507-Carat White Diamond Is A Girl’s Best Friend By Joan

Now that’s some serious bling. A spokesman for Petra Diamond’s had this to say about the stone, which weighs over 100 grams:

“Initial examinations indicate that it is of exceptional color and clarity, and most likely to be a Type I diamond.”

What’s even more amazing is that around the turn of the 20th century the same mine yielded one of the gems that became part of the British crown jewels. That stone, named the Cullinan Diamond, was over SIX TIMES the size of this one, weighing in at a ridiculous 3,106 carats unpolished! I’m sure King Edward VII had a silly grin on his face while accepting that one.

The company behind the find has been buying up old African mines from De Beers in a cost-effective plan to stay afloat amid a major drop in demand that has rocked the industry. Ironically, De Beers seemed to think the mine was no longer worth operating.

The famous Cullinan mine is just one of many they have purchased, and so far it has paid off: earlier this year a blue diamond worth nearly $10 million was unearthed at the site.

The 507 carat white diamond, found along with three other biggies, is only one of many world famous stones discovered at the mine. Here are a few others:

–The Centenary diamond (599 carats rough)
–The Golden Jubilee diamond (545 carats polished)
–The Cullinan Diamond (3,106 carats rough)