The Golden Jubilee, with the weight of 545.67 carats, is the largest faceted diamond in the world. Rough stone weighed 755 carats and was discovered in Premier mine, South Africa in 1985. The Golden Jubilee was presented to the King of Thailand in 1997 for his Golden Jubilee - the 50th anniversary of his coronation. Prior to this event, the stone was simply known as the Unnamed Brown. Estimated value of the Golden Jubilee is $4-$12 million.
2. The Cullinan I - aka the Star of Africa Weight: 530.20 carats
The Cullinan I, a pear shaped diamond weighing 530.20 carats is also known as the Star of Africa. It measures 53mm x 44mm x 29mm, and has 76 facets. It's called the Cullinan I because it is the largest of 9 large stones cut from the 3106 carat Cullinan Diamond. Cullinan I was placed by King Edward in the Sovereign's Royal Sceptre as part of the Crown Jewels, and it is now on display in the tower of London. Estimated value of Cullinan I is over $400 million!
The Incomparable, in its rough state weighing 890 carats, was found in the town of Mbuji Mayi in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) in the 1980s. Four years were spent studying and then cutting the stone, the biggest piece of rough ultimately yielded a gem weighing 407.48 carats; it is the third largest diamond ever cut. Internally flawless clarity and fancy brownish-yellow in color, it measures 53.90 × 35.19 × 28.18 mm.
The Cullinan II is the massive 317.40 carat cushion shaped diamond in the center-front of the Imperial State Crown of Great Britain. Cullinan II was cut from the largest gem-quality diamond ever found, it weighed 3106 carats, or about 1 1/3 pounds. It was named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, who opened the mine and was visiting on that eventful day. The nine larger stones of the Cullinan diamond remain either in the British Crown Jewels or in the personal possession of the Royal Family.
The Spirit of de Grisogono, at 312.24 carats, is the world's largest cut black diamond, and world's 5th largest diamond. In a white gold mounting, it is set with 702 white diamonds totaling 36.69 carats. This diamond originally had a rough weight of 587 carats and was mined several decades ago in west Central Africa before being imported into Switzerland.
The Centenary was found in Premier mine in 1986, in its rough form it weighed 599 carats. When cutting was completed the Centenary weighed 273.85 carats, measured 39.90 × 50.50 × 24.55 mm, and had 247 facets - 164 on the stone and 83 around its girdle. Never before had such a high number of facets been polished onto a diamond. The true value of the Centenary diamond is unknown, but the diamond was insured for around $100 million in 1991.
The Jubilee is a colorless cushion-shaped diamond with a weight of 245.35 carats. The original rough stone, an irregular octahedron without definite faces or shape weighed 650.80 carats and was found in the Jagersfontein Mine towards the end of 1895. When during the cutting it became evident that a superb diamond of exceptional purity and size was being produced, it was planned to present it to Queen Victoria. In the end this did not happen and the diamond remained with its owners. The following year marked the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria (the 75th anniversary of her coronation) so the gem was renamed the Jubilee to commemorate the occasion.
The De Beers diamond was found in Kimberly mines in 1888, the rough stone weighed 428.50 carats and measured 47.6 mm through its longest axis and 38.1 mm square. Weighing 234.65 carats, the De Beers is the 8th largest faceted diamond in the world. After its display in Paris the Maharaja of Patiala bought the De Beers. In 1928 Cartier of Paris set it as the centerpiece of a ceremonial necklace that came to be known as the Patiala Necklace. The necklace originally contained about 2,930 diamonds weighing about 962.25 carats. Today's whereabouts of the De Beers diamond and the Patiala Nacklace is unknown.
The Red Cross is canary yellow cushion-shaped diamond with weight of 205.07 carats. The rough stone weighed 375 carats and was found in Kimberly mines (South Africa) in 1901. The diamond was presented as a gift to the art sale held in London by Christies in 1918, on behalf of the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St. John. Another rare feature is that a Maltese Cross is distinctly visible in the top facet, hence the double appropriateness of its name, the Red Cross Diamond.
The Millennium Star is internally and externally flawless pear-shaped diamond (total of 54 facets). With the weight of 203.04 carats it is the 10th largest diamond in the world. Originally, the rough stone was 777 carats found in the Mbuji-Mayi district of Zaire (Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1990. After 5 months of studying and planning the cutting of the stone, it was decided to cut the rough diamond into three pieces. The Millennium Star is the outcome of the largest piece. The value of the stone hasn't been revealed but the Millennium Star was insured for 100 million English pounds, this is believed to be a fraction of its true worth.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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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Diamond Grading
The Four Cs of Faceted Diamonds The four Cs provide a standard for evaluating Diamonds.
The first step in helping our customers choose diamonds is to clearly convey the meaning and importance of the Four Cs; color, cut, clarity, carat weight. Many customers are often not well informed. Here we offer this information to help you understand the importance of the Four Cs.
Color: Diamonds can cover the entire spectrum of colors. The majority range from a perceptible yellow or brownish tint up to the very rare diamonds described as colorless. Colorless diamonds are the most desirable since they allow the most refraction of light (sparkle). Off white diamonds absorb light, inhibiting brilliance. You can best observe diamond color by placing the stone table side up on a flat white surface or grading trough, and examining it from different angles. Next, place it table-side down with the culet facing you, and examine it through the pavilion facets.
Cut: Cut has the greatest influence on the diamonds fire and brilliance. A round, brilliant-cut diamond has 28 facets. When well proportioned, this shape best shows the stones brilliance because it allows the most light to be refracted back to the eye of the observer. Stones that appear lifeless or stones that appear dark in the center are poorly cut. When the angle relationship between the crown and pavilion facets is correct, rays of light entering the diamond strike the rear facets at an angle greater than the critical angle. (24.5 degrees for diamond), and reflect back to the eye of the observer. If the stone is cut too deeply the light strikes the rear facets at an angle less than the critical angle and the light is lost through the sides of the diamond. If the diamond is cut too shallow, the light passes through the diamond without being reflected back. (no sparkle).
Clarity: Most diamonds contain minute traces of non-crystallized carbon in internal stress factors. Called inclusions, most of these are not apparent to the naked eye but can be seen under magnification. Perfect clarity means that no inclusions are discernible when the diamond is examined under a 10x magnification lens. Inclusions greatly effect the beauty and value of a diamond because they absorb the light rather than allowing it to be reflected back through the front side of the stone. How much they reduce the value of a diamond depends on their size, number and position throughout the stone. An inclusion in the center of the diamond beneath the table is more visible than one near the edge. The inclusion may also be mirrored many times by adjoining facets.
Carat Weight: The term "CARAT" comes from the ancient practice of weighing diamonds against the seeds of a carob tree. The system was eventually standardized, and one carat was fixed at 0.2 grams. One carat is divided into 100 points, so a quarter-carat diamond is 25 points or 0.25 carat. Although carat is a unite of weight, not size, the carat weight of a diamond has come to refer to particular sizes. If properly cut, diamonds of the same weight should be about the same size. These sizes do not apply to other gems, however, because their specific gravity's differ from a diamond.
One must be very careful when buying diamonds, many diamond brokers have no formal gemological training or the proper gem testing equipment to "Accurately" evaluate diamonds. The job of diamond evaluation should only be performed by a certified Graduate Gemologist who has many years experience in this field!
G.I.A COLOR SCALE
Colorless
Near Colorless
Faint Yellow
Very Light Yellow
Light Yellow
Fancy Yellow
G.I.A CLARITY SCALE
FL: Flawless
No blemishes or inclusions when viewed under 10X magnification.
IF: Internally Flawless
No inclusions and only insignificant surface blemishes under 10X magnification.
VVS1 and VVS2: Very very slight inclusions
Minute inclusions that are difficult to see under 10X magnification.
VS1 and VS2: Very slight inclusions
Minor inclusions ranging form difficult to somewhat easy to see under 10X magnification.
SI1 and SI2: Slight inclusions
Noticeable inclusions that are easy to see under 10X magnification, although appear clean to the naked eye.
I1, I2 and I3: Imperfect
Obvious inclusions that are usually visible to the naked eye while stone is viewed face up.
