5 biggest diamonds: where Gem Diamonds’ 910-ct find ranks in history
Only four other diamonds in history outrank Gem Diamonds’ 910-ct stone in Lesotho
A small, embattled diamond miner just hit the jackpot. The 910-ct stone, found by Gem Diamonds, high in the mountains of Lesotho in southern Africa, is the fifth-largest in history. Here are the only bigger ones:
The Cullinan Diamond
By far the largest at 3,106ct, it was found at the Premier mine in South Africa in 1905 and named after the mine owner, Sir Thomas Cullinan. Discovered just 9 metres (30 feet) below the surface and prised free with a pocket knife, the stone was given to King Edward VII as a birthday present before being sent to Antwerp to be cut into smaller gems.
The cutter was said to have fainted under pressure before dividing up the stone. The two biggest cuts – the Great Star of Africa and the Lesser Star of Africa – are set in the Crown Jewels of Britain.
The Lesedi La Rona
Found in Botswana by Canadian miner Lucara Diamond Corp in 2015, the 1,109-ct Lesedi La Rona means “our light” in the local Tswana language. Roughly the size of a tennis ball, the fanfare surrounding its discovery soured when the stone failed to make its reserve price at a Sotheby’s auction. It was eventually sold last year for US$53 million, significantly less than the smaller 813-ct Constellation found at the same time. Jeweller Graff Diamonds now owns the Lesedi.
Excelsior Diamond
