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Jubilee Diamond

A copy of the Jubilee diamond.

Jubilee

Weight

245.35 carats (49.07 g)

Color

E-grade colourless

Cut

Cushion

Country of origin

South Africa

Mine of origin

Jagersfontein Mine

Date discovered

1895

Cut by

M.B. Barends

Original owner

Wernher, Beit & Co.; Barnato Bros.; Mosenthal Sons & Co. (consortium)

Current owner

Robert Mouawad

Estimated value

The Jubilee Diamond, originally known as the Reitz Diamond is a colourless, cushion-shaped diamond weighing 245.35 carats (49.07 grams), making it the sixth largest diamond in the world. It was originally named after Francis William Reitz, the then president of the Orange Free State where the stone was discovered, before being renamed to honour the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Victoria in 1897.

Additional recommended knowledge

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The original stone, a rough octahedron weighing 650.80 carats (130.16 g), was discovered in 1895 at the Jagersfontein Mine in South Africa. A consortium of diamond merchants from London purchased it along with its even larger sister, the Excelsior, in 1896, and sent it to Amsterdam where it was polished by M.B. Barends. A 40 carat (8 g) chunk was removed, which itself yielded a 13.34 carat (2.668 g) pear-shaped gem eventually purchased by Dom Carlos I of Portugal.