Cullinan (Star of Africa)
Taking the top spot is the Cullinan, or Star of Africa—the largest and most valuable gem-quality diamond in the world. At the time of its discovery, it weighed 3,106.75 carats (621.35 grams), with dimensions of 100x65x50 mm. The Cullinan is now divided into nine parts. This unique diamond was discovered in January 1905 at the Premier Mine in South Africa. Experts believe it is a fragment of a much larger octahedral crystal. The gemstone was named after the mine owner, Thomas Cullinan.
Sewelo (Rare Find)
A unique specimen found in April 2019 at the Lucara Karowe mine in Botswana was named Sewelo (which means Rare Find in the Setswana language). The 1,758-carat gemstone is characterized by a dark hue, as it is covered by a thin layer of carbon. Later, the Sewelo diamond was purchased by the renowned luxury brand Louis Vuitton. The amount of the deal remains undisclosed, according to The New York Times, citing the company’s CEO, Michael Burke.
Lesedi La Rona (Our Light)
In 2015, an exclusive 1,111-carat diamond, Lesedi La Rona (Our Light), was discovered in Botswana. According to Lucara Diamonds, its dimensions are 65x56x40 mm. The discovery was incredibly rare, as the diamond belongs to the IIa category and is chemically pure. Only 2% of the world’s diamonds fall into this category. The gem was later purchased by Graff Diamonds for $53 million.
Unnamed diamond by Lucara Diamonds
In 2023, Lucara Diamond announced an extraordinary discovery that experts believe would go down in the history of natural diamonds. A magnificent 1,080.10-carat stone was found in August 2023 at the Karowe mine. The diamond remains unnamed, but its enormous size places it among the top five largest transparent diamonds. This gem belongs to the IIa category, the highest quality grade for diamonds based on purity, color, and transparency.
Lesotho Legend
Rounding out the top five largest diamonds of contemporary times is Lesotho Legend. This remarkable 910-carat stone was discovered in 2018 in South Africa (Kingdom of Lesotho). Initially, the gem was purchased for $40 million by an anonymous buyer from Belgium. Later, specialists at Van Cleef & Arpels created a collection of jewelry from this extraordinary gem.
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