The Great Star of Africa, also known as the Cullinan Diamond, is the largest rough diamond ever discovered, with a weight of 3,106.75 carats when it was mined. Once it was cut down into nine separate diamonds the largest piece (530.2 carats) kept its place as the world's largest polished diamond until 1985, when the Golden Jubilee Diamond was discovered.
The Cullinan Diamond was recovered from the Premier Mine in South Africa in 1905 and named after the mine's owner, Sir Thomas Cullinan.
The Transvaal government bought the Cullinan Diamond and gave it to King Edward VII as a gift for his 66th birthday in 1907. To transport the Cullinan Diamond safely, a fake was put on a steamship under police protection while the genuine stone was sent to London by regular registered mail – insured for $1,250,000.
In 1908, the king gave the Cullinan Diamond to master diamond cutter Joseph Asscher of Amsterdam's Royal Asscher Diamond Company to be cut into smaller, gem-quality stones. Asscher cleaved the diamond by making a half-inch incision and then splitting the Cullinan Diamond apart with a single blow, which went right through the black inclusion.
As mentioned, the name Cullinan Diamond now refers to the largest of the nine diamonds cut from the single massive stone, resulting in a pear-shaped diamond with 76 facets. King Edward had it set in the Sovereign's Royal Sceptre, and to this day the Cullinan Diamond is part of the British Crown Jewels.
