To correctly determine what is the largest diamond, you need to understand the difference between a diamond and a diamond. Diamond is a rough stone. A diamond is called a faceted diamond. After cutting, the stone can significantly lose weight. This is due to the fact that in natural stones there are always some defects - foreign inclusions, cracks, etc. Therefore, the cutter has to choose the most suitable place for processing in the stone, sometimes breaking pieces from it or even breaking it into pieces.
For example, the largest diamond in the world - “Cullinan-I” was made. The stone that made this diamond weighed 3,106.8 ct. (621.35 gr.) And had dimensions of 100x65x50 mm. Found him in 1905 in Transvaal, at that time the
colony of England. The manager of one of the diamond mines accidentally noticed a spark in a pile of plain rock at one of the mine sites. Having disassembled the stones, he discovered a diamond of unusual sizes.
The mine belonged to a man named Cullinan, so the stone was called “Cullinan”, perpetuating the name of the owner of the site. Thomas Cullinan put up his crystal, of which the largest diamond was then made, for sale at the bank of Johannesburg, where he lay for two years. Then the crystal was presented as a birthday present to the monarch of England, Edward VII.
The king sent him to be cut by the best Dutch jewelers, the Ascors. Joseph Ascourt studied the stone for half a year, looking for the so-called point of impact. This master was considered the most skilled jeweler of his time in terms of finding this point correctly.
The task was very responsible even for him. Witnesses say that when Joseph, after long calculations, finally hit a stone, he fainted from excitement and tension. And only having regained consciousness, he was relieved to notice that he had calculated everything correctly. The stone fell into several parts. Subsequently, nine large diamonds were made , 96 of medium size, and one diamond was left uncut. The largest diamond that came out of the crystal was called Cullinan-I. Its mass was about 530 ct.
The world's largest diamond is also called by the place where it was found - "The Big Star of Africa." It has a pear shape and is the main decoration of the English scepter. The remaining diamonds, which are called the "Small Stars of Africa", are now exhibited in the Museum of the Tower
Although officially Cullinan-I is still considered the largest crystal, there is a diamond larger than it. This is the “The Golden Jubilee” diamond weighing 545.7 ct. (109.1 g). The stone from which it was made had a weight of 756 ct. Like the Cullinan, it was found in South Africa in the 80s of the last century. At the moment, the crystal is the property of the
King of Thailand. Therefore, in fact, The Golden Jubilee is the largest diamond on earth.
Maybe someday crystals and larger ones will be found, but so far, “Cullinan-I” and “The Golden Jubilee” are two wonderful stones that are rightfully considered the largest and most valuable in the world, and for a long time they will delight as ours contemporaries and their descendants.