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52 A Book of Precious Stones
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diamond
fell in two parts, divided exactly as the expert had planned. The two
parts weighed, respectively, 1040-1/2 carats and 1977-1/2 carats. The
larger piece was successfully divided late in February, after which the
grinding and polishing continued until November. The London Times on November 10, 1908, published the first authentic description of the finished Culli-nan Diamonds as follows:
In
the original state the Cullinan Diamond weighed 3253-3/4 English
carats, or over 1 1/3 pounds avoirdupois. It is now divided as follows:
(1) a pendeloque or drop brilliant, weighing 516-1/2 carats,
dimensions, 2.322 inches long and 1.791 inches broad; (2) a square
brilliant, weighing 309 3/18 carats, 1.771 inches long by 1.594 broad;
(3) a pendeloque, weighing 92 carats; (4) a square brilliant, 62
carats; (5) a heart-shaped brilliant, 18-3/8 carats; (6) a marquise
brilliant, 11-1/4 carats; (7) a marquise brilliant, 8 9/16 carats; (8)
a square brilliant, 6-5/8 carats; (9) a pendeloque, 4 9/32 carats; (10)
96 brilliants, weighing 7-3/8 carats; and (11) a quantity of unpolished
"ends," weighing 9 carats.
The
first and second of these stones are by far the largest in existence.
Even the second is much bigger than the largest previously known
brilliant, viz., the Jubilee, weighing 239 carats, while beside either
of them so famous a jewel as the Kohinoor sinks into comparative
insignificance, since its
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