"is derived from the shepherd's staff via the crozier of a bishop. Two gold sceptres made in 1661 are part of the coronation regalia. The Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross is a token of his or her temporal power as head of state. The whole object is long, weighs around , and is decorated with 333 diamonds, 31 rubies, 15 emeralds, 7 sapphires, 6 spinels and 1 composite amethyst. In 1910, it was redesigned to incorporate Cullinan I, also known as the Great Star of Africa, which, at over , is still the largest clear cut diamond in the world. It"
"believed to be the largest pink diamond in the world. The stone is estimated to weigh 175 and 195 carats and is a light pink color. Its exact weight is unknown because it has been mounted in its brooch setting for over 130 years. The stone is part of the Iranian Crown Jewels and is displayed at the Central Bank of Iran in Tehran. The Pink Star (formerly known as the Steinmetz Pink Diamond) is classified as a vivid pink and weighs 59.60 carats. It was discovered in Africa and is the largest Fancy Vivid Pink diamond in the world."
"public ceremony. The Pink Star was displayed (as the Steinmetz Pink) as part of the Smithsonian's ""The Splendor of Diamonds"" exhibit, alongside the De Beers Millennium Star, the world’s second largest (the Cullinan I The Star of Africa is the largest) top colour (D) internally and externally flawless pear-shaped diamond at 203.04 carat (40.608 g), the Heart of Eternity Diamond, a 27.64 carat (5.582 g) heart-cut blue diamond and the Moussaieff Red Diamond, the world's largest known Fancy Red diamond at 5.11 carat (1.022 g). The Pink Star was auctioned by Sotheby's Geneva on 13 November 2013. The sale price"
"the Millennium Star. The largest cut white (D) diamond by weight is the 1991 modified heart-shaped Centenary Diamond. Millennium Star The Millennium Star is a diamond owned by De Beers. At 203.04 carats (40.608 g), it is the world's second largest known top-color (grade D, i.e. colourless), internally and externally flawless, pear-shaped diamond. The diamond was discovered in the Mbuji-Mayi district of Zaire in 1990 in alluvial deposits; uncut, it was 777 carats (155.4 g). It was purchased by De Beers during the height of the country's Civil War that took place in the early to mid-nineties. It took over"
"the B-Cut at a depth of 747 metres, and beneath that lies the Centenary-Cut (""the C-Cut""), a world class diamond resource. The mine hosts a total resource of 202.1 million carats, including 16.5 million carats in tailings dumps. The mine, previously known as Premier Diamond mine, is renowned for producing many of the world's largest and most famous diamonds, including the Cullinan Diamond, the world's largest gem diamond, at rough. Sir Thomas Cullinan, the former chairman of the Premier Diamond Mine, presented the Cullinan to England's King Edward VII in 1905. The Great Star of Africa, which sits in the"
"Pink Star (diamond) The Pink Star, formerly known as the Steinmetz Pink, is a diamond weighing 59.60 carat (11.92 g), rated in color as Fancy Vivid Pink by the Gemological Institute of America. The Pink Star was mined by De Beers in 1999 in South Africa, and weighed 132.5 carat in the rough. The Pink Star is the largest known diamond having been rated Vivid Pink. As a result of this exceptional rarity, the Benny Steinmetz Group called Steinmetz Diamonds took a cautious 20 months to cut the Pink. It was unveiled in Monaco on 29 May 2003 in a"
"Millennium Star The Millennium Star is a diamond owned by De Beers. At 203.04 carats (40.608 g), it is the world's second largest known top-color (grade D, i.e. colourless), internally and externally flawless, pear-shaped diamond. The diamond was discovered in the Mbuji-Mayi district of Zaire in 1990 in alluvial deposits; uncut, it was 777 carats (155.4 g). It was purchased by De Beers during the height of the country's Civil War that took place in the early to mid-nineties. It took over three years for workers of the Steinmetz Diamond Group to produce the classic pear form. The actual cutting"
"Sceptre of the Crown Jewels, was produced from the Cullinan Diamond, and was until recently acknowledged to be the largest cut diamond in the world, weighing in at . In 1985 it lost the record to the Golden Jubilee, which was found in the same mine as the Cullinan and weighed in its polished state. More than a quarter of all diamonds weighing more than have originated from Cullinan. It is also the world's only significant source of blue diamonds. One of these famous large blue diamonds was cut into several stones and made into a necklace which subsequently became"
"focus of a necklace with 410 oval, pear-shaped, round and marquis diamonds. The Great Chrysanthemum, considered one of the most famous diamonds in the world is the 2nd largest pear-shaped brown diamond and the 5th largest of all Fancy brown diamonds in the world. The Great Chrysanthemum Diamond was discovered in 1963 at the Kimberley Mines in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. Weighing in at 198 carats, the rough diamond is one of about only 300 diamonds in the entire world which weigh in excess of a hundred carats. Julius Cohen, one-time protégé of Harry Winston and custodian"
"emerald cut Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond in the world. Discovered in 2008 at an alluvial mine in South Africa, the 221.81 carat rough diamond. When Laurence Graff unveiled the finished diamond, he named it ""the Delaire Sunrise"". The Constellation is, at 102.79 carats, the largest round shaped, D colour, Internally Flawless diamond ever to be graded by the Gemological Institute of America. The Graff Pink was acquired by Graff in November 2010. A pink diamond with a type IIa classification and modified emerald cut shape, the diamond was previously held in a private collection for over 60 years. The diamond"
"Golden Jubilee Diamond The Golden Jubilee Diamond () is the largest cut and faceted diamond in the world. It weighs 545.67 carats (109.13 g). It outweighs the Cullinan I by 15.37 carats (3.07 g). The Golden Jubilee Diamond was discovered in the Premier Mine, which is also the origin of the Cullinan diamond (1905) and other notables such as the Taylor–Burton (1966) and the Centenary (1986). Cullinan I, also known as the Great Star of Africa, had held the title of the largest cut and faceted diamond since 1908. First known as the ""Unnamed Brown"", the Golden Jubilee Diamond was"
"The Star of Adam The Star of Adam is an oval-shaped blue star sapphire, currently the largest star sapphire in the world. It weighs , and its estimated value is at least US$100 million. However, its expected worth at auction is up to US$175 million. Prior to its discovery, the Black Star of Queensland, weighing , was the largest star sapphire gem in the world. The blue-colored gemstone has a six-pointed star-shaped reflection or distinctive mark in the center. This very large star sapphire was discovered in Ratnapura (known by the nickname ""City of Gems""), in southern Sri Lanka, in"
"Daria-i-Noor The Daria-i-Noor ( which means “Sea of light” in Persian; (also spelled ""Darya-ye Noor"") is one of the largest cut diamonds in the world, weighing an estimated 182 carats (36 g). Its colour, pale pink, is one of the rarest to be found in diamonds. The Daria-i-Noor is in the Iranian Crown Jewels of Central Bank of Iran in Tehran. It is 41.40 x 29.50 x 12.15 mm and weighing around 182 metric carats, the world's largest known pink diamond. This diamond, like the Koh-i-Noor, was mined in Vijayanagara, India. It was originally owned by the Kakatiya dynasty, later"
"Cora Sun-Drop Diamond The Cora Sun-Drop Diamond is the largest known yellow pear-shaped diamond, weighing . It was sold for $10.9 million at Sotheby's auction in Geneva and set a world record price for a yellow diamond. The Sun-Drop has a very short history. It was found in South Africa in 2010 within a kimberlite pipe. Tests show that the diamond was formed from 1 to 3 billion years ago. After that, on 24 February 2011, it was kept in The Vault of the London Natural History Museum together with many other precious stones, such as the Duke of Devonshire"
"was mined in the city of Ratnapura, southern Sri Lanka. The Black Star of Queensland, the second largest gem-quality star sapphire in the world, weighs 733 carats. The Star of India mined in Sri Lanka and weighing 563.4 carats is thought to be the third-largest star sapphire, and is currently on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The 182-carat Star of Bombay, mined in Sri Lanka and located in the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., is another example of a large blue star sapphire. The value of a star sapphire depends"
"Jewelers acquired Black, Starr & Frost and expanded to 33 locations. 1986: New York’s The Plaza Hotel became home to another Black, Starr & Frost jewelry salon. 1990: Sterling Inc. acquired Kay Jewelers and Black, Starr & Frost. 1991: Paul Lam, Costa Mesa, California, acquired Black, Starr & Frost. 2006: The Molina Group acquired Black, Starr & Frost. 2012: Black, Starr & Frost sold the Archduke Joseph Diamond, a 76-carat, D-color, internally flawless diamond, the largest D color internally flawless Golconda diamond in the world for $21.5 million at Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels auction, setting three world records for the"
"Ironstone's Crown Jewel Ironstone’s Crown Jewel is the world’s largest piece of crystalline gold. At 44 lbs troy (16.4 kg), it is substantially larger than the Fricot ""Nugget"" (13.8 lb troy; 5.15 kg) and the Whopper (11.7 lb troy; 4.37 kg), the next two largest specimens. Gold found in California is often in quartz, which is typically a hard rock, mined in vertical or horizontal shafts. This contrasts with placer (loose gold, often nuggets) and fine gold that has been recovered by hydraulic mining. The gold specimen was unearthed at the Sonora Mining Corporation mine in Jamestown, California on December"
"largest diamond ever found. The stone is of an exceptional colour, rated D, the top colour for diamonds. Previously the largest diamond found at Letseng was the 601 carat (120 g) Lesotho Brown, recovered in 1967. On 13 September 2007 Gem Diamonds, Ltd. announced that it had found a diamond, making it the 18th largest diamond ever found. It was sold to the Graff-SAFDICO partnership for $10.4 million. In 2004, Gem Diamonds, Ltd. found a large diamond of . On 21 September 2008 Gem Diamonds, Ltd. announced that it found a diamond of high quality, making it the 20th largest"
"Black Star of Queensland The Black Star of Queensland, named after its nature and place of origin, is a 733-carat (146.6 g) black sapphire, and was the world's largest gem quality star sapphire until The Star of Adam was discovered. The stone was reportedly discovered by 12-year-old Roy Spencer in the mid-1930s in the Queensland gem fields known as the Reward Claim near Anakie, Queensland. Roy showed the stone to his father, Harry Spencer, one of the pioneering miners of the central Queensland gem fields, who assumed that it was merely a large black crystal. Not realising the value of"
"""The Star of Adam"". A leading gem and jewelry dealer in the country confirmed to the BBC that it was the largest blue star sapphire in the world. In an interview to BBC Earth, Simon Redfern, mineral scientist from the University of Cambridge, said ""the stone could have formed within the granite rocks of Sri Lanka's highlands. It was able to grow so big because of constant but slow change in temperatures and pressures within the rocks for millions of years"". Later, the gemstone was valued at over $300 million. The Star of Adam The Star of Adam is an"
"in the world), The 17th century ""Ram’s Head Diamond"" (a 17.47-carat diamond), The 17th century ""Sultan of Morocco Diamond"" (35.67 carats, fourth largest Blue diamond in the world), The 17th century ""Diamond Earrings of Marie Antoinette"" (two 34.59 carat diamonds), The ""Blue Venus Statuette Sapphire"" (4-inch-tall sapphire statuette of the goddess Venus atop a large Spinel) and also The 15th century ""Ruby Buddha"" (70+ carat Ruby statue). Following her narrow escape during the Russian Revolution, she was forced to leave all her financial assets in Russia: her entire jewel collection was hidden in a secret vault in Moika Palace in"
"Princie Diamond The Princie Diamond is an approximately 34.65 carat cushion-cut fancy intense pink diamond discovered 300 years ago in the Golconda mines. Christie's (who auctioned it on 16 April 2013, when it fetched a price of 39.3 million dollars) say that the Princie Diamond is believed to be the third largest pink diamond in the world after the Daria-i-Noor (c. 175 to 195 carats) the Noor-ol-Ain (c. 60 carats) which are both part of the Iranian Crown Jewels but which were both cut, according to experts, from one single c. 242 carat pink diamond, and the Pink Star (formerly"
"largest ever found and the largest discovered in the past forty years. It is the second largest found in Sierra Leone, the largest being the Star of Sierra Leone, a 968.9-ct diamond discovered in 1972. The diamond appears to have a reddish stain coating it. The Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources has attempted to clean it by ""by boiling (it) in hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid for 72 hours"". Ernest Bai Koroma, president of Sierra Leone, stated that the Ministry of Mines was given ""clear instruction to the Ministry of Mines that the evaluation, sale and distribution of the"
"believed to range between $4 and $12 million USD. If sold at auction, it is likely that this stone would fetch a significantly higher price. Golden Jubilee Diamond The Golden Jubilee Diamond () is the largest cut and faceted diamond in the world. It weighs 545.67 carats (109.13 g). It outweighs the Cullinan I by 15.37 carats (3.07 g). The Golden Jubilee Diamond was discovered in the Premier Mine, which is also the origin of the Cullinan diamond (1905) and other notables such as the Taylor–Burton (1966) and the Centenary (1986). Cullinan I, also known as the Great Star of"
"minimum bid of $900,000. The Diamond is currently owned by Jerre Hentosh after he won it via online auction on Bid4Assets with a winning bid of $2.84 million. Golden Eye Diamond The Golden Eye Diamond is a flawless Fancy Intense Yellow diamond, claimed by one of its past owners to be the world's largest of its cut and color. It is believed to come from the Kimberley area of South Africa. Tom Moses, a senior vice president with the Gemological Institute of America, agrees that it came from South Africa, but it has not been able to be determined the"
"pieces. Included among these are the Patricia Emerald, a 632 carat (126 g), 12 sided stone. It was discovered during the 1920s in a mine high in the Colombian Andes and was named for the mine-owner's daughter. The Patricia is one of the few large gem-quality emeralds that remains uncut. Also on display is the 563 carat (113 g) Star of India, the largest, and most famous, star sapphire in the world. It was discovered over 300 years ago in Sri Lanka, most likely in the sands of ancient river beds from where star sapphires continue to be found today."
"a necklace of white diamonds. It was subsequently worn by Audrey Hepburn in 1961 publicity photographs for ""Breakfast at Tiffany's"". Tiffany Yellow Diamond The Tiffany Yellow Diamond is one of the largest yellow diamonds ever discovered; its carat weight is 287.42 carats (57.484 g) in the rough when discovered in 1878 in the Kimberley mine in South Africa, and was cut into a cushion shape of 128.54 carats (25.108 g) with 82 facets—24 more than a traditional round brilliant—to maximize its brilliance. The facet pattern features eight needle-like facets pointing outward from the culet (bottom) facet. Jewelry and diamond historian"
"reached Cartier and is considering possible legal action. Star of the South The Star of the South, also known as ""Estrela do Sul"", is a diamond found in Brazil in July 1853. The diamond is cut into a cushion shape and weighs . The Star of the South is graded as a type IIa diamond, with a colour grading of fancy light pinkish-brown and a clarity of VS2. At the time of discovery, the diamond weighed . It has passed through the hands of many owners, including the Maharaja of princely Baroda State, and its last known purchase was by"
"Tiffany Yellow Diamond The Tiffany Yellow Diamond is one of the largest yellow diamonds ever discovered; its carat weight is 287.42 carats (57.484 g) in the rough when discovered in 1878 in the Kimberley mine in South Africa, and was cut into a cushion shape of 128.54 carats (25.108 g) with 82 facets—24 more than a traditional round brilliant—to maximize its brilliance. The facet pattern features eight needle-like facets pointing outward from the culet (bottom) facet. Jewelry and diamond historian Herbert Tillander refers to this as a 'stellar brilliant cut', and lists the gem in his book ""Diamond Cuts in"
"present). The Pumpkin Diamond was displayed as part of the Smithsonian's ""The Splendor of Diamonds"" exhibit, alongside The De Beers Millennium Star, the world’s largest top colour (D) internally and externally flawless pear-shaped diamond at 203.04 carat (40.608 g) and The Heart of Eternity, a 27.64 carat (5.528 g) heart-cut blue diamond. Pumpkin Diamond The Pumpkin Diamond is a diamond weighing 5.54 carats (1.108 g) rated in color as Fancy Vivid Orange by the Gemological Institute of America. While this may seem small when compared to other famous diamonds, the Pumpkin Diamond is, in fact, one of the largest Fancy"
"Golden Eye Diamond The Golden Eye Diamond is a flawless Fancy Intense Yellow diamond, claimed by one of its past owners to be the world's largest of its cut and color. It is believed to come from the Kimberley area of South Africa. Tom Moses, a senior vice president with the Gemological Institute of America, agrees that it came from South Africa, but it has not been able to be determined the mine of origin. Upon the arrest of Ohio businessmen Paul Monea and Mickey Miller, its actual ownership was unclear. The Federal Bureau of Investigation seized the diamond following"
"Francs, equivalent to around £225,300 (equivalent to £ in ), at the time. It was last seen in public at the vault of the Natural History Museum London, 8 July 2005 – 26 February 2006. A reproduction of the uncut and cut diamond is still on show there. Star of South Africa (diamond) The Star of South Africa, also known as the ""Dudley Diamond"", is a white diamond found by a Griqua shepherd boy in 1869 on the banks of the Orange River. The original stone, before cutting, weighed . The finding of this large diamond spurred the rush by"
"Star of Sierra Leone The Star of Sierra Leone diamond was discovered by miners on February 14, 1972 in the Diminco alluvial mines in the Koidu area of Sierra Leone. It ranks as the fourth-largest gem-quality diamond and the largest alluvial diamond ever discovered. On October 3, 1972, Sierra Leone's then-President, Siaka Stevens, announced that Harry Winston, the New York City jeweller, had purchased the Star of Sierra Leone for under $2.5 million. The stone was initially cut into an emerald shaped stone weighing but was later re-cut due to an internal flaw, eventually resulting in 17 separate finished diamonds,"