The largest diamond ever found is the Cullinan Diamond. Discovered in 1905 in South Africa, it weighed a staggering 3,106 carats. Let that sink in for a second—that’s over 1.3 pounds of pure, uncut carbon.
It was named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, the mine owner. But honestly? That name doesn’t do it justice. It should be called “The Holy Smokes” or “The Distractingly Giant Sparkle.”
It was found by a mine manager who spotted a glint in the wall. Imagine walking into work and casually finding a diamond the size of a fist. That’s a good day, right?
Why Didn’t They Leave It Whole?
Here’s the thing: huge diamonds are rarely kept whole. The Cullinan was cleaved into nine major stones and 96 smaller ones. That’s like buying a whole cake, then slicing it into 105 pieces—but each piece is still worth a fortune.
The master cutter, Joseph Asscher, studied the stone for months. He was so nervous that, according to legend, he fainted after making the first cut. Can you blame him? One wrong move and you’ve destroyed history.
The largest piece from the Cullinan is called the Star of Africa I. It’s a pear-shaped beast weighing 530.2 carats. And where does it live? In the British Crown Jewels, perched on the Sovereign’s Sceptre.
