The largest diamond ever found on Earth

The diamond, dubbed “Cullinan“, was found on January 26, 1905, in the Gauteng province in the Premier Mine.

The weight of this huge stone was an impressive, 3106 carats, making it the largest rough diamond ever discovered.

The Cullinan diamond was discovered by mine manager Frederick Wells during a routine inspection of the mine.

Legend has it that Wells happened to see a large stone sticking out of the mine wall and pulled it out of the sand, not realizing its exceptional value at first.

The crystal’s stunning size and purity quickly made it a worldwide sensation.

Soon after being found, the Cullinan was purchased by the South African government, who decided to gift it to King Edward VII as a gesture of reconciliation after the Boer Wars.

An ingenious strategy was used to transport the diamond to Britain: the authentic stone was sent by ordinary mail without any security.

“The Cullinan is not only a symbol of wealth and luxury, but also plays an important role in a cultural and historical context.

It is part of the coronation regalia and is used at important royal events such as coronations and other official ceremonies.

Its presence in the royal symbols of Britain is a reminder of the deep historical ties between South Africa and Britain.