The Cullinan was split into nine major stones and 97 smaller ones. The two biggest are celebrities. Let’s meet them.
Cullinan I is the Star of Africa. It’s 530 carats and sits in the British Royal Scepter. It’s the largest clear-cut diamond in the world. The Queen holds it during coronations.
Cullinan II is the second-star. It’s 317 carats. It sits in the Imperial State Crown. It’s the one you see in all those royal photos.
Together, they’re worth billions. But they aren’t for sale. They’re locked in the Tower of London. You can visit, but no touching.
A Quirky Detail: The Uncut Lump
Here’s a fun fact. The Cullinan was not a perfect crystal. It had a flat, smooth side. That side was actually a cleavage surface. It was part of a much larger, unknown diamond.
So the biggest diamond we found? It’s likely a chip off a bigger block. That unseen giant is probably still underground. It’s like finding a Lego brick and knowing there’s a castle somewhere.
