Top five famous diamonds in history

Sydney’s diamonds have cemented their status as a timeless gemstone, being the very pinnacle of romanticism which has carried throughout the world. Here are a few famous diamonds that have become famous throughout the world:

Koh-I-Noor Diamond

A history that dates back to 1302, where the Persian Shah was so enamoured with the diamond he named It Koh-I-Noor which translates into ‘Mountain of Light”. Originally the diamond is said to have weighed 793 carats uncut, documentations can attest that it was 186 carats in total. However in 1846 it was given to Queen Victoria where it was cut down to 108.96 carats by Prince Albert who was said to be displeased with the current shine and irregular appearance. The diamond was finally set on the front of Queen Elizabeth’s crown and now stands as a central part of the Crown Jewels displayed in the Tower of London and viewed by millions of people each year.

The Cullinan diamond

Currently holding the record as the largest uncut diamond, it weighs an impressive 3106.75 carats. After discovery on 26 January 1905, it was named after the chairman of the Cullinan mine in South Africa where it was discovered. It was later cut into 105 separate diamonds, some of these known as The Great Star of Africa (which stood at 530.4 carats) and The Second Star of Africa (which was 317.4 carats). Both editions of the diamonds stand currently on the United Kingdom’s Sovereign Sceptre with Cross and Imperial State Crown respectively.

The Centenary diamond

Standing at an incredible 273.85 carats – the Centenary Diamond is the third largest diamond mined at the Premier Mine in South Africa. In its uncut state, it was measured at an impressive 599 carats and the Geological Institute of America rates it a D classification. Named after the Centennial Celebration of De Beers Consolidated Mines where it was presented, the diamond took its final form.

The Hope diamond

Found in India in 1642, the diamond impressively weighed 132 carats, a notable size for the fancy dark blue/grey diamond. In 1666 it was then purchased by a French gem merchant who later cut the diamond, renaming the diamond La bleu de France (the French Blue) which was sold to King Louis and set in his royal crown. By 1791 it was stolen and garnered its new name “Hope Diamond” in 1839 where it was found to be owned by the Hope family – a banking family in London. Passing through multiple owners, it was finally bought by Harry Winston and given to Washington’s National Museum of Natural History in 1958 where it resides today.