A Guide to Famous Diamonds

The Cullinan, or ‘Great Star of Africa’, consists of a record-breaking size of 530.20 carats and is cut from the largest diamond gem at 3106 carats. Found in the Premier Mine in Transvaal, South Africa in 1905, the diamond was named after the owner of the mine, Thomas Cullinan, and to show solidarity between South Africa and England it was later presented to the King Edward VII. At the time, the Cullinan was the most expensive diamond in the world. Because of this, the diamond was heavily guarded as it was at risk of theft.

The Cullinan was then cut and divided into 9 major and 96 smaller brilliant-cut diamonds by Joseph Asscher and Company of Amsterdam. The smaller diamonds made up a necklace which was later handed down through the generations to Queen Elizabeth II. The Cullinan I, also known as the ‘Star of Africa’ is one of the major diamonds, pear-shaped with 74 facets. It was set on top of the Royal Sovereign’s sceptre in 1910 and is now kept with the other crown jewels in the Tower of London.

Cullinan IV was also one of the major cuts of this diamond and consisted of 11.50 carats in a marquise style. Set on the crown of Queen Mary, it was designed to be worn as a brooch. Like other Cullinan diamonds, it can be found in the Tower of London.

Also known as The Blue Hope, this 45.52 carat diamond received its name from Henry Thomas Hope and it’s a dark blue colour. Discovered centuries ago in India, in 1642 the famous Blue Tavernier Diamond was in the hands of King Louis XIV who had it cut into a heart shape weighing 67 carats. It was later stolen by jewellers and thieves during the French Revolution and for decades it couldn’t be found. It later was recut and sold in 1839 to an English banker, Hope, whose son had it displayed at the Crystal Palace Exhibition in Hyde Park, London in 1851.

The Hope Diamond is a famous diamond believed to have mystical powers and was used to adorn the statue of a Hindu Idol before it was moved and then stolen. But according to legend, some say those who owned this blue stone had bad luck. But after time, it was then acquired by young American heiress Evalyn Walsh Mclean. Given to her as a gift from her husband Ned, who owned the Washington Post, and purchased the gemstone from Cartier.

Walsh Mclean was convinced the true power of the Hope Diamond came from the joy and awe of those who looked at its brilliance. She then became the longest private owner of the stone until she died in 1947, then in 1949 Harry Winston purchased the diamond and 9 years later it was given to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C.

A 70.21 carat pear-shaped gem, the Idol’s eye is a legendary famous diamond shrouded by mystery. Due to its shape, it was thought to be once set in the eye of an idol, hence the name. From its slight blue hue, it’s thought to be found in Golconda around 1600, but it’s first known location is in 1865 in London, being auctioned at Christie’s. Then in the following years it’s known to have been in exchanged in the 34th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire to Harry Winston, and then later to the daughter of the founder of the Denver Post newspaper. Today, the whereabouts of this enchanting diamond is unknown.

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A gift from Richard Burton to the iconic Elizabeth Taylor, this famous diamond was a symbol of love. Sourced in 1966 in Transvaal South Africa and weighing an impressive 240.80 carats, it was first purchased by Harry Winston who collected and commissioned a wide range of famous diamonds. He cut the diamond into an elegant 69.42-carat pear-shaped stone and sold it to Mrs Harriet Anneberg Ames, who then later put it up for auction 2 years later.

Cartier won the bid against Richard Burton at $1,050,000 and the diamond was renamed to ‘The Cartier’. But later Richard Burton purchased it and renamed it ‘The Taylor Burton’ diamond which was displayed at Cartier stores in New York and Chicago. After receiving the stone as a gift, Elizabeth Taylor had it placed into a necklace, and years later it was sold at an auction between $3-5 million, which was donated by Taylor to fund a hospital in Botswana.

Also known as The Tiffany Yellow Diamond, it’s one of the largest yellow diamonds ever discovered. Weighing in at 287.42 carats and cushion cut, it was discovered in 1878 in the Kimberly mine in South Africa. Cut by Tiffany the jeweller in Paris, the gemstone now had 128.52 carats with 90 facets to maximise its brilliance. This famous diamond appears on the 1960s setting ‘Bird on a Rock’ designed by Jean Schlumberger, loaned by Tiffany & Co. The Tiffany was also recently worn by Lady Gaga on the 2019 Oscars Red Carpet.

One of the most famous diamonds, it was first discovered as early as the 14th century, making it also the oldest diamond in the world. Weighing an impressive 105.60 carats, many believed the Koh-i-Noor was a gift from god and possessed supernatural powers and whoever owned it would be the most powerful person in the world.

The first real evidence of The Mountain of Light diamond was in the memoirs of the first leader of the Mogul Empire in the 16th Century, Sultan Barbur. The diamond passed through many owners in a series of battles, and after the end of the Persian Empire, it found its way to India, where it travelled with the bodyguard of Nadir Shah when he was murdered. It was later offered to Ranjit Singh of the Punjab where after a fight broke out between the Sikhs and the British, the diamond was claimed by the East India Company to present it to Queen Victoria in 1850.

In 1851, it was shown in the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, London. Then, Queen Victoria, had Koh-i-Noor recut into a more modern style and shape where it was later set in the State Crown worn by Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary, then Queen Elizabeth in 1937 for her coronation. It’s now kept in the Tower of London with the other Crown Jewels.

Said to be the first large diamond to be cut with symmetrical facets, The Sancy is a pale yellow 55.23 carat shield-shaped diamond. Founded in India, the diamond was borrowed by King Henry III to decorate a small cap. Named after his financier and Ambassador to Switzerland, Harlay de Sancy, Sancy sold this famous diamond due to financial issues to King James I. From there it was sold again to become set in crown for the coronation of French King Louis XV in 1722.

The Sancy diamond was then rumoured to have been pawned to the Marquis of Iranda in Spain during the French Revolution and was then owned by members of the English monarchy, an Italian cardinal, an Indian prince and was then acquired by Prince Nicolas Demidoff of Russia. From there it was then gifted to his son, a Russian nobleman, who gifted it to his bride on their wedding day. The Astor family then purchased it to sell to the Louvre Museum in Paris in 1978.

Considered as the most beautiful diamond in the world, the Regent was discovered in India in 1698. It was later acquired by English Governor Thomas Pitt and cut into 140.64 carats. In 1717, Philipee II, a French regent, purchased it where it remained with French royalty and was fixed on Louis XV’s silver coronation crown in 1775. The Regent was then stolen during the French Revolution where the location was unknown until it was discovered hidden in an attic in Paris, with Napoleon Bonaparte then using it to adorn his sword in 1801. In 1825, Charles X wore the diamond on his coronation crown and from there it was put on the ‘Grecian Diadem’ of Empress Eugenie during the Second Empire. Today, you can find The Regent at the Louvre Museum in Paris.

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This slightly blue-green 300 carat diamond comes from India and is famous due to its exceptionally purity and was believed to be the diamond eye of the Hindu God, Vishnu’s Idol in the sanctuary temple in Sriangam. In the 1700s, a French deserter stole it and only took one of the diamond eyes, so the other eye remained in the statue. After taking the diamond, he travelled to Madras and sold it to an English sea captain, where it was later found in Amsterdam in the hands of Grigori Orloff, a Russian Count. He bought the stone, named it after himself and brought it to Catherine the Great in Russia to win her love. From there it was mounted in the Imperial Sceptre and in return she gave a marble palace to him.

In 1812, the Russian people feared Napoleon was going to enter Moscow and steal the gemstone, so they hid the Orloff in a priest’s tomb. Legend says that Napoleon found the diamond and was about to take it as his when a priest’s ghost appeared and cursed his army.

The Hortensia diamond is much smaller than the other famous diamonds we’ve covered, but is known for its history. Named for the Queen of Holland, Hortense de Beauhamais, the diamond dates back to the late 1600s where it was owned by the French monarchy, and was stolen during the French Revolution, but was later recovered after a man facing the guillotine disclosed its hidden location. From there, Napoleon Bonaparte used it as a part of his uniform before gifting it to Queen Hortense. Today, it can be found at the Louvre in Paris with other French crown jewels.

11. The Most Expensive Diamond In The World: The Pink Star

The rose-coloured diamond was mined in 1999 in South Africa, weighing 59.60 carats. The Pink Star took 2 years to cut, and only a small fraction of the diamonds have this natural beautiful pink colour. Named as a famous diamond because it was not only the largest diamond to be sold at auction, but also the most expensive. It was sold in Hong Kong for more than $71,000,000.

The Centenary Diamond also makes the list the most expensive diamonds in the world, not because it’s been sold in an auction, but because the value of it sits at $90 million. It wasn’t discovered until 1986 but holds the highest grade possible, grade D, by the Gemmological Institute of America so this colourless South African Diamond holds exceptional beauty. The rough size before cutting was 599 carats and it took nearly 3 years to cut into its current 273.85 carats. It’s also the only famous diamond to combine the oldest methods – kerfing – with the most sophisticated modern technology in cutting. Considered as the most modern-cut, flawless and top-colour famous diamond, it can be found at the Tower of London.

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13. The Largest Faceted Diamond: The Golden Jubilee

The Golden Jubilee, weighing 545.67 carats, is considered to be the largest faceted diamond in the world. Gabi Tolkowsky, who also designed the Centenary Diamond, designed this stone, which was later bought by De Beers, which is the birthplace to many other famous diamonds such the Centenary and the Cullinan. From there, a syndicate of Thai businessmen purchased this famous diamond and presented to the King of Thailand in 1997 for his 50th anniversary of his coronation, the Golden Jubilee.

Considered to be the third largest diamond in the world, surpassed by the Golden Jubilee and the Cullinan. Discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo, this stone weighs 407.48 carats. The Incomparable is a famous diamond known for its flawless and remarkable clarity, its unusual triangle shape and brownish-yellow colour.

15. The Jubilee

Discovered in the Jagersfontein Mine in 1895 and weighed 650.80ct rough, it was originally named the Reitz Diamond. At the time this was the world’s largest diamond, but today it is the sixth largest ever discovered. The diamond was cut into two diamonds, the larger of the two was named The Jubilee and was used in honour of the 16th anniversary of the British Queen Victoria’s coronation. A consortium of London diamond merchants then acquired the Jubilee together along with the second largest stone found The Excelsior.

While we’ve covered just a snapshot of the most famous diamonds in the world, the list is endless. Diamonds hold a lot of beauty and value that spans across several centuries. Most of the diamonds we’ve covered have historical value due to the size, clarity, colour, cost, or even its significance to historical times or royalty, but preowned diamonds hold just as much history. Each with its own story to tell, you can own a piece of history on your hand or neck. From designer brands for less, rare pieces to vintage or antique, you can find unique diamond jewellery in our collection.

Take a look at our diamond jewellery or our second hand diamond jewellery collections for stunning options. And for any extra help, read our Diamond Buying Guide.


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