The World's Largest Diamond: Golden Jubilee
The world's largest diamond is The Golden Jubilee Diamond. Found in 1985 at the Premier mine in South Africa, Golden Jubilee originally weighed in at an astounding 755 carats! Many of the world's largest diamonds were found in the mines of South Africa. Other notable diamonds include Cullinan I, which held the title of world's largest diamond from 1905 to 1985, Centenary, which is a flawless diamond found in 1986, and the Taylor-Burton Diamond found in 1966 and given to actress Elizabeth Taylor by then-husband Richard Burton. Over 65% of the world's diamonds originate in South Africa and almost all of the largest were found in this region.
The Golden Jubilee Diamond originally was considered an ugly diamond. It was an unattractive brown and was cut due to many thinking it was not worth anything. It was cut to 545.67 carats, which as of today is still an unsurpassed weight. Once cut, Golden Jubilee's true beauty could be seen. In determining diamond value and quality, gemologists look at the "4 cs" of diamonds: cut, clarity, color, and carats. Golden Jubilee meets these specifications as follows:
Cut: fire rose cushion
Clarity: internally flawless
Color: yellow-brown
Carats: 545.67
It is important to note that the world's second largest diamond, Cullinan I, which weighs 530.20 carats was cut from the Cullinan Diamond which is the largest diamond ever found. It weighed 3,106 carats! The Cullinan I is the largest diamond of 105 diamonds cut from the Cullinan Diamond.
Why the World's Largest Diamond is Special
All diamonds are special for a number of reasons. First, diamonds are formed 90-100 miles below the Earth's crust. Second, diamonds take a billion years to form and work their way to the surface. Third, diamonds are the hardest naturally-occurring substance. The world's largest diamond is extra special in that it also managed to remain intact and at a weight, size, and color than surpasses all other diamonds. The Greek derivative for diamond means invincible and the Golden Jubilee Diamond is an excellent example of the strength and durability of the diamond.
The top ten worlds' largest diamonds are as follows:
Golden Jubilee (545.67 carats)
Cullinan I (530.20 carats)
The Incomparable (407.48 carats)
Cullinan II (317.40 carats)
The Spirit of de Grisogono (312.24 carats)
The Centenary (273.85 carats)
The Jubilee (245.35 carats)
The De Beers (234.65 carats)
The Red Cross (205.07 carats)
The Millennium Star (203.04 carats)
