More and more people in South Africa are calling for the world’s largest known clear-cut diamond – a 530.4 carat gem known as the Great Star of Africa or Cullinan I – to be returned to its rightful home following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, according to a report in CNN.
The gem, cut from a 3,106.75-carat rough unearthed at the Premier No.2 mine in Cullinan, South Africa, in 1905, is currently mounted in the Imperial State Crown. According to the report, “more than 6,000 people have signed a petition asking for the Great Star of Africa to be returned and displayed in a South African museum.”
Demands for the return of other diamonds have intensified since Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8. She owned some of the rarest, most expensive and extraordinary jewels in the world. The queen’s jewels – a collection that, unlike the Crown Jewels, is not owned by the state but is the personal property of the reigning monarch – dates back to the 16th century and can be rivaled by few diamond collections in the world.
One of the most famous stones held by the British crown is the Koh-i-Noor diamond – a fabulous 105-carat oval-shaped brilliant stone. At different times, India, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan have all demanded its return from the UK. Now, mere days after Queen Elizabeth II’s demise, many Twitter users in India are demanding its return.
