Top 10 biggest diamonds in the world

Nowadays, it’s no secret to anyone that diamonds are not only “girls’ best friends”, but real works of art. Many large and exquisite diamonds are an example of not only the amazing “work” of Mother Nature, but also the incredible professionalism of jewelers.

Some of these diamonds have been sold at auctions for millions of dollars, the whereabouts of others are still unknown. In addition, wealth and power are often measured by having one of the most valuable and coveted diamonds or other precious items. Each of these stones are coveted by hundreds of very wealthy people around the world, but most mere mortals can only enjoy their mysterious beauty in the picture.

10 Millennium Star (203,04 carats)

In many respects, it is simply flawless. The diamond was discovered in 1989 in the Mbuji Mayi region of Zaire. It took more than three years to bring it to its present form. “Millennium Star” was first shown to the world in October 1999, hence the name.

Interestingly, in their uniqueness, diamonds are comparable only to human fingerprints, because on the whole planet you will not find two completely identical stones. And diamonds are cut according to certain standards, which can vary depending on fashion trends in jewelry.

9. Red Cross Diamond (205,07 carats)

The ninth largest diamond in the world is called Red Cross Diamond. The stone is a canary yellow cushion-shaped diamond from the De Beers Kimberley mines in South Africa and weighs 205,07 carats.

The original rough stone was found in 1901 and is said to have weighed around 375 carats. Canary yellow diamonds are extremely rare. Whereas, in 98% of all diamonds, nitrogen is present as an impurity, and canary yellow diamonds contain these nitrogen impurities only in the form of individual atoms in the chemical structure, and not in the form of clusters of two, three or four atoms.

These single nitrogen atoms absorb visible light at the blue end of the spectrum, thus producing an intense yellow known as canary yellow. This occurs in only 0,1% of all diamonds. Another interesting feature of these stones is that they fluoresce.

8. De Beers (per 234,65)

Original diamond 428,5 carats Beers was the largest found in four mines in 1888, but after processing it began to weigh 234,65 carats. It was probably carved in Amsterdam, and after its first exhibition in Paris, the jewel was purchased by the Maharaja of Patiala. The location of the stone is currently unknown.

7. Anniversary Diamond (Rs. 245,35)

At the beginning, this incredibly beautiful Jubilee Diamond was an octahedron of irregular shape and a size of 650,8 carats. As a result, it was possible to get a stunning diamond weighing 245,35 carats from it, and from the rest – a 13,34 carat pandelok.

Throughout its history, the stone has changed several owners, as a result, it was bought for the Washington Smithsonian Institution and presented to the public there.

The grade E stone was cut and polished in Amsterdam. It is classified as a colorless grade E diamond. Its exact price is still unknown.

6. Century (273,85 carats)

The color of the diamond is grade D. It measures 39,90 × 50,50 × 24,55 mm and has 247 facets – 164 in the stone and 83 around its axis. The stone is called Centennial Diamond, as it was introduced prior to the centenary celebration of the De Beers consolidated mines on May 11, 1988. It is believed that De Beers no longer owns the diamond. The current owner, location and value of this gem is unknown. Cutting such a huge and valuable diamond required special knowledge and significant investment.

Gabi Tolkowski was chosen to lead the team responsible for cutting the Centenary Diamond, along with Jeff Woolet, Jim Nash and Davy du Plessis, who were assisted by a handpicked team of engineers, electricians and security guards to facilitate the work on the Centenary Diamond. At De Beers Diamond Research in Johannesburg, a special room underground has been designed for the sole purpose of eliminating mechanical vibration and temperature fluctuations in order to minimize any factors that might interfere with the cutting of the Centenary Diamond.

The initial processing of the stone was done by hand, not with a laser or a saw, so as not to heat or vibrate the diamond. After cutting and removing 50 carats (10 g) of cracked material over 154 days, the team was left with an approximately 500 carats (100 g) egg-shaped gemstone. Thirteen different projects were presented to the De Beers Board of Directors. Ultimately, the stone was left with a modified heart-shaped design.

5. Spirit de Grisogono (312,24 carats)

There are not many famous black diamonds in the world other than the Black Orlov and the Amsterdam Diamond (there is rumored to be a 205 carat black diamond called the Black Star of Africa that was sold to a buyer in Asia in the 1980s, but this was never confirmed.) The man behind the creation of this diamond is the famous Swiss jeweler de Grisogono. He was the first major jeweler to create eye-catching collections of black diamond jewelry and watches. He is also responsible for cutting the Gruosi Diamond, the largest heart-shaped black diamond in the world. Diamond Ghost de Grizogono weighs 312,24 carats.

This diamond originally weighed 587 carats and was mined decades ago in West Central Africa before being imported to Switzerland. It was then cut using the Mughal diamond cutting technique. This historic cutting method was developed centuries ago in India and has been used in cutting a number of other diamonds, such as the Orlov stone in the Russian diamond treasury in Moscow, and several diamonds in the Iranian Crown Jewels – among them the Taj-i-Ma Diamond. The Great Mogul, a 279-carat diamond, is another famous Mogul-cut diamond, but unfortunately its whereabouts are unknown.

The entire process, from studying the cut design to completing it on the de Grisogono roughing section, involved over a year of work.

4. Koh-i-Noor (317,4 carats)

This is one of the largest diamonds in the world, which differ in color. Initially, it had a barely noticeable yellow tint, but after a series of cuts, the stone acquired a white color.

During the period of the Mongol raids, the wife of the Indian ruler exchanged a stone for the life of her beloved husband. A delightful diamond traveled around the East for many years, until fate again threw it into India. In the middle of the 19th century, this state became an English colony. Then the most beautiful stone “Koh-i-Noor” became the property of Queen Victoria. Since then, Great Britain has been its full owner, although from time to time the Indian authorities ask to return the jewel to its homeland.

Interesting fact: negative magical properties were attributed to this precious stone throughout its existence. According to legend, it brings misfortune to its owners if they take it illegally.

3. Unparalleled Diamond (for 407,48)

This beautiful 407,48 carat brown-yellow Incomparable diamond has an interesting history. The gemstone was found in 1984 in the city of Mbuji-Mayi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by a young girl who was playing in a pile of rubble near her uncle’s house. The stone was found in a pile of debris collected from old deposits at the nearby MIBA diamond mine.

Interesting fact: In the late 2000s, a group of researchers from Mexico City found a method to make artificial diamonds… from tequila! Such stones may well be used in industry. The only drawback of such diamonds is that this technology cannot yet make it possible to create large stones for jewelry.

2. Diamond Cullinan I (530,2 carats)

AlMaz Cullinan I represents the heaviest piece of the nine that were cut from the original 3 carats. Seven other large diamonds weighing 106,75 carats (208,29 g) are privately owned by Elizabeth II, who inherited them from her grandmother, Queen Mary in 41,66. The Queen also owns small diamonds and a set of unpolished pieces.

Interesting fact: according to archaeologists, the first diamonds were found on the territory of modern India about 3 thousand years ago. However, people knew about the existence of these gems long before the first written mention of them. In antiquity, diamonds were valued primarily for their reflective properties. The priests used them to make jewelry for themselves, and also used them during pagan rituals. Warriors could carry these stones with them as amulets, protecting them during battles from the enemy and the effects of evil spirits.

1. Golden Jubilee (545,67 carats)

Original 755,5 carats of rough stone golden anniversary were found in 1985 in the fertile blue countryside of South Africa’s Premier Mine. Gabriel Tolkowsky cut it into 545,67 carats in a designed underground room devoid of any vibrations. Now this precious stone is owned by King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. Its price is approximately 12 million dollars.

Do you knowthat the phrase “diamond rain” is not a pretty pun at all. Unfortunately, this is not possible on our planet, but on Jupiter and Saturn, diamonds literally fall from the sky! This phenomenon is associated with the peculiarities of the chemical structure of the upper layers of the atmosphere of these planets. When electric discharges are formed there, methane becomes graphite, and sinks to the surface of the planet already turned into diamonds.