Star of Africa (Cullinan 1) This is the largest diamond in the world, at 530.20 carats. It is now in the Royal Scepter in the Tower of London. This diamond was cut from the 3,106-carat Cullinan—the largest diamond ever found.
Kah-i-Nur: (Mountain of Light) This diamond has the oldest recorded history, since 1304. Originally, the legend is that the Mogul emperors possessed this diamond, but upon the breakup of the Mogul empire, the diamond made its way into India, and thence to Afghanistan, where it traveled back to India. There, the East India Company took it and presented it to Queen Victoria.
Hope Diamond: This diamond is ironically named after 1830 purchaser Henry Thomas Hope. It is thought to be a part of the Blue Tavernier Diamond found in 1692. The Hope diamond was purchased by King Louis XIV of France (whose sad history many of us know). Stolen during the French Revolution, it surfaced in 1830 when Hope bought it. Hope’s son lost his fortune after inheriting the diamond, and it was sold to an American widow, Mrs. Edward McLean. After the purchase, her child was killed, her family broke up, the widow became destitute, and then committed suicide. When it came up for auction, potential buyers wouldn’t touch the diamond. It now resides in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington.
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