subject: Famous Diamonds Of the World - The Cullinan Diamond [print this page] Author: Kendall Author: Kendall
Dogs are a man's best friend. Diamonds are a woman's best friend. We will leave the dogs for another time and just talk about diamonds in this article. Diamonds are more fun anyway. Enjoy the article! The world's largest diamond is the Cullinan Diamond. History The Cullinan Diamond was discovered in 1905 in South Africa. The lucky man who came across this diamond was Frederick Wells. Cullinan was the name of the owner of the diamond mine in which it was found, hence the name. The diamond was bought by the northern South African government and then presented to the King of the United Kingdom, King Edward VII. It was then split into 3 different pieces by a company out of Amsterdam. Soon it was cut again into 9 smaller pieces and eventually many other smaller fragments. The 9 smaller fragments were distributed out and can be found in either the British Regalia, the English Crown Jewels, and in the possession of the Royal family of Britian. Cullinan I The Cullinan I is one of the two largest split pieces of the original diamond. Another name for the Cullinan I is "The Great Star of Africa." The Great Star of Africa is 530.20 karats and is mounted in the Royal Sceptre. It contains 76 facets. Cullinan II The Cullinan II is the second largest split piece which weighs 317.40 karats. It can be found in the band of the Imperial State Crown. If you'd like to learn even more details about the rest of the Cullinan Diamonds, a great website to visit is Diamonds Are Forever. More Thomas Cullinan became interested in mining in South African because of the diamonds that were being discovered in a stream nearby. The cutting of the diamond was a very careful process which did not include evolved technology such as we have today. For three whole months, the company out of Amsterdam studied the diamond to make sure they would cut the diamond at the perfect spot. The process included cutting, polishing,setting, and cleaving. The ploishing part alone took 8 months. The mine in South Africa called the Premier Diamond Mine sits on a large underground volcanoe. The diamonds are formed by carbon atoms which are under very high heat and very high pressure. These diamonds are formed close to 90 ft. below the mine and are driven upward by the volcanoe. Although the Cullinan Diamond is more than anyone could afford for anybody, there are other famous diamonds that are affordable for gifts. It is very popular to give diamonds as wedding jewelry and bridal jewelry. Next to diamonds are crystals and pearls. Do you think that there is an undiscovered diamond that could be larger than the Cullinan? I think so. Time will tell.About the Author:
My name is Kendall and I write about weddings,jewelry,and fashion for Silverland Jewelry & Gifts which is located in the Sutton Square Shopping Center in Raleigh,NC.
