Could a greenish stone the size of a coconut be the world's largest diamond? The BBC reports that a shareholder in an unnamed mine in South Africa has found the stone shown here. The stone is said to be about 7,000 carats, making it around double the size of the famous Cullinan Diamond. There is some question over whether the stone is a diamond. Brett Jolly, a spokesperson for the company, has said that the stone was taken to a bank vault in Johannesburg and would undergo tests. So far the only evidence of the stone is a low resolution photo showing a stone that could be anything, another type of crystal or even glass. Not revealing where a stone of this size is found is common for security purposes. If this stone is genuine, it will be one of the most amazing finds in recent times.
UPDATE: The Telegraph reports that the stone, now dubbed the Green Giant is set to be examined by renowned gemologist, Ernest Blom, the president of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses.






Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
8-29-2007 @ 10:44PM
James Brown said...
Someone needs to proofread their posts before posting them.
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9-01-2007 @ 8:17PM
Leroy W. Thompson said...
I must admit, it is a beautiful looking stone and I wouldn't mind having the noney it could represent. But my biggest thought is, What good is a stone of that size? If it's just to be kept locked up in some vault, somewhere. I really can,t see someone with it on their finger, or around their neck. Go ahead and enlighten me.
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9-01-2007 @ 8:25PM
Phyllis Kunz said...
I am green with envy.
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9-01-2007 @ 8:25PM
Leroy W. Thompson said...
Mr. Brown.........
Thanks for the proof reading lesson. I guess my typing with one arthritic finger needs help. By the way, do you think you could respond to the intent of my comment? What constitutes the value of something that needs to always be hidden?
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9-01-2007 @ 8:42PM
Vivi said...
I for one person, wouldn't have any use for the thing. What good is it to anyone?
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9-01-2007 @ 8:51PM
Rogduckett said...
I understood the article to say it was only to be kept in a vault while it underwent further testing. If it does turn out to be a diamond, then it will probablyl be cut into thousands of 1-to-100 carat pieces for jewelry.
Rog
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9-01-2007 @ 8:53PM
sue said...
nice paperweight
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9-01-2007 @ 9:12PM
Ms J said...
Watch out Superman.. Kryptonite has been found !!!
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9-01-2007 @ 9:27PM
Al said...
Calling Liz Taylor!
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9-01-2007 @ 9:33PM
Maggie said...
It looks great, but I don't think that colored diamonds will ever go over big with those of us who are not rich and famous LOL! None of our friends would know they were diamonds!
If this does, indeed, turn out to be a green diamond the owning company could decide to keep it intact just for the uniqueness of having the largest diamond in the world.
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9-01-2007 @ 9:39PM
Bill Petrell said...
My cousin Natalie would wear it!
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9-01-2007 @ 9:44PM
rick said...
anyone want to see me naked with that diamond in my asshole?
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9-01-2007 @ 9:56PM
debbie723 said...
It represents a record and will most likely be on exhibit in a museum
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9-01-2007 @ 10:00PM
Susan Simpson said...
Mr. Leroy Thompson
I am no diamond or jewelry expert, although, typically as a woman I enjoy beautiful jewelry.
I believe the worth of the stone is mainly it's rarity, and that the ownerr can have "bragging rights" to such a unique stone. Some folks would rather have a "one of a kind", even if it's ugly, to make them feel special.
The other side of the coin (in this case stone), is that if they choose to, they can cut this mega diamond into several very valuable and large stones for individual pieces.
I hope it is real--I can see the beauty in the green.
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9-01-2007 @ 10:18PM
kerstinerben said...
Sorry Rick, but your comment was just stupid and rude.
I think that the diamond looks cool no matter what color it is. I don't think that it should be cut up, that would defeat the purpose of having the world's biggest diamond. I'd put it in a shadow box with security on it!
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9-01-2007 @ 10:26PM
Erinn said...
If the stone is indeed a diamond, it would be very unlikely that it would be cut up into smaller stones. That would devalue it. Price per carat increases with the size of the diamond, an example being that 10 stones adding up to a carat (maybe worth 2,000 dollars total)are worth nowhere near what a single one carat stone is worth (around 7,000 dollars). Also, unheated fancy colored diamonds (meaning diamonds that have not been heated to make them a fancy color) are an EXTREME rarity in any size, especially colors like red, GREEN and purple (yellow and brown are exceptions, not terribly rare in the colored diamond world). Most rare, fancy colored diamonds are rather small. So if indeed this is a green diamond with good color and clarity combined with it's extroidanary size, cutting it up would be a huge mistake. Likely, they will either just leave it in it's natural form and polish it only, or they will cut it into the largest diamond possible given it's size and where any inclusions lie. What lands on the cutting room floor, or the scrap, could be cut into a few smaller stones, but the aim would be to keep it as large as possible.
As far as what you would do with it, that is not the question here. A stone like this is gemologially important if it is a diamond. And for those of you who own and wear diamonds, no matter the size, it's important to remember that what you are wearing is millions of years in the making. Next time you look at your diamond, think about just how old it really is, and that you own a peice of the earth's hostory.
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9-01-2007 @ 10:27PM
Corbin said...
I wonder how much they paid the child or worker who actually discovered it...Hmm...
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9-01-2007 @ 10:34PM
john said...
Well, they are not going to cut it down very much, maybe to remove a few inclusions near the surface, give it some interesting surfaces and polish it. When you cut a diamond down to smaller sizes, say 7,000 one carat diamonds, you reduce the total value of the stone. One 2 carat diamond is worth more than two 1 carat diamonds.
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9-01-2007 @ 10:53PM
Mark said...
The one problem I see with it is it looks so smooth to have just come out of the ground. The edges are sharp and it looks as though it has already been polished. Being twice as large as the next biggest diamond I am sure it would be cut into a new shape much like the Hope diamond was to beautify it. Would the hope diamond be worth looking at had they not cut and polished it?
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9-01-2007 @ 10:56PM
Edclark1952 said...
Sure would make 7,000 people happy. Money is the greed of all mankind!
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