Cullinan – the largest and purest of the famous historical diamonds. Diamond was found on January 26 1905 in a mine in the Premier Mine Pretoria by a guard Frederick Wells.

Originally he had dimensions 10x6x5 cm and weighed 3106 carats (621.2 grams). He was probably even more – points to his original form: irregular octahedron with an apparent plane chipped. The name of Cullinan was given the name of the company’s director of English diamond Thomas Cullinane.

The mineral was purchased by the government of the Transvaal for the equivalent of 150 000 pounds and donated in 1907 years the King Edward VII on his 66th birthday. Cullinan came to London to normal by post, in a modest package with a stamp. To divert attention from the real diamond, the police held a noisy staging taking place on board the royal ship, on which the sealed box was to be carried on the diamond.

At the Amsterdam firm command of the king divided the Asscher brothers and his polished stone. 10 February 1908, Joseph Asscher cut has a master, by which the body was obtained nine large stones and 96 smaller ones.

Obtained in the 1908 year the two largest diamond stones: Cullinan I and II Culllinan King Edward VII had to put in the vault crown in the Tower of London. In 1937 year it mounted into the insignia of the British state.

Asscher Brothers received the title from the king to pay 102 out of 105 stones. In the 1910’s small stones bought Prime Union of South Africa, Louis Botha, who donated two of them: the Princess of Wales, and Queen Mary of England, Alexander.

The Cullinan diamond was obtained 105 diamonds (9 major and 96 minor) weighing 1,063.65 carats, 34.25%; they represent the initial weight loss and 65%.

The largest diamonds Cullinan is:

• Cullinan I (Great Star of Africa) – 530.2 carats – is cut in the shape of the drops and is the largest colorless diamond ground in the world. Adorns the British royal scepter.
• Cullinan II (Little Star of Africa) – 317.4 carats – is an old cut diamond. Is placed in the crown of the British state.
• Cullinan III – 94.4 carats – is cut in the shape of the drops. It must be placed in the crown of Queen Mary.
• Cullinan IV – 63.6 carat,
• Cullinan V – 18.5 carat,
• Cullinan VI – 11.5 carat,
• Cullinan VII – 8.8 carat,
• Cullinan VIII – 6.8 carat,
• Cullinan IX – 4.39 carat.