In the heart of a South African diamond mine, on a winters day in 1905, miners unearthed something extraordinary from the depths of the Earth. This is the story of the worlds largest diamond “The Cullinan Diamond”.
The Cullinan Diamond
The gem was named after Thomas Cullinan, who was the owner of the diamond mine where this stone was found. In its raw form, it weighed 3,106 carats (equivalent to 621.20 grams). To put this into perspective, this is nearly three times the worlds second largest diamonds ,The Lesedi La Rona, which tipped the scales at 1,109 carats.
The Cullinan Diamond went up for sale in 1905 but remained unsold until 1907. It was finally acquired by the Transvaal Colony who paid £150,00 which is about £21 million when adjusted for inflation. It was gifted to Edward VII (the British king at the time) by Prime Minister Louis Botha. The stone was later transported to Amsterdam to be cut by Joseph Asscher & Co.
The Cullinan’s Diamond Cuts
The Cullinan Diamond yielded nine major stones that were given the names Cullinan I through Cullinan IX. These major stones had a combined weight of 1,055.89 carats (211.178 grams). Additionally there were 96 minor stones with a total weight of 19.5 carats (3.90 g).
Cullinan I, often called the Great Star of Africa, is a pear-shaped diamond weighing 530.2 carats (106.04 g) and is set at the top of the Sovereign Sceptre with Cross.
The Second Star of Africa, Cullinan II, is a cushion-cut stone weighing 317.4 carats (63.48 g) set at the front of the Imperial State Crown.
Rolls Royce Cullinan
When you think of “Cullinan” your mind probably goes to the Rolls Royce SUV (high sided vehicle). The reason for the name is likely due to the parallels between the car and the diamond.
Both the Cullinan diamond and the Rolls Royce Cullinan share a common theme of flawlessness. The diamond represents unmatched brilliance, while the car epitomizes automotive perfection. Just as the Cullinan diamond is the world’s largest diamond, the RR Cullinan ranks among the largest vehicles in their range. Therefore it is no surprise that the name “Cullinan” is a fitting choice for this exceptional vehicle.