On this day in 1905, the world’s largest diamond found in South Africa
The 3,106-carat diamond was discovered 40km east of Pretoria.
The world's largest diamond, The Cullinan. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Parent Géry
Imagine discovering the world’s largest diamond by accident.
That is how the Cullinan Diamond was found by Fredrick Wells in the Premier Mine 40km east of Pretoria.
The superintendent was doing a routine inspection through the mine on 26 January 1905 when something shiny caught his eye.
The 3,106-carat diamond was named the Cullinan after the owner of the mine, Sir Thomas Cullinan.
While a replica of nature’s masterpiece can be seen at the Cape Town Diamond Museum, R17 million rough stone was carefully transported to England.
After the Anglo-Boer War, the Transvaal government bought the diamond for R2.4 million and gifted it to the UK’s King Edward VII in 1907.
The diamond was divided into several large stones and the two largest pieces (Cullinan 1 and Cullinan II) were given to Edward.
Today, Cullinan I, known as The Star of Africa is set in the Royal scepter and Cullinan II is in the band of the Imperial State Crown.
They are kept with the other crown jewels in the Tower of London.
