On January 26, 1905, the world of jewelry and precious stones witnessed an exceptional event: the discovery and extraction of the largest diamond known in history up to that day.
From the depths of the Premier Mine in Transvaal, South Africa. This unique gem weighed three thousand one hundred and six carats, or more than half a kilogram, thus forming a new world record in the annals of amazing nature.
The story of its discovery is almost legendary. While the mine manager, Frederick Wells, was making his usual evening rounds, a flash of light emanating from a spot on the quarry wall caught his eye. Without hesitation, Wells enlisted the help of one of the workers, and together they descended with great difficulty to the spot, located nine meters below the upper edge of the mine, only to find a precious reward that exceeded all expectations.
At first glance, the two men realized they had stumbled upon a historic discovery. The enormous diamond resembled a crystalline, transparent piece of ice, measuring ten centimeters long, six and a half centimeters wide, and five centimeters high. As experts later confirmed, this gem was a fragment of an enormous, previously unseen octahedral crystal.
The exceptional purity of the stone astonished all who saw it, as it was completely free of the mineral inclusions, internal bubbles, and microscopic cracks that afflict even the finest stones, giving it a breathtaking inner brilliance. The diamond was quickly named "Cullinan" in honor of Sir Thomas Cullinan, the mine owner and prominent businessman, and became popularly known as the "Star of Africa," a title that reflects its extraordinary size and African origin.
It wasn't just the diamond's enormous size that aroused awe and wonder, but also the difficulty in determining its monetary value. Its price reached an astronomical level, preventing any buyer for several years. Nevertheless, the public had the opportunity to see it up close when it was displayed in a Johannesburg bank. Rumors circulated about a public fundraising campaign to purchase it, with each resident contributing a symbolic one-shilling subscription. Following these public displays, the rare gem was sent to London, the capital of the then-European Empire, but its astronomical value kept it out of the reach of any actual buyers.
In a significant historical turning point, the Transvaal Colony government intervened in 1907 to purchase the diamond for £150,000 and presented it as a gift to King Edward VII on his 66th birthday, November 9th of that year. This gift carried profound political significance, symbolizing reconciliation and loyalty after years of the Second Boer War that had devastated the region.
To ensure the precious gift arrived safely, a clever plan was implemented for its transport: a replica of the diamond was sent on a steamer amid great media and security fanfare, while the real Cullinan traveled to England in an ordinary post box without any fuss, in one of the most ingenious disguises in the history of royal jewels.
According to experts at the time, the deal was a huge win for the British government, with the rough stone valued at no less than eight million pounds sterling—a sum equivalent to approximately ninety-four tons of pure gold today. Surprisingly, King Edward VII, known for his love of luxury and extravagance, described the unique diamond as merely "a piece of glass"! Nevertheless, regardless of this unexpected valuation, everyone understood that this extraordinary "piece of glass" needed a jeweler to reveal its full, raw beauty
Herebegan a new journey for the diamond, a journey of transformation from a massive rough stone to a collection of jewels adorning the British crown. This delicate and complex task was entrusted to the renowned jewellers of Amsterdam, where the original diamond was cut after months of meticulous study. Despite Sir Cullinan's personal opposition to cutting this natural masterpiece, fearing the loss of some of its rare value, the decision to cut it went ahead. The entire process took nearly four years, from 1908 to 1912, culminating in the production of 105 diamonds of varying sizes, totaling 1,063.665 carats, thus utilizing approximately 34% of the original mass.
Of the resulting stones, nine large, prominent pieces were used to adorn the British Empire crown, the king's scepter, and the queen's wand, becoming integral symbols of British royal power. The smaller pieces were set in various royal jewels, and many still adorn the necklaces and collars of members of the British royal family today.
During major crises, such as World War II, the royal family was keen to protect this precious heritage, as most of the pieces of the "Star of Africa" were hidden in iron boxes and buried in a potato field behind Windsor Castle, in another chapter of its story full of mystery and beauty.
Thus, a piece of the earth’s interior in South Africa has been transformed into a living legend, translating the beauty of nature into timeless political, historical, and artistic symbols, bearing in its brilliance pages of imperial history and colonial plunder
