The Excelsior Diamond was found on June 30, 1893 at the Jagersfontein Mine by a worker while loading a truck. The man was able to hide the diamond from the supervisors but delivered it to the manager of the mine himself. Until 1905, when the larger Cullinan diamond was found, the Excelsior was the largest known diamond in the world. It had a blue-white tint and weighed 971¾ carats (194.2 g). It was ultimately cut into ten stones weighing from 13 to 68 carats. (2.6 to 13.6 g). Immediately after its discovery the news spread around the world.
The Excelsior I, the largest gem cut from the crystal, was eventually bought by jeweler Robert Mouawad.
Read more about Excelsior Diamond: The Discovery, The Rough Stone, The Cutting of The Excelsior
Famous quotes containing the word diamond:
“pulling off the fat diamond engagement ring,
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the indent of twenty-five years,
like a tiny rip leaving its mark....”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)