So large that it was cut into nine main stones, the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond was definitely the find of the century.
Unearthed in a South African mine in 1905, it was given as a gift to King Edward VII two years later.
And that is why the two largest stones of the Cullinan are now at the heart of the Crown Jewels.
Cullinan I, the 530.4-carat Great Star of Africa, was mounted on the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross in 1911 and has remained there ever since.
And the 317.4-carat Cullinan II, often called the Second Star of Africa, is housed in the Imperial State Crown.
Other smaller cuts of Cullinan are also part of the royal jewellery collection.
One find that won’t be seen at any Coronation any time soon is the 2,492-carat diamond (the second largest ever discovered) that was found in Botswana last month.
Cullinan I, the 530.4 carat Great Star of Africa, was placed in the Sovereign’s Cross Sceptre in 1911 and has remained there ever since. Above: King Charles III holds the Sovereign’s Cross Sceptre and wears the Imperial State Crown during his Coronation
So large that it was cut into nine main stones, the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond was undoubtedly the find of the century. Unearthed in a South African mine in 1905, it was given as a gift to King Edward VII two years later.
King Edward VII had the Cullinan cut by Joseph Asscher & Company of Amsterdam. In addition to the nine main pieces, there were 96 smaller diamonds.
The Great Star of Africa was so big that the Sovereign’s Scepter with the Cross had to be reinforced and strengthened so that it could support its weight.
The sceptre is held by the monarch during his coronation and features a heart-shaped gold case around the stone.
It represents good government and the temporal power of the sovereign.
The Cullinan II appears on the front of the Imperial State Crown, beneath the Black Prince’s Ruby.
It appears at the front of the royal headdress, below the Black Prince’s Ruby.
King Charles last wore the crown at the official opening of Parliament in July.
Her Majesty also wore it after her coronation in May last year, when she left Westminster Abbey for the procession to Buckingham Palace.
The 317.4 carat Cullinan II, often called the Second Star of Africa, is housed in the Imperial State Crown. Above: King Charles III wearing the Imperial State Crown during the State Opening of Parliament this year
And following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, the crown was poignantly placed on the late monarch’s coffin during her funeral procession through the streets of London from the Abbey.
In addition to Cullinan I and II, other parts of the stone were also used for royal jewellery and were part of the late Queen Elizabeth’s private collection.
Cullinans III and IV came together to create a dazzling brooch.
They were inherited from Queen Mary, her grandmother, and weigh 94.4 carats and 63.6 carats respectively.
The pair of jewels were placed on Queen Mary’s crown, which was worn by Camilla during her Coronation last year.
Another piece of the large stone, the 18.8-carat Cullinan V, was used by Queen Mary in another large brooch.
It was later made into a smaller piece, which was worn by Elizabeth and then placed in Queen Mary’s crown for Camilla.
In 1908, King Edward VII purchased the 11.5-carat Cullinan VI for his wife.
Elizabeth later wore it as a brooch when she was younger and its marquis cut made it an attractive design.
One find that won’t be seen at a Coronation any time soon is the 2,492-carat diamond, the second-largest ever discovered, which was found in Botswana last month.
The nine stones on which Cullinan was carved, from top left: Cullinan II, I, III, IX, VII, V, IV, VI, VIII
Cullinan III and IV were often worn in a brooch by Queen Elizabeth when she was younger.
Cullinan VI, a marquise-cut stone of 11.50 carats, was purchased in 1908 by King Edward as a gift for his wife, Queen Alexandra, and was generally worn by her as the pendant for Cullinan VIII.
The heart-shaped Cullinan V set in a brooch worn by Queen Elizabeth. It was originally created for use by Queen Mary
The late Queen Elizabeth wearing the Cullinan V brooch in 2016
The late Queen is pictured wearing her Delhi Durbar Collar, which features the Cullinan VII, for a state banquet in Singapore in 1989.
The Cullinan VII is an 8.8-carat marquise-cut diamond set as a pendant that hangs from the Delhi Durbar Necklace set with diamonds and emeralds.
One of the smaller pieces, Cullinan VII, weighs 8.8 carats and was worn by the Queen in her personal collection as a pendant on her Delhi Durbar necklace.
The smallest of the nine stones, Cullinan IX, was worn in a ring by Queen Mary.
When the Cullinan mammoth was first discovered, it was almost dismissed as trash.
But once its value was realised, it was taken out of South Africa and shipped to Britain, before being gifted to King Edward VIII.
Gemologist Sir William Crooks suspected that the huge stone was actually part of a larger diamond.