The largest diamond in the world .... Cullinan in human history ... !!!

The largest diamond in the world Cullinan ... in the history of mankind ... !!!
It started in South Africa (Transvaal) in 1905. Brilliant Shard rocks attracted the attention of Fred Wells, who worked at the mine overseer. He dug a huge stone wall of a conventional pocket knife and took it to the main office. Found a diamond weighed 3,106 carats and was the size of a man's fist. The stone was named after the owner of the mine, Thomas Cullinan. He was three times larger than any known diamond. No other has ever found a diamond can not be compared with him.
The South African Government has decided that the diamond is found to be the best gift for the birthday of the British King Edward VII. The question arose as the safest place to deliver a giant stone at Buckingham Palace. The world's largest diamond was sent to the UK post. This was to simulate it by sea shipping under heavy guard. Thus Scotland Yard was able to fool potential thieves. In November 1907, the diamond Kulinnan arrived safely in London. Now someone had to confine him.



Cut any, even the most ordinary, diamond requires a steady hand and nerves of steel. Cutter has no margin for error. One wrong move can be very expensive. The psychological pressure is very large. What we talk about how to cut the largest diamond in the world. All cutters feared forfeit his head, ruining a miracle. This problem has got old and respected company from Antwerp. The man dared take up the steel processing Joseph Asher.
Inside the biggest diamond in the world we had a crack, so make it one of the huge diamond was not possible. Best of Europe studied the lapidary stone about three months, figuring out how the plates are arranged crystals and determining the direction of the impact of the single, allows to split the diamond on existing cracks in it. It was a huge responsibility for one person. It is said that the stone causing the first blow that split the diamond exactly in half, Asher collapsed. Waking up and make sure that Cullinan was not scattered into small pieces, he again lost consciousness.



Joseph Asher did not destroy the diamond, on the contrary - to create masterpieces. From Cullinan get 9 large and 96 small diamonds, total weight of which was 1063, 65 carats. When processing has been lost almost 66% of the precious weight. These stones are to this day attract the eyes of the public, are considered in the Tower of jewels of the British Crown.
Cullinan I - the biggest diamond in the world (530, 2 carats), clear, colorless, teardrop-shaped with 74 facets called "Great Star of Africa." He imbedding into the top of the royal scepter. If the stone is removed from the scepter, it can be worn as a brooch.
Cullinan II - diamond 317, 4 carats adorn the British crown, but can be used as a brooch with Kullinanom I. This and other smaller diamonds are sourced from the largest diamond in the world called "the Lesser Star of Africa».



Cullinan III (94, 4) and IV (63, 6 carats) in 1911, were inserted in the crown of Queen Mary, wife of George V, but they can be worn as a brooch from a pear-shaped (III) diamond suspended from the stone in the form of a square ( IV). This jewel Queen Mary wore all official receptions, including wedding of Princess Elizabeth in 1947
Cullinan V (18, 8 carats) - stone, faceted heart-shaped, inserted in a platinum brooch and recovering small diamonds. In 1910, he was presented to Queen Mary of the Government of South Africa. Removable center was used as an ornament corsage Delhi Durbar in 1911. In 1937, the brooch was on the Queen Mary during the coronation of George VI, her son. For the same event famous "Kohinoor" removed from her crown and to the right in the crown of Queen Elizabeth, now the Queen Mother.
Cullinan VI - cut diamond "Marquis" (11, 55 carats). In 1907, Edward VII presented it as a gift his wife Alexandra. Later, after her husband died, she gave the stone to the Queen Mary, who in 1912 decided to amend the Delhi Durbar Necklace, which to this day is a favorite necklace Elizabeth II. Cullinan VI serves as a drop-shaped pendant (or detachable pendant) in the necklace of emerald cabochons.
Cullinan VII - cut diamond with "Marquis" (8, 8 carats) was bought from Usher Edward VII for the royal crown of Queen Alexandra. Cullinan VIII - cut stone with "Emerald" (6, 8 carats) in 1910, was presented to Queen Mary of the South African government. Now these two are connected by a stone in a diamond brooch.
Cullinan IX - 9 of stones Cullinan family this diamond pear-shaped is the smallest (4, 37 carats). The ring with the diamond was presented with the Queen Mary from her husband George V.
From fragments of a giant diamond it was made even 96 small diamonds, and their total weight was 7, 55 carats.
9 These diamonds are an important part of the British crown jewels, carefully hid during World War II. Both "Star of Africa" ​​were safely hidden in a secret room of Windsor Castle, and iron cans with other stones buried in the vicinity of the palace. Today, they are kept in the Tower, where they can admire and tourists. During special ceremonies diamonds can be seen in the Queen Elizabeth II.
Curiously, immediately after the discovery of Cullinan, many experts said that the huge diamond was only a half, and possibly even smaller part of a larger stone. The fact that on one side of Cullinan, even to the naked eye, were traces of cleavage. Among the experts who supported this hypothesis was president of the Royal Society William Crookes and Chief Geologist Dr. KF Transvaal Molengraf.
Perhaps the second half of the Cullinan diamond was stolen, and can be, and to this day she is at rest in the South African kimberlite pipe.