Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011
THEN
Nov. 9, 1907, as a gesture of goodwill following wars between Great Britain and former provinces of South Africa, the largest rough gem-quality diamond ever discovered, the Cullinan Diamond, is presented to King Edward VII of Great Britain. The government of Transvaal gives the king the diamond as a 66th birthday gift.
The Cullinan Diamond (3,106 carats) is discovered in The Big Hole of Transvaal in 1905 by diamond miner Thomas Evan Powell. Powell is credited with the discovery and compensated before giving the diamond to Sir Thomas Cullinan—the mine owner who the diamond is named after. Cullinan then sells the diamond to the Transvaal government for 150,000 pounds ($240,000).
NOW
Today, two of the largest cuts from the Cullinan Diamond—the First Star of Africa and the Second Star of Africa—are part of Britain’s crown jewels, which are on display as part of the royal collection in the Jewel House of the Tower of London.
The current display of the crown jewels was opened in 1994 by Queen Elizabeth II. The First Star of Africa—the largest cut diamond in the world at 530 carats—is mounted on top of the Sovereign’s Scepter and the Second Star of Africa (317 carats) is set in the imperial state crown.
