World Famous Diamonds in Arizona

The most famous diamonds in the world are endlessly fascinating. Here are a few of the biggest diamonds and best stories.

The Earth Star

The Earth Star diamond is from the Jagersfontein Mine in 1967. At the time it was the largest faceted brown diamond ever discovered. The Earth Star was cut from a raw stone of about 248.9 carats into a pear shaped stone weighing 111.59 carats. The brown diamond has a degree of brilliance that is rarely found in gems with a very strong color. In 1983 it was sold to Stephen Zbova of Naples for $900,000.

Eureka Diamond

The Eureka Diamond is famous because it was the first stone found in South Africa. South Africa was for a time the world’s leading diamond producer. Although the Eureka gem is not exceptional, it is historically significant. A shepherd boy found it in 1866 on the bank of the Orange River near Hopetown. The gem was passed around to several different people before someone realized it was a diamond. Dr. W. G. Atherstone of Grahamstone was one of the only men in the Cape to know about gemstones. The Eureka Diamond was cut into a 21.25 brownish yellow diamond and sold in 1867.

Excelsior Diamond

The Excelsior Diamonds is one of the great lost diamonds of history. A worker found it in a shovel full of gravel at the Jagersfontein mine. Although he was required to give it to the overseer, the worker hid it in his pocket and turned it over to the Mine Manager instead. Unfortunately the same day a consortium of London diamond firms saw their rights to the mine expire, and no buyer could be found for this 995.2 carat diamond. The Excelsior Diamond is the second largest rough diamond of gem quality ever discovered, only surpassed by the Cullinan Diamond. Without a buyer, the diamond was cut into several smaller stones, with the largest weighing only 69.68 carats. Former General Manager of the De Beers Company Alpheus F. Williams said that the decision to cut the diamond into smaller stones was the most significant tragedy in the history of great diamonds.

Florentine Diamond – Cubic Zirconium replication

The Florentine Diamond is another diamond that is lost to history. It was a 137.27 carat diamond with light yellow and green overtones. It disappeared in 1921 and only black and white photos exist. According to Legend, Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, wore the diamond into battle in 1467, when it was lost. It is claimed the diamond was then found on the body by a foot soldier who mistakenly thought the diamond was glass. The rumor is that it was once owned by Pope Julius II, The Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1657, and later as part of the Hapsburg Crown Jewels. It is claimed that the diamond was re-cut into an 80 carat round diamond that was sold in 1981, with its present location unknown.

The Golden Jubilee

The Golden Jubilee is at present considered the largest faceted diamond in the world at 545.67 carts. It is also considered the first rose cut diamond. Its color is a unique fancy yellow-brown that made it one of the most beautiful diamonds ever uncovered. The Golden Jubilee stone was given to the King of Thailand in 1997 for his 50th anniversary of his coronation.

To learn more about diamonds, stop by one of our 9 Arizona pawn shop locations today!

Published By:

Private Pawn – Robert Johnson