The Wealth of Diamonds

One of the largest diamonds known (weight 367 carats) was found in Borneo about a century ago and it now belongs to the rajah of Mattan. One of the most celebrated is the Koh-i-noor (Mountain of Light), belongiong to the British crown. It weighed originally nearly 800 carats, but by subsequent re-cuttings it has been reduced to 103 plus carats. The Orloff diamond, belonging to the emperor of Russia weighs 195 carats; the Pitt diamond, among the French crown jewels, weighs 136 carats. The former, which came from India, has been thought to have come from the Koh-i-noor stone. Some of the South African diamonds are also very large, one of them of inferior color weighing 428 carats. In 1905, the largest diamond yet discovered was found in the Premier mine in Transvaal Colony. It weighed in the rough about 3000 carats, and when cut will probably weigh 1200 to 1500 carats. It is known as the Cullianan diamond.