Jubilee Diamond
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(June 2010) |
 The Jubilee Diamond | |
| Weight | 245.35carats(49.070 g) |
|---|---|
| Color | E-grade colourless |
| Cut | Cushion |
| Country of origin | South Africa |
| Mine of origin | Jagersfontein Mine |
| Discovered | 1895 |
| Cut by | M.B. Barends |
| Original owner | Wernher, Beit & Co.; Barnato Bros.; Mosenthal Sons & Co. (consortium) |
| Owner | RobertMouawad |
TheJubilee Diamond,originally known as theReitz Diamondis a colourless, cushion-shapeddiamondweighing 245.35carats(49.07grams), making it the sixth largestdiamondin the world.[1]It was originally named afterFrancis William Reitz,the then president of theOrange Free Statewhere the stone was discovered, before being renamed to honour the 60th anniversary of the coronation ofQueen Victoriain 1897.
The original stone, a rough octahedron weighing 650.80 carats (130.16 g), was discovered in 1895 at theJagersfontein MineinSouth Africa.[1]A consortium of diamond merchants fromLondonpurchased it along with its even larger sister, theExcelsior,in 1896, and sent it to Amsterdam where it was polished by M.B. Barends. A 40 carat (8 g) chunk was removed, which itself yielded a 13.34 carat (2.668 g) pear-shaped gem eventually purchased byCarlos I of Portugal.
Dorabji Tataacquired the Jubilee Diamond around 1900 and gave it to his wife Meherbai who used to wear it during her visits to the royal courts and public functions.[1]The Jubilee Diamond was the largest in the world until 1905 when a bigger diamond, the Cullinan I also known as the Great Star of Africa which was itself cut from an even larger rough diamond -The Cullinan Diamond,was exhibited. It was sold after his death in 1932, and the money went to the formation of theSir Dorabji Tata Trust.[2]
See also
[edit]Further reading
[edit]- Shipley, Robert (1935).Famous Diamonds of the World,pp. 10–11.Gemological Institute of America,USA, Vol. 1, No. 9 (May-June)
References
[edit]- "The Jubilee",Famous, Historic and Notable Diamonds
- ^abcSom, Rituparna (2023-08-24)."Stronger Than Steel: How A Diamond Saved Tata Steel".Only Natural Diamonds.Retrieved2024-07-01.
- ^The Sir Dorabji Tata Trust – A Historical PerspectiveArchived2010-07-29 at theWayback Machine,Sir Dorabji Tata Trust website