This 3,106.75 carat diamond is the largest gem diamond ever found. It was discovered on January 26, 1905 at the Premier Diamond Mining Company in Cullinan, Gauteng, South Africa, by Frederick Wells, a mine superintendent. Although a carbonado found in Brazil weighed more than 3,600 carats (720 g), no gem-quality material could be extracted from it. The stone was named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, the owner of the diamond mine.
The stone was bought by the Transvaal government for $800,000 and presented to King Edward VII. It was cut into three large parts by Asscher Brothers of Amsterdam, and eventually into some 11 large gem-quality stones, 96 smaller brilliants, and 9.5 carats of unpolished pieces. At the time, technology had not yet evolved to guarantee quality of the modern standard, and cutting the diamond was considered difficult and risky. In order to enable Asscher to cut the diamond in one blow an incision was made, half an inch deep. Then a specifically designed knife was placed in the incision and the diamond was split in one heavy blow. The diamond split through a defective spot which was shared in both halves of the diamond.
The Cullinan I was the largest gem produced from the rough stone. It is a pear shaped stone of 530.2 carats and is the world's largest cut diamond. The Cullinan I is now in the head of the royal scepter in the British crown jewels. The second largest cut diamond, the Cullinan II, is a cushion-shaped stone weighing 317.4 carats, and is set in the British imperial state crown.
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