We know quite a few clichés about diamonds, but no matter which one is your favorite, the fact is that we all love diamonds. Most of us can only dream about the ten biggest ones.
Each year they should be excavated approx 130 million carats and most of them are only a few carats. But every now and then there comes a moment when a huge one is found diamond, big enough to feed a small country. Today, most of them are excavated in the central and South Africa, and the largest diamonds have so far been most often found by Canadian diamond prospectors digging in the great maws of extinct volcanoes on the icy northern Canada. The list of the ten largest rough diamonds will no doubt change over the coming years, with two large 200 carat diamonds found in South Africa last year alone, yet neither of them made the top ten. Many diamonds also have a very interesting story behind them, the first two on the list are so huge that the likelihood of ever finding them that big or bigger again is very small.
The Jonker, 726 carats
This great gem was found in South Africa in 1934. He found it Johannes Jacobus Jonker, after which the diamond also got its name. It was to be cut into thirteen smaller diamonds, the largest of which, Jonker I, but still has 142.9 carats. Its value is estimated at 3.7 million dollars.
The Vargas, 726.6 carats
The diamond, which ranked ninth, was named after Getulio Dornelles Vargas. It was found in Brazil, where Vargas was president at the time. The diamond soon found its way to Amsterdam, where it was bought by a famous American jeweler Harry Winston. It was cut into 30 smaller stones, the largest of which is a perfect 44-carat gem.
The Golden Jubilee, 755 carats This beautiful South African diamond is considered one of the most famous in the world. After experts worked on it for years, they finally created a diamond that has an incredible 545.67 carats, making it the largest diamond in its full beauty. It is currently owned by the Thai royal family, and due to its yellow-brown color, its value is estimated at 4-12 million dollars.
The Woyie River, 770 carats
Named after the river in which it was found, this South African stone has been cut into thirty smaller diamonds. However, some were not impressed with him, as he comes from Sierra Leone, which is famous for its blood diamonds, which are said to help finance military activity in the war zones there.
Millennium Star, 777 carats
When it was discovered in 1990, this uncut gem weighed a whopping 777 carats, and it took experts three years to shape it into a beautiful pear-shaped gem that weighs 203.04 carats, making it the second largest colorless and perfect diamond in the world. Because of its fame and clarity, its value today is more than 160 million dollars.
Diamond Incomparable, 890 carats
In 1989, a little girl found the diamond and showed it to her uncle, who then sold it to diamond dealers. After several years, experts managed to cut it into several smaller stones, and they also created a beautiful yellow-brown gem with 407.48 carats and shaped it into an unusual triangular shape.
Star of Sierra Leone, 969 carats
The diamond was cut into 17 smaller, almost perfect gems, which were later used to create the jewelry that became known as the Star of Sierra Leone brooch.
Excelsior diamond, 995.20 carats
Discovered in 1893 in South Africa, this large stone is today cut into smaller gems. The largest of these is only 69.68 carats, leading many in the diamond industry to believe that larger diamonds were probably cut as well.
Cullinan Diamond, 3106, 75 carats
As much as three times heavier than the Excelsior diamond, this is probably the most famous diamond in the world. When it was found in South Africa in 1905, it weighed more than half a kilogram. It was received as a gift by the British King Edward VII and taken to Amsterdam, where it was cut up. Nine major gems and 96 stones were cut from the rough diamond, including the famous Star of Africa (Cullian I) diamond, which has 530.2 carats and is now part of the Crown Jewels. Its value is estimated at incredible 2 billion dollars.
Sergio, 3167 carats
Many still rank the Cullinan diamond as the largest diamond ever found, but the Sergio, a black diamond found in Brazil, dwarfs all its competitors in terms of weight. So-called black diamonds are very rare and scientists are still not sure where they come from. Some believe it comes from outer space and came to Earth as meteor particles.
