(31) Star of Africa, or Cullinan
Fig. 67.—Cullinan No. 1.
All diamonds pale into insignificance when compared with the colossal stone that came to light at the Premier mine near Pretoria in the Transvaal on January 25, 1905. It was first called the ‘Cullinan’ after Sir T. M. Cullinan, chairman of the Premier Diamond Mine (Transvaal) Company, but has recently, by desire of King George V, received the name ‘Star of Africa.’ The rough stone weighed 621·2 grams or 3025¾ carats (about 1⅓ lb.); it displayed three natural faces (P[late XXV]) and one large cleavage face, and its shape suggested that it was a portion of an enormous stone more than double its size; it was transparent, colourless, and had only one small flaw near the surface. This magnificent diamond was purchased by the Transvaal Government for £150,000, and presented to King Edward VII on his birthday, November 9, 1907.
PLATE XXV
CULLINAN DIAMOND
(Natural size)
Fig. 68.—Cullinan No. 2.
The Cullinan was entrusted to the famous firm, Messrs. I. J. Asscher & Co., of Amsterdam, for cutting on January 23, 1908, just three years after its discovery. On February 10 it was cleaved into two parts, weighing respectively 1977½ and 1040½ carats, from which the two largest stones have been cut, one being a pendeloque or drop brilliant in shape (Fig. 67) and weighing 516½ carats, and the other a square brilliant (Fig. 68) weighing 3093/16 carats. The first has been placed in the sceptre, and the second in the crown of the regalia. Besides these there are a pendeloque weighing 92 carats, a square-shaped brilliant 62, a heart-shaped stone 18⅜, two marquises 89/16 and 11¼, an oblong stone 6⅝, a pendeloque 49/32, and 96 small brilliants weighing together 7⅜; the total weight of the cut stones amounts to 10365/32 carats. The largest stone has 74 and the second 66 facets. The work was completed and the stones handed to King Edward in November 1908.
Although the Premier mine has yielded no worthy compeer of the Cullinan, it can, nevertheless, boast of a considerable number of large stones which but for comparison with that giant would be thought remarkable for their size, no fewer than seven of them having weights of over 300 carats, viz. 511, 487¼, 458¾, 391½, 373, 348, and 334 carats.