Just because it’s big it doesn’t mean it’s the best, so here’s our list of what we believe to be the 5 most fabulous diamonds in the world today – as yet discovered, that is…
The Great Star of Africa
At 530.20 carats, the Cullinan I – or Great Star of Africa – diamond is the largest cut colourless diamond in the world. Pear shaped, with 74 facets, it is set in the British Royal Sceptre and kept in the Tower of London. It was cut from the 3,106-carat Cullinan, the largest raw diamond ever found, discovered in South Africa in 1905. Can you imagine?!
It was the largest cut diamond of any colour until 1985, when (in the same mine!) the Golden Jubilee Diamond was discovered, which when cut achieved 545.67 carats. This incredible brown-orange diamond is now the largest cut diamond in the world, and is owned by the King of Thailand.
The Orlov
This colourless, or white, diamond may only be 190 carats, but it has a romantic history we find quite bewitching. It’s unusual cut is also quite arresting. Known as the ‘mogul cut’, it has been cut for size, with multiple facets and scant regard for symmetry or brilliance. This is the oldest form of cutting, before globally recognised shapes such as Princess, Cushion or Emerald.
Its history is a little myterious: it is rumoured to have been set into the statue of Vishnu in the Hindu temple at Srinagar, before being stolen in the seventeenth century by a French soldier. He sold the stone to an Englishman in Madras and it eventually arrived in Amsterdam, where it was bought by the Russian Count Orlov and presented to Empress Catherine the Great. She had it set in her Sceptre. When Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812, the Russians hid the diamond in a priest’s tomb (rather than just taking it with them, obviously) and allegedly Napoleon learned of its location and went to retrieve it. Once there, he was met by the ghost of the priest and promptly turned tail and ran – for the first time, but not the last, in Russia! Later research has shown that in fact Orlov did not purchase the diamond himself, but was simply the front man for Catherine. The Empress had a bit of a passion for diamonds, and REALLY wanted this stone, but knew it would cause a scandal at court should she be seen to be buying it -and there was quite enough scandal surrounding this lady already! Again, the Orlov is cut in the old style, to maximise the size, giving it a flat bottom, known as a rose cut today.
The Spirit of de Grosogono
This incredible stone is the world’s largest cut black diamond and the world’s fifth largest diamond overall. Starting at an uncut weight of 587 carats (117.4 g), it was discovered in western Central African Republic and cut by Swiss jeweller De Grisogono.
The resulting mogul-cut diamond weighs 312.24 carats and is set in a white gold ring with 702 smaller white diamonds totalling 36.69 carats.
Koh-i-Noor
The Koh-i-Noor (meaning Mountain of Light) comes in at 105.60 Carats and is an oval cut gem, now set in the Crown of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in the centre of the front cross. It has a history dating back to 1304 and, as you can imagine, has had a very exciting life. Legend says it may have been set in the famous Peacock Throne made for Moghul Emperor Shah Jehan, before travelling to Afghanistan with a bodyguard of Nadir Shah, who fled with the stone when the Shah was murdered (rather an occupational hazard) and was later offered to Ranjit Singh of the Punjab in exchange for military help (which was never delivered). After fighting broke out between the Sikhs and the British, The East India Company took the diamond in reparations and presented it to Queen Victoria in 1850. A snatch and run in any other name…
The Taylor-Burton
At just 68 carats this is the smallest diamond on our list, but is one that cannot be ignored.
It became famous when Richard Burton paid £1.1m dollars for it in 1969. He initially lost the stone to Cartier, after setting a limit of £1,000,000 when it went to auction. Upon learning of the loss, he went into a rage and insisted that his lawyer buy the diamond from Cartier, whatever it cost. Afterwards he said: “I was going to get that diamond if it cost me my life or 2 million dollars whichever was the greater.” and: “I wanted that diamond because it is incomparably lovely…and it should be on the loveliest woman in the world. I would have had a fit if it went to Jackie Kennedy or Sophia Loren or Mrs. Huntingdon Misfit of Dallas, Texas”.
Now, that’s exactly the kind of passion a diamond should inspire, don’t you agree?