![]() For his trouble, Churchill was sent a replica, which he enjoyed showing off to guests on a silver plate. Eventually, he was persuaded by Winston Churchill, then Colonial Under-Secretary. Initially, Henry Campbell-Bannerman, then British Prime Minister, advised the king to decline the offer, but he later decided to let Edward VII choose whether or not to accept the gift. In August 1907, a vote was held in the Legislative Council on the Cullinan's fate, and a motion authorising the purchase was carried by 42 votes in favour to 19 against. Transvaal Prime Minister, Louis Botha, suggested buying the diamond for Edward VII as "a token of the loyalty and attachment of the people of the Transvaal to His Majesty's throne and person". Although it drew considerable interest from potential buyers, Cullinan went unsold for two years. On arriving in London, it was conveyed to Buckingham Palace for inspection by King Edward VII. Cullinan was sent to the United Kingdom in a plain box via registered post. It was a diversionary tactic – the stone on that ship was fake, meant to attract those who would be interested in stealing it. Due to its immense value, detectives were assigned to a steamboat that was rumoured to be carrying the stone, and a parcel was ceremoniously locked in the captain's safe and guarded on the entire journey. In April 1905, the rough gem was deposited with Premier Mining Co.'s London sales agent, S. Shortly after its discovery, Cullinan went on public display at the Standard Bank in Johannesburg, where it was seen by an estimated 8,000–9,000 visitors. It had a blue-white hue and contained a small pocket of air, which at certain angles produced a rainbow, or Newton's rings. Four of its eight surfaces were smooth, indicating that it once had been part of a much larger stone broken up by natural forces. It was three times the size of the Excelsior Diamond, found in 1893 at Jagersfontein Mine, weighing 972 carats (194.4 g). Newspapers called it the "Cullinan Diamond", a reference to Sir Thomas Cullinan, who opened the mine in 1902. ![]() It was approximately 10.1 centimetres (4.0 in) long, 6.35 centimetres (2.50 in) wide, 5.9 centimetres (2.3 in) deep, and weighed 3,106 carats (621.2 grams). It was found 5.5 metres (18 ft) below the surface at Premier Mine in Cullinan, Transvaal Colony, by Frederick Wells, surface manager at the mine, on 26 January 1905. The Cullinan is estimated to have formed in Earth's mantle transition zone at a depth of 410–660 km (255–410 miles) and reached the surface 1.18 billion years ago. The Queen also owned minor brilliants and a set of unpolished fragments. Seven other major diamonds, weighing a total of 208.29 carats (41.66 g), were privately owned by Elizabeth II, who inherited them from her grandmother, Queen Mary, in 1953. Both are part of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. ![]() The second-largest is Cullinan II or the Second Star of Africa, weighing 317.4 carats (63.48 g), mounted in the Imperial State Crown. The stone is mounted in the head of the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross. in Amsterdam.Ĭullinan produced stones of various cuts and sizes, the largest of which is named Cullinan I, and named the Great Star of Africa by Edward VII, and at 530.4 carats (106.08 g) it is the largest clear cut diamond in the world. In 1907, the Transvaal Colony government bought the Cullinan and Prime Minister Louis Botha presented it to Edward VII, the British king who reigned over the territory, and it was cut by Joseph Asscher & Co. In April 1905, it was put on sale in London, but despite considerable interest, it was still unsold after two years. It was named after Thomas Cullinan, the owner of the mine. The Cullinan Diamond is the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found, weighing 3,106 carats (621.20 g), discovered at the Premier No.2 mine in Cullinan, South Africa, on 26 January 1905. ![]()
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