1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,000 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:15,480 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello and welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,119 Speaker 1: a show that digs deep into history to find a 4 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:24,240 Speaker 1: new gym every day. I'm Gay Bluesier and in this episode, 5 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: we're talking about the biggest, most sparkly diamond ever found, 6 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 1: including how it was transformed into a set of jewelry 7 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:46,520 Speaker 1: fit for a queen. The day was January nine o five. 8 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:51,839 Speaker 1: A three thousand, one hundred and six carrot diamond was 9 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 1: discovered at the Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Africa. It 10 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 1: was found just eighteen feet below the earth. Sir, this 11 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: during a routine inspection by the MIND Superintendent Frederick G. 12 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 1: S Wells. According to legend, the uncut stone was so 13 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 1: ridiculously huge that Wells initially mistook it for common crystal 14 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 1: and considered discarding it. Fortunately, he decided to take a 15 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 1: second look and quickly realized that it was indeed a 16 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 1: genuine diamond. In fact, it was the largest diamond ever found, 17 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 1: a record that still stands to this day. Once Wells 18 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:37,560 Speaker 1: had decided against trashing the world's biggest diamond, he presented 19 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:41,039 Speaker 1: it to the Mind's chairman, Sir Thomas Cullenan and was 20 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: awarded a ten thousand dollar bonus for his discovery. From 21 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 1: then on it was known as the cullen And Diamond 22 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 1: in honor of the owner of the mine. The enormous 23 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: uncut stone measured just under four inches in length and 24 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 1: two and a half inches in width. It weighed a 25 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 1: little over one pound and five ounces, and was noted 26 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: for its exceptional clarity as well as its unique blue 27 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:10,119 Speaker 1: white color. The stone was first put on public display 28 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:14,480 Speaker 1: in the Standard Bank of Johannesburg, where visitors compared it 29 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: to an oversized lump of barley sugar, albeit an incredibly 30 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: expensive one. Several months after the discovery, the mind's owners 31 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:27,200 Speaker 1: decided to send the cullon And Diamond to London in 32 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 1: hopes of finding a buyer. Of course, transporting such a 33 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 1: high profile precious stone was a risky prospect, so in 34 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: order to deter would be thieves, the premier mine company 35 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 1: staged in elaborate ruse. They told the press that the 36 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 1: diamond was being taken to London aboard an armored steamship 37 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 1: and would be watched by an armed guard for the 38 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:54,839 Speaker 1: duration of the voyage. However, the diamond aboard the steamship 39 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:59,400 Speaker 1: was actually a decoy. The real culon and diamond had 40 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 1: simply been sent by registered mail. The owners wrapped the 41 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 1: priceless stone in an unassuming package, slapped on a three 42 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 1: shilling postage stamp, and crossed their fingers that it wouldn't 43 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 1: get lost in the mail. To their immense relief, the 44 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: diamond arrived safely in London, but finding a buyer proved 45 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 1: more difficult than expected. The stone was still in its 46 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 1: rough state, and many potential buyers were put off by 47 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:31,679 Speaker 1: the responsibility and difficulty of cutting and cleaning such a 48 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 1: massive rock. After two years on the market, the stone 49 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 1: remained unsold. When it was clear that no private buyer 50 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 1: was interested, the diamond was finally purchased by the Transval 51 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 1: government for one hundred and fifty thousand pounds the equivalent 52 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: of over eighteen million pounds or twenty one million dollars today. 53 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 1: Transval is now a province of South Africa, but at 54 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: the time it was still a British colony, the very 55 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 1: one in which the colon and diamond had been discovered. 56 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 1: Once the government took possession of the diamond, the Prime 57 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 1: Minister decided to give it to King Edward, the seventh 58 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 1: of England as a present for his sixty six the birthday. 59 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 1: It was intended as a kind of peace offering between 60 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:23,599 Speaker 1: Britain and South Africa following the recent conclusion of the 61 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: Second Boer War between the two nations. King Edward was 62 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 1: reluctant to accept such an extravagant gift, but he was 63 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:36,320 Speaker 1: eventually persuaded to accept it by his colonial under secretary, 64 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: Winston Churchill. The diamond was escorted by police to Sandringham 65 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:45,159 Speaker 1: House in Norfolk, where it was presented to the King 66 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 1: on his birthday November nine, nine seven. Early the next year, 67 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 1: King Edward decided it was finally time to cut the 68 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 1: rough diamond into a series of brilliant gemstones. There was 69 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 1: no one better suited for the con siderable challenge than 70 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 1: the renowned Asher Brothers of Amsterdam, the leading diamond cutters 71 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:11,040 Speaker 1: of the early twentieth century. Once again, some crafty subterfuge 72 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 1: was used to transport the diamond safely. The Royal Navy 73 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 1: pretended to ferry the stone across the North Sea, when 74 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:23,599 Speaker 1: in reality Abraham Asher simply took a train from London 75 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: to Amsterdam while carrying the diamond in his coat pocket 76 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:32,239 Speaker 1: When it arrived at the jeweler studio, experts spent several 77 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 1: weeks considering the best approach for cutting it. The groove 78 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 1: for the first cut took four days to prepare, and 79 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 1: when Joseph Asher attempted to make it, the steel cleaving 80 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 1: knife broke on the very first blow. A second attempt 81 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: was made on February tenth, and this time Asher managed 82 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 1: to split the stone in two, though when he did 83 00:05:57,160 --> 00:06:02,279 Speaker 1: so he reportedly fainted from nervous exhaustion. Over the next 84 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 1: eight months, a three man team of specialists worked for 85 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: fourteen hours a day to cut out and polish nine 86 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 1: large gemstones from the original diamond. Known more for their 87 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 1: technical skill than their creativity, the Ashers assigned each stone 88 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 1: the name of culon In plus a Roman numeral from 89 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 1: one to nine. The largest of the stones, culon In 90 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:31,039 Speaker 1: one and two, were formally presented to King Edward on 91 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:35,520 Speaker 1: November twenty one, eight just a little over a year 92 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 1: after he had first received the original diamond. The larger 93 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:43,040 Speaker 1: of the two, culon In one, is nicknamed the Star 94 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 1: of Africa. At five hundred and thirty carrots, it's the 95 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 1: largest colorless cut diamond in the world, and was later 96 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: fitted in the Royal Scepter of the British Crown Jewels. 97 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:59,159 Speaker 1: The second largest stone, culin in two, is known as 98 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:02,920 Speaker 1: the second or Lesser Star of Africa and comes in 99 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 1: at a hefty three hundred and seventeen carrots. It was 100 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 1: later said in the Imperial State Crown, which is still 101 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 1: used at the coronations of British monarchs. Both the crown 102 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 1: and the scepter are now on public display in the 103 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 1: Jewel House inside the Waterloo Barracks of the Tower of London. 104 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 1: As for the other seven Cullinan diamonds, Edward the seventh 105 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:31,040 Speaker 1: initially took only two of them. The other five were 106 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 1: given to the Ashers as a fee for cutting the 107 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 1: original rough stone. In addition, the jewelers were also allowed 108 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:42,760 Speaker 1: to keep another nineties six smaller diamonds which were cut 109 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 1: from the original cullon in peace, as well as nine 110 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 1: carrots worth of unpolished fragments. Not a bad haul for 111 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:55,680 Speaker 1: eight months work. Eventually, the South African government reacquired the 112 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:59,400 Speaker 1: five large stones left with the Ashers and presented them 113 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:02,640 Speaker 1: to Queen Mary in nineteen ten. Has a way to 114 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:05,880 Speaker 1: mark the formation of the Union of South Africa that 115 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 1: same year. That means that all nine culin and diamonds 116 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:14,600 Speaker 1: are back under British ownership. Culling In one and two 117 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:17,360 Speaker 1: remain in the Tower of London when not in use, 118 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 1: but the other seven culling In three through nine are 119 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: part of the personal jewelry collection of Queen Elizabeth the Second, 120 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:29,239 Speaker 1: who inherited them from Queen Mary in nineteen fifty three. 121 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:32,840 Speaker 1: Of course, if jewelry is not your thing, you can 122 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:36,679 Speaker 1: always visit the Cape Town Diamond Museum in South Africa. 123 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:40,560 Speaker 1: They have a life size replica of the uncut culling 124 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 1: and diamond, and some would say it's just as impressive 125 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:48,360 Speaker 1: as any fancy crown or scepter, although if you get 126 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 1: there and find that you don't agree, try to keep 127 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 1: it to yourself. No need to be rude. I'm Gabe 128 00:08:56,679 --> 00:09:00,319 Speaker 1: Lousier and hopefully you now know a little more about 129 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:04,320 Speaker 1: history today than you did yesterday. If you'd like to 130 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:07,200 Speaker 1: keep up with the show, you can follow us on Twitter, 131 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 1: Facebook and Instagram at t d i HC Show and 132 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:15,080 Speaker 1: if you have any comments or suggestions you can always 133 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:17,920 Speaker 1: send them my way at this day at I heart 134 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 1: media dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays for producing the show, 135 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 1: and thank you for listening. I'll see you back here 136 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:36,600 Speaker 1: again tomorrow for another day in history class. For more 137 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 1: podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, 138 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.