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Cullinan

The Cullinan or Cullinan diamond is the largest diamond ever found. This particular stone was found in 1905 in the Premier Mine near Pretoria in South Africa. The Cullinan has 3106.75 carats. The finder of this unique diamond, Frederick Wells, received $10,000 for his find, while the stone itself was named after the mine owner Sir Thomas Cullinan. The diamond came into the possession of the English Crown in 1907, when South African Prime Minister Louis Botha proposed to give this rough diamond to the British King. The colonial parliament bought the diamond and made it a gift to King Edward VII. Subsequently, the rough diamond was given to the Dutch cutter Joseph Asscher, who split it into 105 individual diamonds in 1908. The nine largest parts of this splitting are still part of the British crown jewels and are kept in the Tower of London. The largest Cullinan stone weighs 530.2 carats and bears the name "The Great Star of Africa". It has a pear-shaped cut and is worked into the royal sceptre. However, it can be removed from this border and can also be worn as a brooch, needle or pendant. The Cullinan II is in the royal crown; Cullinan III was processed in the crown of Queen Mary, together with Cullinan IV. They can also be worn as brooches.