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The Cullinan was split and cut into 7 major stones and 96 smaller stones. Edward VII had the Cullinan I and Cullinan II set respectively into the [[Sceptre with the Cross]] and the [[Imperial State Crown]], while the remainder of the seven larger stones and the 96 smaller brilliants remained in the possession of the Dutch diamond cutting firm of Messers I. J. Asscher of Amsterdam who had split and cut the Cullinan, until the South African Government bought these stones<ref>With the exception of the Cullinan VI which Edward VII bought and gave to Queen Alexandra in1907 and who on his death gave it to Queen Mary</ref> and the High Commissioner of the Union of South Africa presented them to Queen Mary on 28 June 1910.<ref>’’The Queen's Jewels. The Personal Collection of Elizabeth II.’’ Leslie Field. Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated, @ 1987. Times Mirror Books. INBN 0-8109-1525-1. p. 72.</ref> |
The Cullinan was split and cut into 7 major stones and 96 smaller stones. Edward VII had the Cullinan I and Cullinan II set respectively into the [[Sceptre with the Cross]] and the [[Imperial State Crown]], while the remainder of the seven larger stones and the 96 smaller brilliants remained in the possession of the Dutch diamond cutting firm of Messers I. J. Asscher of Amsterdam who had split and cut the Cullinan, until the South African Government bought these stones<ref>With the exception of the Cullinan VI which Edward VII bought and gave to Queen Alexandra in1907 and who on his death gave it to Queen Mary</ref> and the High Commissioner of the Union of South Africa presented them to Queen Mary on 28 June 1910.<ref>’’The Queen's Jewels. The Personal Collection of Elizabeth II.’’ Leslie Field. Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated, @ 1987. Times Mirror Books. INBN 0-8109-1525-1. p. 72.</ref> |
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The Cullinan I is a 530.2 carat, pear cut diamond and the largest of the Cullinan diamonds. It is also known as the Great Star of Africa, and was set in the head of the [[Sceptre with the cross]] which was reworked for this purpose. It may also be hung as the pendant, on its own or from the Cullinan II in a brooch. For this purpose the diamonds have both been fitted with two tiny platinum loops on the edges. |
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| ⚫ | The Cullinan II, the second and last Greater Star of Africa, weighing 317.4 carats and rectangular cushion cut, was set in the front of the circlet of the [[Imperial State Crown]]. It may also be used together with the Cullinan I as a brooch. |
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The Cullinan III is a pear cut, 94.4 carat diamond known as one of the Lesser Stars of Africa (along with the Cullinan IV). [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]], the queen consort of [[George V]] had the Cullinan III set in the surmounting cross of her [[Crown of Queen Mary|newly acquired crown]] for her coronation in 1911. By In 1914, however they were replaced by crystal models. After that, Queen Mary mainly wore the crown as a circlet, meaning the Cullinan III was not needed. Since Queen Mary's death on March 24, 1953 her consort crown has remained unworn and it is thus unknown if the Cullinan III will ever be used again to surmount the Crown of Queen Mary. Presently the Cullinan III is most frequently worn as a brooch, in combination with the Cullinan IV. |
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|Cullinan I<ref>Also known as the Great Star of Africa.</ref> |
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The Cullinan IV or is square cushion cut and weighs 63.6 carats. It was also set in the Crown of Queen Mary originally, as part of the circlet, however it too was removed in 1914. Since then it was been worn as a brooch along with the Cullinan III. Collectively the two diamonds are affectionately known as 'Granny's Chips', by Queen Eliazebth II. This was revealed by Queen Elizabeth II on 25th of March 1958, while she and Prince Philip were on a state visit to the Netherlands. As part of their tour of the country, the couple visited the Asscher diamond works, where the diamond had been cut fifty years earlier. The occaision marked the first time the Queen had publicly worn the brooch. During the event, the Queen unpinned the brooch and offered it for examination by Louis Asscher, the brother of **. Elderly and almost blind, Asscher was deeply moved by the fact the Queen had brought the diamonds along with her, knowing how much the gesture would mean to him, seeing the diamonds after so many years. The Queen has worn the brooch no more than six or seven times in public during her reign. |
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|530.2 carats |
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|pear |
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| ⚫ | The Cullinan V is heart cut and weighs 18.8 carats. It is set in the center of a brooch forming a part of the stomacher of the diamond and emerald Delhi Durbar Parure. |
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|Set in the head of the [[Sceptre with the Cross]]. It may also be hung as the pendant from the Cullinan II in a brooch. |
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===Cullinan VI=== |
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| ⚫ | The Cullinan VI is marquise cut and weighs 11.5 carats. Originally given by Edward VII to Queen Alexandra. After his death she gave this stone to Queen Mary who had it set as a pendant hanging from the diamond and emerald necklace in the Delhi Durbar Parure. |
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|Cullinan II<ref>Second Star of Africa</ref> |
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===Cullinan VII=== |
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|317.4 carats |
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| ⚫ | The Cullinan VII is also marquise cut and weighs 8.8 carats. It hangs from the brooch containing the Cullinan VIII and forming as part of the stomacher of the Delhi Durbar Parure. |
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|rectangular cushion |
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===Cullinan VIII=== |
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| ⚫ | The Cullinan VIII is set in the center of a brooch forming part of the stomacher of the Delhi Durbar Parure. It is cushion cut and weighs 6.8 carats. |
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===Cullinan IX=== |
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|Cullinan III<ref>First of the Lesser Stars of Africa</ref> |
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The Cullinan IX is the final large diamond to be obtained for the Cullinan. It is pear cut and weighs 4.4 carats. It is set as the bezel in a ring, known as the Cullinan IX Ring. |
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|94.4 carats |
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|pear |
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|Originally set in the cross at the top of the [[Crown of Queen Mary]]. It now hangs from the Cullinan IV in a brooch. |
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|Cullinan IV<ref>Second of the Lesser Stars of Africa.</ref> |
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|63.6 carats |
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|square cushion |
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|Originally set in the front of the circlet of the [[Crown of Queen Mary]]. It now forms part of a brooch together with the Cullinan III. |
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|18.8 carats |
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|heart |
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|11.5 carats |
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|marquise |
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|8.8 carats |
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|marquise |
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|6.8 carats |
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|cushion |
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|4.4 carats |
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|pear |
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|Set as the bezel in a ring. |
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|}<ref>Based on the information in ‘’The Queen's Jewels. The Personal Collection of Elizabeth II’’, pp. 72–77.</ref> |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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The rough diamond; below it (not to same scale) the nine largest pieces after the split
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| Weight | 3106.75 |
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| Color | white (exact colour grade unknown; Gems & Gemology's examination results stated probably D or at least E) |
| Cut | Assorted (cushions, pears, marquises) |
| Country of origin | South Africa |
| Mine of origin | Premier Mine |
| Cut by | Asscher Brothers |
| Original owner | Premier Diamond Mining Co. |
| Owner | British Crown |
| Estimated value | over £1 billion, US$2 billion |
The Cullinan diamond is the largest gem-quality diamond ever found, at 3106.75 carat (621.35 g, 1.37 lb) rough weight.[1] About 10.5 cm (4.1 inches) long in its largest dimension, it was found 26 January 1905, in the Premier No. 2 mine, near Pretoria, South Africa.
The largest polished gem from the stone is named Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa, and at 530.4 carats (106.08 g)[2] was the largest polished diamond in the world until the 1985 discovery of the Golden Jubilee Diamond, 545.67 carats (109.134 g), also from the Premier Mine. Cullinan I is now mounted in the head of the Sceptre with the Cross. The second largest gem from the Cullinan stone, Cullinan II or the Second Star of Africa, at 317.4 carats (63.48 g), is the fourth largest polished diamond in the world. Both gems are in the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.
The Cullinan diamond was found by Thomas Evan Powell, a miner who brought it to the surface and gave it to Frederick Wells, surface manager of the Premier Diamond Mining CompanyinCullinan, South Africa on 26 January 1905. The stone was named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, the owner of the diamond mine.
Sir William Crookes performed an analysis of the Cullinan diamond before it was cut and mentioned its remarkable clarity, but also a black spot in the middle. The colours around the black spot were very vivid and changed as the analyser was turned. According to Crookes, this pointed to internal strain.[3] Such strain is not uncommon in diamonds.
The stone was bought by the Transvaal government and presented to King Edward VII on his birthday.[4][5] It was cut into three large parts by Asscher BrothersofAmsterdam, and eventually into 9 large gem-quality stones and a number of smaller fragments. At the time, technology had not yet evolved to guarantee quality of the modern standard, and cutting the diamond was considered difficult and risky. To enable Asscher to cut the diamond in one blow, an incision was made, half an inch deep. Then, a specifically designed knife was placed in the incision and the diamond was split in one heavy blow. The diamond split through a defective spot, which was shared in both halves of the diamond.[6]
In 1905, transport from South Africa to England posed a security problem. Detectives from London were placed on a steamboat that was rumoured to carry the stone, but this was a diversionary tactic. The stone on that ship was a fake, meant to attract those who would be interested in stealing it. The actual diamond was sent to England in a plain box via parcel post, albeit registered.[7]
The story goes that when the diamond was split, the knife broke during the first attempt. "The tale is told of Joseph Asscher, the greatest cleaver of the day," wrote Matthew Hart in his book Diamond: A Journey to the Heart of an Obsession, "that when he prepared to cleave the largest diamond ever known, the 3,106 carats (621.2 g) Cullinan, he had a doctor and nurse standing by and when he finally struck the diamond and it broke perfectly in two, he fainted dead away." Lord Ian Balfour, in his book "Famous Diamonds" (2000), dispels the fainting story, stating it was more likely Joseph Asscher would have celebrated, opening a bottle of champagne.
Rumours abound of a "second half" of the Cullinan diamond. According to Sir William Crookes the original, uncut diamond was itself "a fragment, probably less than half, of a distorted octahedral crystal; the other portions still await discovery by some fortunate miner."[5] Crookes thus indirectly indicates that the original, larger crystal broke in a natural way and not by a man-made cut. Others[who?] have speculated that before Frederick Wells sold the diamond to Sir Thomas Cullinan he broke off a piece which sized in at about 1,500 carats (300 g) to 2,000 carats (400 g).[citation needed]
The Cullinan was split and cut into 7 major stones and 96 smaller stones. Edward VII had the Cullinan I and Cullinan II set respectively into the Sceptre with the Cross and the Imperial State Crown, while the remainder of the seven larger stones and the 96 smaller brilliants remained in the possession of the Dutch diamond cutting firm of Messers I. J. Asscher of Amsterdam who had split and cut the Cullinan, until the South African Government bought these stones[8] and the High Commissioner of the Union of South Africa presented them to Queen Mary on 28 June 1910.[9]
The Cullinan I is a 530.2 carat, pear cut diamond and the largest of the Cullinan diamonds. It is also known as the Great Star of Africa, and was set in the head of the Sceptre with the cross which was reworked for this purpose. It may also be hung as the pendant, on its own or from the Cullinan II in a brooch. For this purpose the diamonds have both been fitted with two tiny platinum loops on the edges.
The Cullinan II, the second and last Greater Star of Africa, weighing 317.4 carats and rectangular cushion cut, was set in the front of the circlet of the Imperial State Crown. It may also be used together with the Cullinan I as a brooch.
The Cullinan III is a pear cut, 94.4 carat diamond known as one of the Lesser Stars of Africa (along with the Cullinan IV). Queen Mary, the queen consort of George V had the Cullinan III set in the surmounting cross of her newly acquired crown for her coronation in 1911. By In 1914, however they were replaced by crystal models. After that, Queen Mary mainly wore the crown as a circlet, meaning the Cullinan III was not needed. Since Queen Mary's death on March 24, 1953 her consort crown has remained unworn and it is thus unknown if the Cullinan III will ever be used again to surmount the Crown of Queen Mary. Presently the Cullinan III is most frequently worn as a brooch, in combination with the Cullinan IV.
The Cullinan IV or is square cushion cut and weighs 63.6 carats. It was also set in the Crown of Queen Mary originally, as part of the circlet, however it too was removed in 1914. Since then it was been worn as a brooch along with the Cullinan III. Collectively the two diamonds are affectionately known as 'Granny's Chips', by Queen Eliazebth II. This was revealed by Queen Elizabeth II on 25th of March 1958, while she and Prince Philip were on a state visit to the Netherlands. As part of their tour of the country, the couple visited the Asscher diamond works, where the diamond had been cut fifty years earlier. The occaision marked the first time the Queen had publicly worn the brooch. During the event, the Queen unpinned the brooch and offered it for examination by Louis Asscher, the brother of **. Elderly and almost blind, Asscher was deeply moved by the fact the Queen had brought the diamonds along with her, knowing how much the gesture would mean to him, seeing the diamonds after so many years. The Queen has worn the brooch no more than six or seven times in public during her reign.
The Cullinan V is heart cut and weighs 18.8 carats. It is set in the center of a brooch forming a part of the stomacher of the diamond and emerald Delhi Durbar Parure.
The Cullinan VI is marquise cut and weighs 11.5 carats. Originally given by Edward VII to Queen Alexandra. After his death she gave this stone to Queen Mary who had it set as a pendant hanging from the diamond and emerald necklace in the Delhi Durbar Parure.
The Cullinan VII is also marquise cut and weighs 8.8 carats. It hangs from the brooch containing the Cullinan VIII and forming as part of the stomacher of the Delhi Durbar Parure.
The Cullinan VIII is set in the center of a brooch forming part of the stomacher of the Delhi Durbar Parure. It is cushion cut and weighs 6.8 carats.
The Cullinan IX is the final large diamond to be obtained for the Cullinan. It is pear cut and weighs 4.4 carats. It is set as the bezel in a ring, known as the Cullinan IX Ring.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
So incredible was its discovery that the moment it was found at the Premier Mine it was thrown out of the window of the mine manager's office because it was thought to be a worthless crystal.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)|
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