LARGEST DIAMONDS IN THE WORLD

Largest Diamonds of the World


1. KOH-I-NOOR ("Mountain of Light"):


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Koh-i-noor is one of the world’s largest diamonds,

it weighed in at 186 carats when it was first

discovered *in 1304*. This oval shaped cut stone

is believed to have been set in the famous peacock throne

of Shah Jehan. Recut during the reign of Queen Victoria

it now weighs 108 carats and forms part of the British Crown Jewels.

 


2. Cullinan I The Star of Africa

Cullinan I, the Star of Africa is the

largest diamond in the world:



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Cullinan I - also known as The Star of Africa was named after

Sir Thomas Cullinan, owner of the mining company, and

currently claims the title of largest cut diamond in the world.

Of all the worlds largest diamonds Cullinan I is the largest.

It was cut by Asscher in Amsterdam, weighs 530.20carats,

and has 74 facets. The Cullinan now resides in the Tower of London

and is set in the sceptre of King Edward VII.

 

3. The Excelsior – world’s second largest diamond:


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The Excelsior *which means higher* is not only one of

the worlds largest diamonds it is the second largest diamond

ever found. It originally weighed 995.2 carats.

The diamond was cut into ten pieces, the three largest 

weighing 158, 147and 130 carats. These pieces were then 

cut into 21 gems ranging from70 carats to less than 1 carat.

An African mine worker found the diamond as he was loading

his truck, he kept the find secret until he could safely

turn it over to the mine manager who rewarded him

with some money, a horse and a saddle.



4. Orloff the world’s third largest diamond:


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Orloff - the worlds third largest cut diamond weighs 194 carats.

It was once one of the eyes of the idol Sheringham,

in the temple of Brahma, later it was acquired by the Shah Nadir

who desired to own one of the worlds largest diamonds.

In 1775 it was given to Catherine II. of Russia by Grigori Orloff,

one of her ex-lovers, and has been called the Orloff  since then.


 
5. The Great Mogul:


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The Great Mogul is one of the world’s largest diamonds.

The rough diamond was discovered in the 17thcentury,

weighed 793 carats and was named after Shah Jehan...

builder of the Taj Mahal. 

 

6.The Idols Eye large diamond:


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The Idols Eye is a famous pear shaped diamond,

its polished size weighing in at 70.20 carats makes it

one of the worlds largest diamonds. The name of the stone

comes from the legend claiming that the Sheik of Kahmir stoleit

from an idols eye to pay the Sultan of Turkey a ransom

for Princess Rasheetah.

 

7. Sefadu one of the world’s largest diamonds:


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Sefadu was found in Sierra Leonne in 1970 and is owned by

American diamond company Lazare  Kaplan.The uncut stone

weighs 620 carats which easily makes it one of

the world’s largest diamonds. 
 

8. Centenary -


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One of the world’s largest diamonds The Centenary,

was discovered at the Premier Mine of South Africa on the

17th of July 1986 and joined the ranks of the world’s largest diamonds,

it weighed in at 599.10 carats in rough form. Master-cutter

Gabi Tolkowsky took almost three years to complete its

transformation into the world's largest, modern-cut flawless diamond.

The Centenary has 75 facets on top, 89 on the bottom and

83 on the girdle, for a total of 247 facets. It weighs 273.85 carats

and now forms part of the British Crown Jewels.
 
 

9. Premier Rose 


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One of the world’s largest diamonds The Premier Rose

became one of the worlds largest diamonds when it was

discovered in 1978. The diamond weighed 353.9 carats

and was cut into three diamonds known as the Premier Rose family.

All of them qualify to be one of the worlds largest diamonds.

The largest of the three kept the name Premier Rose and

now weighs 137.02carats, is cut with 189 facets, and is

the second largest pear shaped diamond in the world.

It was sold in 1979 for$10,000,000.00.


 
10. The Regent -


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One of the world’s largest diamonds The Regent

another of the worlds largest diamonds was discovered in

1701 by an Indian slave near Golconda, it weighed 410carats

in the rough. Once owned by William Pitt, the English Prime Minister,

it was cut into a cushion shaped brilliant of 140.50carats

and, until it was sold to the Duke of Orleans, Regent of France

when Louis XV was a boy in 1717, was called The Pitt.

It was then renamed The Regent and set in the crown Louis XV

wore at his coronation. After the French revolution, it was

owned by Napoleon Bonaparte who set it in the hilt of his sword.

It is now on display in the Louvre as one of the worlds largest diamonds.

 

11. The Blue Hope -


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One of the world’s largest diamonds The Blue Hope

another of the worlds largest diamonds was once owned by Louis XIV

and officially designated the *blue diamond of the crown*.

It was stolen during the French Revolution but showed up again

in 1830 and was bought by Henry Philip Hope of London,

the diamond was named after the new owner. The Blue Hope Diamond

is believed to carry a curse, two of the owners had their

entire family die just one year apart. It now resides in the

Smithsonian in Washington where it is recognized as one of

the world’s largest diamonds.
 

12. The Sancy -


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One of the worlds largest diamonds The Sancy is named

after one of its owners Seigneur de Sancy, a French Ambassador

to Turkey in the late 16th century. It was first owned

by Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, who lost it in battle in1477.
He loaned it to the French king, Henry III, who wore it in

The cap with which he concealed his baldness. Henry IV of France

Also borrowed the stone from  Sancy, but it was sold

in 1664 to James I of England. In 1688, James II,

King of England, fled with it to Paris and it has never been

found since. The  Sancy weighed 55 carats making it one of the

smallest of the worlds largest diamonds.


 


13. Taylor Burton -




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One of the world’s largest diamonds The Taylor-Burton diamond

was found in the Premier mine in1966, the rough stone

weighed 240.80 carats. The famous diamond was purchased

by Harry Winston who commissioned the stone cleaved into two pieces,

the larger piece weighed 162 carats and was eventually

cut into a pear shaped 69.42 carat diamond. It was

later auctioned for$1,050,000 and named the "Cartier". The

diamond was then purchased by Richard Burton and given to

Elizabeth Taylor and renamed  the Taylor-Burton. In 1978,

following her divorce from Richard Burton, Elizabeth put

one of the worlds largest diamonds up for sale to raise funds

for a hospital in Botswana. The current owner is

Robert Mouawad, President of the Mouawad Group.

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