Cullinan Diamond

cull·i·nan di·a·mond | ˈkəl-li-nən dī-(ə-)mənd

noun

A 3,106.75 carat diamond, discovered in South Africa in 1905

On January 26, 1905 the Cullinan Diamond was unearthed in a mine in Cullinan, South Africa, The Cullinan Diamond was by far the most macroscale rough diamond ever discovered. Its massive size, coupled with its exceptional blue-white hue and peculiar clarity, deemed it the most commemorated diamond in the entire world. The Cullinan Diamond was named after Thomas Cullinan, the chairman of the mine in which the stone was discovered. Cutting this sensational diamond posed a substantial challenge.The diamond was eventually split and cut into many smaller diamonds, a process which took 8 months.Throughout those 8 months, 3 men worked from dusk to dawn to cut and polish 9 large stones from the native diamond. Each stone was labeled a number, ranging from I to IX - today they remain labeled this way. Additionally, ninety-seven small diamonds, and various unpolished fragments were also generated. Part of the Cullinan Diamond was gifted to King Edward VII as a motion to heal the dissension between Britain and South Africa.

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