The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1910-12-27
STAR OF AFRICA
NOW IN SCEpTER
Other Part Of CuIlinan Diamond
AdOrns British Crown.
QUEEN MARY MAY WEAR BOTH.

Famous Gems Can Be Removed From
| EmbIems Of Empire and Used as
Pendant--Finder Of 3,o24 Carat Stone
Thought Himself Victim of Joke I'm
til His Prize Was Appraised.
The two great Cullinan diamonds
| now shine dazzingly in the crown and
scepter of King George of England.
The larger, the Star of Africa, which
weighs 51O1a carats, has been set in
the kings scepter; the smaller gem,
weighing 300 3-16 carats, finds place in
the imperial crown and on state occa-
sions sparkles and burns Immediately
above the ermine band which circles
the crowns base
The diamonds can be removed from
the British emblems of power and
worn Jointly as a pendant Thus they
may adorn Queen Mary, who can have
the satisfaction Of knowing that no
woman on the civilized globe possesses
their equals
The setting of the diamonds in the
NAO0Ah anu CNCRtCl tlS q RCLlallt
was intrusted to Messrs. Garrard, the
crown jewelers., London. 1t was diff
cult to prepare the scepter to receive
the Star of Africa, for the general
Communications of the regal bauble had
to be kept intact--it has heraldic sig
nificaace.
kohinoor Small by Comparison.
1t gives better idea Of the Star of
Africa's size to state that the Kohl
moor, which to the popular mind is the
ideal .'big diamond weighs after sew
eraI cuttings 106 1-16 carats.
The Cullinan diamond was named
after the head of the company which
owns the Premier diamond mine in
South Africa, where the diamond was
found in January, 1905. The original
stone, by far the largest diamond ever
found. weighed 3,024 carats, or nearly
one pound six ounces avoirdupois
At that learned mineralogists and ex-
perts on gems believe it was part of a
still larger diamond which was cloven
when volcanic eruption hurled it
with titanic force from the molten
depths where it was formed. No less
an expert than Dr. George Frederick
Kunz estimates that the original dia
mond weighed no less than 5000 carats
and that the part of 1t not yet found
is in four pieces at least.
Presented TO King Edward.
The Cullinan diamond was presented
to King Edward by the South African
states, including tile former Boer re-
publics,l as a token of peace and re-
Cancellation The price paid for it has
been stated IN various figures and as
high as S1,O00.00Q Even that sum is
far below It's theoretical value. AT
great cost the, huge stone was cut into
two gems, which now ornament the
British regalfa.
The stone was found by the merest
chance The days work at the Pre-
mier mine was oyer, and Frederick
Wells, the surface manager, was saaE-
ing his usual rounds.
CHANGING along one side of the deep
excavation, his eye suddenly caught
the CLEAN of brilliant object far up
OH the bank He lost no time i'll
climbing up to the spot where he had
noted the CLINT Of light. He had not
been mistaken; it wars really bril-
liant crystal He tried to pull it out
with his fingers. and as this proved
impossible he sought to pry it out
with the blade of his penknife. To his
surprise the knife blade broke without
causing the stone to yield.
Finder Thought It joke.
Telling of his discovery Mr.. Wells
said: when took good look at the
stone stuck therein the side of the
pit il suddenly flashed across me that
1 had gone insane-that the whole
thing was imaginary knew 1t could
not be diamond. All at once anoth-
er solution dawned on me. Some prac-
teal joker, thought !, has planted this
huge chunk of glass here for me to
find It,"
With the aid of larger blade of his
knife he finally succeeded in prying
ont the stone and carried it to the
mines Office. Here 1t was cleaned,
and, to the astonishnent Of all, 1t was
found to have weight Of 3,024 carats,
more than three times that of any 9th
err diamond that had been discovered.