Diamonds are popular gemstones, especially among women, and can be made into jewelry such as rings, earrings, and necklaces. Diamonds currently on the market have standard carat weights, but some exceptionally large diamonds have been discovered.
According to *NS Energy*, here are five of the largest diamonds ever found:
1. Golden Jubilee Diamond (545.65 carats)
Topping the list as the world's largest cut diamond is the Golden Jubilee. This diamond originated from a brownish-yellow stone weighing 755.5 carats when mined in South Africa in 1986, from the Premier Mine owned by the iconic diamond company De Beers in Cullinan.
The task of cutting this diamond was entrusted to world-renowned cutter Gabriel Tolkowsky, who took two years to shape it into a "Rose-Cut Cushion." The Golden Jubilee weighed 545.65 carats after the cutting process was completed in 1990, at which point De Beers lent it for exhibition to the Thai Diamond Manufacturers Association.
It was then purchased by a group of Thai businessmen in 1995 as a gift for the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej, to mark his Golden Jubilee (50th anniversary) as King. Currently, the Golden Jubilee is displayed at Bangkok's Royal Museum in the Pimammek Golden Temple as part of the Thai crown jewels.
2. Cullinan I (530.20 carats)
This diamond is part of the largest diamond crystal ever found, the 3,107-carat Cullinan diamond, discovered in 1905. In 1907, the colonial government of the Transvaal Province purchased the rough Cullinan and presented it to King Edward VII of the United Kingdom on his 66th birthday, in recognition of granting Transvaal its own constitution the previous year.
King Edward VII entrusted the task of cutting the diamond to diamond cutter Joseph Asscher. After almost six months, the diamond was cut into nine large diamonds and 96 smaller diamonds in February 1908, with approximately 19.5 carats of the original stone left as unpolished.
The largest cut from the original diamond, Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa, was cut into a pear shape with 74 facets, weighing 530.20 carats, making it the second-largest diamond in the world. Cullinan I is displayed in the Tower of London with the rest of the crown jewels.
3. Incomparable Diamond (407.48 carats)
The 407.48-carat Incomparable is the third-largest diamond in the world. It was discovered in the 1980s as an 890-carat rough stone by a young girl in a mining tailings pile from the nearby MIBA Diamond Mine in Mbuji Mayi, Democratic Republic of Congo.
After a four-year cutting and shaping process, the naturally colored, dark yellow, shield-shaped step-cut diamond was displayed at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., in 1984. It later became the centerpiece of a necklace created by the Lebanese jewelry company Mouawad, featuring 90 other white diamonds set on a vine-shaped rose gold chain.
4. Cullinan II (317.4 carats)
Cullinan II is the second of the nine principal diamonds cut from the 3,107-carat Cullinan diamond. It is a cushion-shaped diamond with 66 facets, weighing 317.4 carats.
This fourth-largest diamond in the world is in the possession of the British Crown, situated just below the Black Prince's Ruby, and has adorned numerous coronations at Westminster Abbey. Known as the Second Star of Africa, it is screwed to the Imperial State Crown via a yellow gold setting and has minor imperfections such as a chip in the girdle and scratches on the table facet, adding to its charm.
5. Graff Lesedi La Rona (302.37 carats)
The Graff Lesedi La Rona was discovered in November 2015 as a 1,109-carat rough stone at the Canadian company Lucara Diamonds' Karowe Mine in Botswana. Estimated to be 2.5 billion years old, it was sold to the British multinational jeweler Graff in 2017.
This diamond required 18 months of expert cutting and polishing by a team of Graff craftsmen and gemologists to achieve a flawless mirror finish. It became the world's largest square emerald-cut diamond. After being cut to 302.37 carats, it is the fifth-largest diamond in the world, exhibiting the highest color and clarity ever certified by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).