There are some really notable diamonds in the history of jewelry and gemology. Some are remarkable for their perfection and color, others just for their enormous proportions. Many pieces of famous jewelry contain tremendous diamonds, such as the well known Taylor-Burton diamond that was given to Elizabeth Taylor by her twice-husband Richard Burton. After his death the actress sold the incredible piece of jewelry and used the funds to create a charitable hospital in Africa. There are other diamonds that have equally famous stories, and equally famous size, and the world’s top ten are listed below.
The world’s largest known cut diamond is the “Golden Jubilee“. This colored stone was originally a seven hundred and fifty five carat diamond, but was cut and faceted to a still impressive five hundred and forty five carats before being presented to the King of Thailand as a fiftieth anniversary gift marking the golden jubilee of his coronation, which occurred in 1997.
A single stone yielded both the second largest known cut diamond in the world, the “Star of Africa” or the “Cullinan I” which measures a whopping five hundred and thirty carats and its sister stone the “Cullinan II” which is noted as the fourth largest diamond on record. The original rough diamond was an epic three thousand one hundred and six carats before being cut. Currently the “Star of Africa” is owned by the British Royal family and is set in the Sovereign’s Royal Sceptre in the Tower of London. The approximate market value of the stone alone is estimated at around four hundred million pounds.
The third largest diamond on record is the “Incomparable”, which is another colored diamond. Found in the 1980s the four hundred and seven carat fancy brown-yellow was originally a much larger eight hundred and ninety carats before being carefully examined and cut to perfection.
The fifth diamond on record for its size is yet another colored stone; the fancy black diamond named “Spirit of de Grisogono” was originally a five hundred and eighty seven carat giant before being cut to a three hundred and twelve carat stone. It was last seen in private ownership as a breath taking piece of jewelry, mounted and surrounded by over seven hundred white diamonds.
With a current value of more than one hundred million dollars, the sixth largest stone, the “Centenary” diamond is a remarkable find. Located in 1989 the five hundred and ninety nine carat rough diamond was cut with a remarkable number of facets, approximately two hundred and forty five of them, which illuminates and gives fire to the enormous stone.
The famous and beloved Queen Victoria was the namesake of the seventh largest diamond. The “Jubilee” was intended to be a gift to the monarch on the occasion of her seventy fifth anniversary as Queen. The owners, who located the stone in 1895, began to cut the gem and realized the incredible quality and value of the diamond. They decided it would be in their best interest to keep the stone, but named it honor of their Queen instead of presenting the valuable gem as a gift.
Mystery surrounds the eighth largest known diamond; last seen in the famous “Patiala Necklace” in 1928 the “De Beers” diamond is now in an unknown location and in the hands of an unknown owner. The original four hundred and twenty eight carat diamond was reduced to a flawless two hundred and thirty four carat stone before being set into the necklace setting and disappearing into private ownership.
The cutting and faceting of the ninth largest known diamond gives it its unique appearance and name. The “Red Cross” diamond weighs in at two hundred and five carats, and while that fact alone makes it a remarkable stone, the appearance of a Maltese Cross within the facets of the stone gives the diamond its name. The canary yellow stone began as a three hundred and seventy five carat raw diamond, which was found in South Africa in 1901. It was originally auctioned off for the benefit of the British Red Cross Society, which also makes the name of the unbelievable gem appropriate and fitting.
The tenth and final stone on the list of diamonds remarkable for their size is also a stone noted for its exceptional clarity and flawlessness. The “Millennium Star” is a pear shaped diamond that originated from a seven hundred and seventy seven carat stone. Eventually the stone was cut into three separate and remarkable diamonds, but the “Millennium Star” is the largest of the three. The actual procedure of cutting and dividing the enormous rough diamond required months of planning by professional jewelers before the attempts were successfully made.
Most diamond enthusiasts know that size alone will not determine the value of a stone. In fact today there are trends in colored stones and antique cuts that are driving the prices of these gems to new limits and record setting amounts. For example, rose cut diamonds are enjoying a resurgence in popularity and many vintage pieces are reaching record prices at auction.
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