 |
•The above photo shows the relative sizes of the 9 major stones cut from the CULLINAN
DIAMOND. The diamond yielded a further 96 small round brilliant cuts in addition.
• CULLINAN I and CULLINAN II are in the British Crown Jewels and were used for the coronation of
King George V on 22 June 1911. They are used by the Sovereign in the annual opening of the British
parliament.
• CULLINAN I weighs 530.2 carats, known as the Great Star of Africa, is set in the Imperial Sceptre, and is on permanent display in the Tower of London.
• CULLINAN II weighs 317.4 carats, known as the Lesser Star of Africa, is in the Imperial state Crown and on permanent
display in the Tower of London.
• CULLINAN III and CULLINAN IV at 94.4 carats and 63.6 carats, respectively, are occasionally worn
together in a single brooch by Queen Elizabeth II (see photo) and are affectionately known as “Granny’s Chips”.
• Above is a photograph of Queen Elizabeth II wearing Cullinan III and Cullinan IV
in a brooch,
affectionately known as “Granny’s Chips”.
• Above is a photo of Queen Elizabeth II wearing
a brooch with Cullinan V in the centre.
• Above is a photo of Queen Alexandra wearing both CULLINAN I and CULLINAN II together in a
brooch, as well as CULLINAN III and CULLINAN IV together in a brooch.
• 2003 saw the centenary of the discovery of the Cullinan mine by Sir Thomas Major Cullinan.
• As a token of respect, the South African mint produced a limited collection of 500 1oz Kruger Rands
with a special Silver medallion to commemorate the Centenary of the Cullinan Mine.
• In this photograph, you can see the Silver medallion in commemoration, in addition to the actual
inscription on the Kruger Rand with Cullinan and a diamond marked just above the year ’03’ on the
right hand side of the coin. The box on the right is numbered 021 out of 500.
• On 12th May 1980 to mark the opening in Johannesburg of the World Congress of the World
Federation of Diamond Bourses and the International Diamond Manufacturers Association, South
Africa issued a first day cover of Stamps showing:
• Cullinan I (530.2 carats), a Pear Shaped diamond portrayed with its 74 facets, on the 20c stamp.
Cullinan I is now mounted in the British Sovereign’s royal sceptre, now on display as part of the
Crown Jewels in the Tower of London; and
• Cullinan II (317.4 carats), a Cushion Shaped diamond with its 66 facets, on the 15c stamp. Cullinan II
is mounted in the band of the Imperial State Crown, likewise on display in the Tower of London as
part of the Crown Jewels.
• You can see the destiny of these stones and read about how they came to be in the Crown Jewels of
Great Britain in other pages on this website.
<<PREVIOUS
NEXT >>
|
