The Tiffany diamond is one of the largest fancy yellow diamonds ever discovered; it weighed 287.42 carats (57.484 g) in the rough when discovered in 1878 in the Kimberley mine in South Africa, and was cut into a cushion shape of 128.54 carats (25.708 g) with 90 facets - 32 more than a traditional round brilliant - to maximize its brilliance.
Discovered in South Africa in 1877, the stone was purchased by New York jeweler Charles Tiffany. His gemologist, George Frederick Kunz studied the gem for a year before beginning to cut it; reducing it from 287 carats (57.4 g) to its current size.
The Tiffany Diamond is on loan from Tiffany & Co. to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. and is on display until 23 September, 2007.
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