with cutting the find came to the decision to cut the diamond into smaller fragments. This decision caused a lot of criticism, but at that time such a large diamond would not have been able to find its owner. As a result of cutting, Excelsior lost 62% of its original weight. The solid mineral was transformed into 11 commercially viable, high-quality diamonds that sold out.
Diamond “Our Light” (Lesedi la Rona)
Before cutting, the weight of the stone was 1111 carats. The diamond was found in Botswana in 2015 in a mine called Karowe AK6. It is noteworthy that the diamond was discovered using a TOMRA X-ray sorter. The stone was bought by British jeweler Graff in 2017. The transaction amount was $53 million. The diamond was originally named after the mine where it was discovered, but later the stone was given a new name, renamed Graff Lesedi La Rona. The phrase following the jeweler’s name means “Our Light” in the indigenous Tswana language. In addition to the 302,37-carat diamond, 66 smaller stones were produced from the original diamond. The Graff Lesedi La Rona is a gem-quality diamond that ranks 4th in size worldwide.
Cullinan
The stone got its name from the surname of the owner of the diamond mine. A diamond of gigantic size was discovered on January 26.01.1905, 3106,75 in a mine in the South African town of Cullinan. Its original weight was 1907 carats. The gigantic mineral was acquired by the Transvaal colony in 150. As a gift, an unusual diamond was presented to Edward VII, the King of England. The transaction amount at that time was XNUMX thousand pounds sterling. The diamond, larger than the Excelsior, was truly outstanding. The length of the mineral was 10,1 cm and the width was 6,3 centimeters. By order of the monarch, the gigantic Cullinan diamond was divided: as a result of cutting, 9 main diamonds (2 large, 7 medium) and 96 minor diamonds were obtained. The stone was cut by the famous master Joseph Asher. Cullinans can be seen on the royal scepter, the imperial state crown and among the jewelry of the British Queen. Cullinan I, Cullinan II and Cullinan III are also the largest diamonds in the world.
Botswana diamond
The stone, the size of a tennis ball, was unearthed back in 2015. The weight of the unnamed mineral is 1111 carats; it fully complies with international quality standards and has been awarded the highest category. The cost of a Botswana diamond is $110 million. Until a jeweler was found ready to take this treasure to work.
Sergio
A black diamond that has not yet been processed. The stone was discovered in a Brazilian mine back in 1895. This diamond has a truly gigantic size – 3167 carats. Sergio is a “non-diamond-shaped” diamond; it is believed that it is of meteorite origin. In addition, the surface of the stone has many cracks. This is not a complete list of amazing diamonds that made their way into history. There are other representatives – somewhat smaller in size, but with a unique color. Large diamonds are objects of close attention of collectors and fashion houses. Jewelry created from unique diamonds is presented with the participation of world-famous celebrities, and the presentations are staged on a grand scale. Only a select few are present at such events, and the highest level of security is ensured. Large diamonds are a source of special pride for the owner; moreover, their value is influenced by the events and personalities with which the gemstone has been associated throughout its history. Diamond mining has been going on for many centuries – every year tens and hundreds of millions of carats of precious stones rise to the surface from the depths of the earth. But only a few among them can be worthy of the title of exceptional. And only a few can boast of incredible sizes, becoming record holders and objects of desire for millions of people around the world. Advertising – Continued below We invite you to get acquainted with the largest diamonds in the world, which have taken their rightful place in the history of gem mining.
“President Vargas”, 726,6 carats
A huge transparent diamond was discovered in 1938 on the banks of the Santo Antonio River (outside Brazil). Its weight reached 726,6 carats. The stone was named after the current president of the country, Getulio Vargas. Who was lucky has not yet been established – perhaps they were prospectors or farmers. The stone was resold many times until it fell into the hands of Harry Winston. As a result, it turned into 29 incredibly beautiful diamonds, the largest of which weighed 48,26 carats. Today the stones are in private collections and museums. Advertising – Continued below
“River Woye”, 770 carats
A diamond weighing 770 carats was found in 1945 in West Africa (the country of Sierra Leone) on the banks of the Woye River, after which it was named. And since it was in this year that the Second World War ended, the precious stone was given an additional name – “Victory Diamond”. After processing the diamond, 30 magnificent diamonds were obtained, the largest of which weighs 31,35 carats.
“Great Mogul”, 787 carats
The diamond is considered one of the oldest in the world – it was discovered back in 1640 in Golconda. The weight of the found treasure was 787 carats. Until 1905, it remained the largest diamond in the world. The first owner of the precious stone was the treasurer of Golconda, Margimola. Advertising – Continued below Further traces of the stone, which belonged to the Mughal dynasty, are lost. It is believed that he caused wars and other dramatic events. It is also known that the 787-carat diamond was cut into a diamond weighing approximately 279 carats.
Constellation, 813 carats
On November 19, 2015, the Canadian diamond mining company Lucara Diamond announced one of the most significant finds of the century – a category D gemstone weighing approximately 813 carats. The stone was mined in Botswana at the Karowe mine. Read more:
Christie’s held a private show of jewelry In May 2016, the diamond, which received the loud name Constellation (translated from English as “Constellation”), was purchased by the Dubai company Nemesis International for $63,1 million. Such a high price made the flawless Constellation the most expensive diamond in the world. Advertising – Continued below The cutter of the precious giant was de Grisogono.
Sierra Leone Star, 968,9
The gemstone was mined in Africa on February 14, 1972. The Star of Sierra Leone diamond became the largest diamond discovered within the country, pushing the previous record holder, the 620-carat Sefada diamond, to second position. The giant diamond was immediately purchased by Harry Winston for $2,5 million. The stone was cut by the famous master Lazar Kaplan. The result was an emerald-cut diamond weighing 143,2 carats. However, due to a small defect, a decision was made to split it and recut it. In this way, 17 diamonds were obtained, the largest of which weighed 53,96 carats. Today, 6 stones from this series are inlaid into the famous “Star of Sierra Leone” brooch. Advertising – Continued below
“Excelsior”, 995,2 carats
A 995-carat diamond was found in Africa at the Jachersfontein mine in 1893. The stone immediately became a sensation – it had a perfect bluish-white hue, excellent clarity and an unusual shape. For a whole decade, the best jewelers and gemologists in London studied the diamond. In 1904 it was sent for cutting. The result was 21 diamonds, weighing a total of 373,75 carats. The largest among them weighs 70 carats and is called Excelsior I.
Lucara diamond, 998 carats
The as-yet unnamed gemstone was mined in November 2020 from the Karowe mine in Botswana. The diamond was one of two specimens weighing more than 500 carats found at the mine this year. At the moment, minimal information is known about the stone, but experts are already suggesting that its possible cost could reach $50 million. Advertising – Continued below
Lesedi la Rona, 1109 carats
In November 2015, Lucara Diamond Corporation mined another gem in Botswana – an incomparable diamond weighing 1109 carats (222,2 grams). It was originally thought to contain 1111 carats. The stone, named Lesedi la Rona, is currently the second largest in the world in terms of mass and size of all previously discovered diamonds. In September 2017, the gem was sold to Graff Diamonds for $51 million.
Sewelô diamond, 1758 carats
The world’s second largest diamond, weighing 1758 carats, whose name translates as “Rare Find”, was mined by Lucara in April 2019 from the Karowe mine in Botswana. In January 2020, the stone was purchased by the fashion house Louis Vuitton with the goal of breaking it into smaller pieces, cutting it and subsequently inlaying it into a special collection of jewelry. Advertising – Continued below Unlike Lesedi la Rona, Sewelô cannot boast of excellent characteristics – it was rated by experts as a stone of “variable quality”. However, the diamond contains significant zones of jewelry quality, which allows it to be used in the manufacture of jewelry. The purchase price was not disclosed, but it is known that 5% of the proceeds from the sale of the jewelry collection will go to Lucara’s charitable initiatives in Botswana. Read more:
10 most expensive rubies from auctions
“Cullinan”, 3106,75 carats
The world’s largest diamond weighs 3106 carats. It was mined in South Africa in early 1905 at the Premier Mine. The precious stone had a characteristic chip, which indicates that it is a fragment of a larger mineral that has not yet been found. The find was named after the owner of the mine, Thomas Cullinan. Cutting in its natural form was impossible – there were cracks inside the stone. In 1908, after several months of careful study, the Cullinan was split by Joseph Ascher in the presence of famous jewelers. As a result, 105 diamonds emerged from the original crystal – 9 large and another 96 small, with a total weight of 1063,65 carats. The most famous fragments of the Cullinan are stones numbered 1, 2 and 5: “Great Star of Africa”, “Second Star of Africa”, “Brooch of the Heart”. Subscribe to Jewelery Mag on Telegram and VK to be the first to know about new publications.
