On the morning of her passing at the age of 96, the Twitter account @Africa Archives noted that Queen Elizabeth II was the proud owner of the Great Star of Africa, the largest clear-cut diamond in the world. In 1905, a mine in South Africa produced the 530-carat diamond. Everything began with a theft in South Africa. Its value is estimated to be $400 million or more.
A second tweet expanded on the topic, saying that although the British assert that it was given to them as a sign of friendship and peace, it actually happened during colonization. The mine's chairman, Thomas Cullinan, was honored as the Great Star of Africa's new name by the British.
This essay explores the history of this diamond, tracing its discovery, acquisition, transfer, and subsequent legal conflict.
Cullinan's Diamond
A 3.106-carat diamond was taken from South Africa's Premier Mine on January 26, 1905, in the Transvaal region. The mine's chairman, Thomas Cullinan, is credited with coming up with the name. Nigel Helme's 1974 biography states that the diamond billionaire Cullinan was born in South Africa.
The uncut Cullinan diamond was "purchased by the [local] Transvaal government and was presented [in 1907] to the reigning British monarch, King Edward VII" at that time, according to Britannica.com and Cullinan-Diamond.com. 150,000 GBP is said to have been the purchase price. "Officially delivered to King Edward VII on November 9, 1907," claims Helme's biography of Cullinan.
The diamond was divided in 1908 by Asscher's of Amsterdam into 91 smaller and nine larger pieces. The complete stone collection is now a part of the recognized British regalia, according to Britannica.com
Great African Star
To create the largest stone possible, the Great Star of Africa was cut from the Cullinan diamond. 530.2 carats is the weight of the largest diamond of gem quality ever discovered. It is referred to by a number of historical reports under a variety of names, including Cullinan I, First Star of Africa, and Star of Africa. It's unknown when these labels first started to emerge.
The queen was the rightful owner of the Great Star of Africa. The diamond is currently kept in the Sovereign's Sceptre, also known as the Imperial or Royal Sceptre and one of the United Kingdom's crown jewels.
Was That Diamond Really "Steal'd"?
However, there must be some background for the myth of the "stolen" Great Star of Africa. There have been rumors that the Transvaal government of South Africa bought the original diamond and gave it to the British kings in the past. The Birmingham Post published an article in 1995 describing the incident and including a response from Buckingham Palace.
Source: https://youtu.be/3pNql9JgmFg
https://www.snopes.com/news/2022/09/08/queen-diamond-south-africa/
Content created and supplied by: FaithMakaa (via Opera News )
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