Legendary & Crown Jewel Diamonds
Ten diamonds whose stories intertwine with empires, revolution, and centuries of human ambition — from the cursed Hope Diamond to the largest faceted diamond on Earth.
The Hope Diamond — 45.52 Carats
The most famous diamond in the world owes its celebrity not to its size but to its mythology. The Hope's deep blue color — caused by trace boron, the hallmark of Type IIb diamonds — is complemented by a haunting red phosphorescence under ultraviolet light. Believed to have originated in the Golconda mines of India, it was likely cut from the 112-carat Tavernier Blue, sold to Louis XIV of France in 1668.
After disappearing during the French Revolution, it resurfaced in London in 1812 and passed through the hands of the Hope family, Evalyn Walsh McLean, and Harry Winston — who donated it to the Smithsonian in 1958, famously mailing it via registered post for $2.44 in postage. The so-called "curse" was most likely invented to boost press coverage and sales appeal. Today it anchors the National Gem Collection and remains one of the Smithsonian's most visited objects.
The Hope Diamond · 45.52 ct
The Koh-i-Noor — 105.6 Carats
No diamond carries more political weight. The Koh-i-Noor — "Mountain of Light" in Persian — originated in the Golconda mines and has been documented since the 1740s, when Nader Shah looted it from the Mughal Peacock Throne during his invasion of Delhi. It passed through Afghan and Sikh rulers before being claimed by the British East India Company during the 1849 annexation of Punjab.
Prince Albert had it recut from 186 carats to 105.6 by Coster Diamonds. It has adorned the crowns of Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Notably absent from Queen Camilla's crown at the 2023 coronation, its exclusion reflected growing pressure from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran — each of which has claimed ownership. As a Type IIa "superdeep" diamond, it also holds extraordinary scientific significance.
The Koh-i-Noor · 105.6 ct
The Cullinan Diamond — 3,106.75 Carats (Rough)
Discovered in 1905 at the Premier Mine in South Africa, the Cullinan is the largest gem-quality diamond ever unearthed. The Transvaal government purchased the rough and presented it to King Edward VII, who entrusted the Asscher Brothers of Amsterdam with cutting it. Legend holds that the master cleaver's blade broke on the first attempt — the stone split perfectly on the second.
It yielded nine major stones and 96 smaller brilliants. Cullinan I — the Great Star of Africa at 530.2 carats — sits in the Sovereign's Sceptre. Cullinan II at 317.4 carats is set in the Imperial State Crown. Both remain the two largest polished clear diamonds in the world.
The nine major Cullinan stones
"The master cleaver placed his blade, struck it, and the blade broke — leaving the stone untouched. On the second attempt, the Cullinan split perfectly."— The Asscher Brothers, Amsterdam, 1908
The Golden Jubilee — 545.67 Carats
At 545.67 carats, the Golden Jubilee surpasses even the Cullinan I as the largest faceted diamond on Earth. Discovered in 1985 at the Premier Mine, the rough weighed 755.5 carats and was initially known as the "Unnamed Brown." De Beers commissioned Gabi Tolkowsky to cut it — primarily as a test run for techniques later used on the Centenary.
Tolkowsky spent two years in a vibration-free underground chamber, producing a spectacular 148-facet "Fire Rose Cushion Cut." After blessings from Pope John Paul II, the Supreme Buddhist Patriarch, and the Supreme Muslim Imam of Thailand, it was presented to King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 2000.
The Golden Jubilee · 545.67 ct
The Regent Diamond — 140.64 Carats
Often called the most beautiful diamond in the world. Discovered around 1698 in India's Kollur Mine, the 410-carat rough was acquired by British Governor Thomas Pitt and sold to Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, in 1717. It adorned Louis XV's coronation crown, graced Marie Antoinette, and was set into Napoleon's ceremonial sword. It vanished during the 1792 Crown Jewels theft but was recovered in an attic. Today it sits in the Galerie d'Apollon at the Louvre Museum.
The Regent Diamond · 140.64 ct
The Dresden Green — 41.0 Carats
The largest and most famous naturally green diamond in the world. Its color was caused by natural radiation exposure over millions of years — an entirely different mechanism than blues or pinks. Acquired by Augustus III of Poland in 1742 and set in a hat ornament with 400 smaller diamonds, it has resided in Dresden's Green Vault for nearly three centuries. It survived the brazen 2019 Green Vault jewelry heist entirely untouched.
The Dresden Green Diamond
The Dresden Green, hat ornament setting
The Sancy Diamond — 55.23 Carats
The Sancy possesses one of the longest documented ownership chains of any diamond. Its unusual shield-shaped double rose cut — with no pavilion — predates modern brilliants by centuries. First owned by Charles the Bold (lost on a battlefield in 1477), it passed through French kings, Russian nobles, and the Astor family before France purchased it in 1978 for the Louvre collection.
The Sancy Diamond · 55.23 ct
The Centenary Diamond — 273.85 Carats
The largest modern-cut, top-color, flawless diamond in the world. Gabi Tolkowsky spent over three years in an underground chamber transforming the 599-carat rough into a 273.85-carat modified heart with 247 facets. The GIA graded it D-color, Internally and Externally Flawless. Its current whereabouts remain one of the diamond world's great mysteries.
The Centenary Diamond · 273.85 ct
The Taylor-Burton Diamond — 69.42 Carats
No diamond has captured Hollywood glamour quite like the Taylor-Burton. Cut by Harry Winston, the 69.42-carat pear was purchased by Cartier in 1969 for $1.05 million — then acquired the following day by Richard Burton for Elizabeth Taylor. She first wore it at Princess Grace of Monaco's 40th birthday party. After her separation from Burton, Taylor sold it in 1978, reportedly to fund a hospital in Botswana.
The Taylor-Burton Diamond · 69.42 ct
The De Beers Millennium Star — 203.04 Carats
The second-largest faceted D-Flawless diamond in the world. The 777-carat rough from the Congo required over three years of round-the-clock cutting. Displayed at London's Millennium Dome in 2000, it survived one of Britain's most audacious heist attempts — a gang armed with a bulldozer, nail guns, and smoke grenades was foiled by undercover police who had infiltrated the operation months earlier.
The De Beers Millennium Star · 203.04 ct
"Every authenticated Golconda diamond is a permanently finite asset. The mines have been exhausted for centuries — no more will ever be found."— Brian Gavin
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