The CULLINAN 530.2carats
This was the largest lump of gem diamond crystal ever discovered. In the rough it weighed 3,106 carats, or about one and one half pounds. Because the rough had a cleavage face, many experts believe that the huge stone was only a piece of a much larger diamond which was broken up in the weathering process. The Transvaal Government bought the rough for $750,000 and presented it to King Edward VII on his birthday in 1907. In 1908 King Edward sent the stone to Amsterdam for cutting. The yield was nine major gems; the largest two were retained for the Crown Jewels. This pear shape is the largest cut diamond in the world. Also called the GREAT STAR OF AFRICA, it is set in the Imperial Sceptre and is on permanent display in the Tower of London.


The CULLINAN II — 317.4 carats
This square cut brilliant is the second largest diamond in the world, cut from the same rough as the CULLINAN. Also called the LESSER STAR OF AFRICA, this diamond is in the Imperial State Crown, currently on display in the Tower of London.
 

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