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.
(32) Star of Minas
This large diamond, which was found in 1911 at the Bagagem mines, Minas Geraes, Brazil, had the shape of a dome with a flat base, and weighed in the rough 35·875 grams (174¾ carats).
The large stone called the ‘Braganza,’ in the Portuguese regalia, which is supposed to be a diamond, is probably a white topaz; it weighs 1680 carats. The Mattan stone, pear-shaped and weighing 367 carats, which was found in the Landak mines near the west coast of Borneo in 1787, is suspected to be quartz.
COLOURED DIAMONDS
(1) Hope
Fig. 69.—Hope.