Tale of the Cullinan Diamond

The year 2005 marked a century since the discovery of the largest gem diamond ever found: the
3,106 ct Cullinan. Eight decades after it was mined, a team of gemologists conducted the first
modern examinations of the two largest diamonds cut from the rough, the 530 ct Cullinan I and
the 317 ct Cullinan II, which have been part of the Crown Jewels of England since their presentation
to King Edward VII in 1908. This article traces the history of this famous piece of rough and
its source, South Africa's Cullinan (formerly Premier) mine, which has yielded more significant
diamonds than any other single locality. It also presents the full details of the examination and
grading of these two approximately D-color, potentially flawless historic diamonds.