On this day, the Cullinal diamond, the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found, was presented to King Edward VII on his 66th birthday by Sir Richard Solomon, Agent-General for the South African province of Transvaal. The king asked his colonial secretary, Lord Elgin, to announce that he accepted the gift “for myself and my successors” and that he would ensure “this great and unique diamond be kept and preserved among the historic jewels which form the heirlooms of the Crown”. The king chose Joseph Asscher & Co. of Amsterdam to cleave and polish the rough stone into brilliant gems of various cuts and sizes, and after several months of labour, 9 major stones and 96 minor brilliants were produced. Cullinans I and II are today part of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, while seven other major diamonds were privately owned by Elizabeth II, who inherited them from her grandmother, Queen Mary, in 1953.
