The Most Famous Diamonds, Pt. 3

The Arkansas

Discovered on a farm near Searcy, Arkansas in 1926, this is the third largest diamond ever found in the United States. Bought by Tiffany & Co. for $8,500, the rough is now valued at over $110,000 and is on display in their Fifth Avenue store, New York City.

The STAR OF INDEPENDENCE
204 carats

In 1975, Harry Winston purchased an extraordinary piece of rough diamond weighing a remarkable 204 carats. The rough was cut into a 75.52-carat pear-shaped D-flawless diamond. In honor of the American Bicentennial, Ronald Winston christened the stone "The Star of Independence."

The JUBILEE
245.33 carats

Many gemologists believe the Jubilee is the most perfectly cut of all large diamonds. Its facets are so exact that it can be balanced on the culet point, which is less than two millimeters across. You can see this majestic diamond today at the DeBeers Diamond Pavilion in Johannesburg.

The OPPENHEIMER
253.7 carats (rough)

This almost perfect yellow crystal was found in the Dutoitspan Mine, Kimberly, South Africa in 1964. Harry Winston, who presented it to the Smithsonian Institution in memory of the late Sir Ernest Oppenheimer of DeBeers Consolidated Mines, acquired it.

The JONKER
726 carats

In 1934, this diamond was found in an alluvial deposit near Pretoria. This diamond is the seventh largest rough stone on record. Harry Winston purchased it in London in 1935. It was the first time that such a major stone as the Jonker diamond had ever been cleaved in the United States. For 14 months, lapidarians studied the Jonker. The largest stone fashioned weighed 142.90 carats but it was re-cut in 1937 (into 125.35 carats) to give it a more oblong outline. Eleven stones came from the rough.
Because Mr. Winston loved this stone, he refused to sell it for many years.

The STAR of SIERRA LEONE
968.80 carats

Shown in the rough above, this diamond is the third largest ever found, and weighed almost half a pound in the rough. The rough was eventually cut into seventeen exquisite individual diamonds, six of which are now set in the Star of Sierra Leone Brooch.

At 970 carats, this is the third largest rough diamond ever discovered. It was found on February 14, 1972, at the Diminco Mine in Sierra Leone.

Harry Winston purchased the Star of Sierra Leone the same year. He had it cut into 17 stones: 13 were flawless.

Originally the largest stone was 143.20 carats of fine color, but flawed. After several weeks of careful deliberation he ordered it to be re-cut.

The largest stone recovered from The Star of Sierra Leone rough was a flawless pear-shaped of 53.96 carats.

Lazare Kaplan, the famous cutter, had studied the rough for more than a year. It was cleaved in front of all American TV. From that day, every one knew about the "Sierra Leone." To commemorate the event, the President of Sierra Leone had a triangular stamp designed on which we can read:

"SIERRA LEONE - "The Star of Sierra Leone" - Harry Winston"