What's your favourite famous diamond? Let me know below and check out my PATREON site for extra perks at www.patreon.com/historycalling Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE too.
I'm not really a diamond person, but the one historical diamond I've seen that made an impression on me is the Orlov/Orloff diamond. It was given by Grigory Orlov to Catherine the Great in hopes of rekindling their relationship. However, Catherine had moved on to Potemkin, but she gave Orlov some consolation prizes, including the Marble Palace in St. Petersburg (not too shabby). She also named the diamond after him and had it set into a sceptre. This is now held in the Kremlin Armoury. Oh, and it also has one of those '"set in the eye of an Indian idol" origin stories but now supposedly most scholars think it actually is the Great Mogul Diamond.
I think I may be a little strange, but I find the rough, uncut stone more fascinating that the resulting cut stones. Nature at its best! I love the Hope Diamond, as blue is my favorite color, and who doesn't love a good curse story?! But I am truly enchanted by pink diamonds! Love hearing about famous artifacts and other objects! Great video - thank you!
Thanks Connie. Yes, I'd love to know what the original stone looked like at some point in the past before nature broke it up and left behind the Cullinan.
I saw, ‘granny’s chips’ in an exhibition at Buckingham palace a few years ago, stunning. The Queen wore them to the Abbey I think on her diamond jubilee.
A worthy addition to your series devoted to precious stones. The Amber Room video is one of my favorites. The story of Asscher fainting may be apocryphal, but it's certainly entertaining. Poor guy was no doubt fully stressed. I held off on walking my dogs so I could watch; they're protesting now so I'm off. Thank you, HC. Until next week.
Thank you. The Amber Room was surprisingly hard to put together actually, as I couldn't access most of the primary sources myself and the secondaries didn't always agree with each other. Go walk the dogs. You don't want them messing up the house! :-)
@@HistoryCalling LOL! Good advice. Our poor 16 year old schnauzer barely made it out the door in time. Mea culpa. I gave her a few extra treats as an apology. Be well.
My heart goes out to the family of the person who, I suspect, found the actual diamond. During this era, and the way the British took claim for finding anything, makes me think the actual finder claimed nothing. The diamond is beautiful. I appreciate your videos and think they're so informative. Remember, my thoughts are my own.
A person who works in a mine gets paid as a miner. They don't own the mine or its contents. A person who works on a building site is paid a a builder. They don't own the building.
I take your point and there is a whole discussion to be had there about colonialism which I don't feel informed enough about to speak on (which is one reason I kept the focus on the diamond here), but I also see what Mandy means about a miner not owning what they find. I have no idea how the miners at that mine were paid and treated, so I can't comment on how fair the situation was I'm afraid.
I take your point and there is a whole discussion to be had there about colonialism which I don't feel informed enough about to speak on (which is one reason I kept the focus on the diamond here), but I also see what Mandy means about a miner not owning what they find. I have no idea how the miners at that mine were paid and treated, so I can't comment on how fair the situation was I'm afraid.
Yay! Notifications are working!! So excited. Happy Friday, everyone!! Another great video, I had heard the story of Asher passing out when he first hit the stone. I can only imagine how he might have felt!
Thank you and I'm glad to hear the notifications are functioning properly. It makes me a little nervous when people tell me they aren't working. Enjoy the video :-)
The history of the Cullinan diamond was fascinating. Between this and the Hope diamond, I am truly enthralled by their beauty and their history. Thank you for your wonderful videos. They make Fridays great.
Fascinating and beautifully described. Hard to comprehend that the steel used to split this massive diamond broke trying to break it! That must have been very stressful. My birthstone is Sapphire, although my favourite stone is Aquamarine, I love the way it sparkles and changes colour - I wear a gorgeous Aquamarine ring, the stone is surrounded by tiny diamonds and is on a band of white gold - although not as large or priceless as the Cullinan Diamond, it's still my little treasure. ♪ Aquamarines are a girl's best friend ♪ hasn't got the same ring to it, has it?
As pretty as the gems are, I can't help but think about the exploitation of the native South Africans which was required to both establish the colony and to set up the mining operation which eventually revealled the Cullinan. Maybe that makes me a downer but I feel like this jewel is a perfect example of England's exploitation of foreign peoples for its own gain.
That’s my issue too. I can’t fully appreciate their beauty due to all the ugliness surrounding these blood diamonds and what the British crown did to my ancestors. Makes me sick and sad tbh.
And you’re not a downer to acknowledge and speak on what other/many people should be speaking on- instead of celebrating celebrities and royalty shamelessly wearing these stones.
@@Leno323people think bad tings happened under the British. But absolutely horrifying and despicable things happened under the Belgium's, Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch. The Commonwealth nations in Africa today are by far the most advanced and successful.
Thank you History Calling. Wouldn't it be good just walking along and seeing something flashing. Makes me wonder about the stones we haven't found yet. Enjoyed the fact that it was sent in the post too.
Absolutely, especially if it was a case of 'finders keepers' :-) Yes, I love that both it and the Hope Diamond were sent in the post. It's just so unexpected.
Another great video. You undoubtedly know that the queen wore the "granny's chips" broach during her interview on the coronation documentary. Breathtaking! She also told the fainting story. I wish I had known all this when I got to see the crown jewels a number of years ago.
Yes, I debated showing a still image of her wearing them in fact, but I always like to avoid relying on 'Fair Use' of copyrighted materials when I can, just in case I misuse them by accident. Hopefully you'll get to see them again in the future.
Wow! Excellent! Had no idea. Great choice of content. The photos are splendidly revealing. Another fine episode in the bag. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and skills. Lvya
I saw the Stars when I went to the UK as a child in the 70s. Diamond is my birthstone, so I’ve always loved them. I didn’t realize that the raw stone they came from made so many beautiful stones.
They are gorgeous. I've only seen the first and second in person myself, but even in their cut down form, they're huge. It's hard to imagine the size of the original stone.
@@HistoryCalling If you can find it, there’s a video around here somewhere of the Queen when she was younger (probably filmed in the 70s) talking about the imperial state crown and the gems in it. She shows you the actual scale model of what the diamond originally looked like.
Well, it seems today one of the largest pink diamonds sold for 57.8 million dollars. Well god bless whomever can afford that. This video was a true delight, and I had never seen Granny’s Chip in that crown setting until today. Oh course the Queen often wore the brooch, and Cullinan 5 with a sapphire. Thanks so much for your sleuthing a great knowledge.
All great of course for the king, the crown and the people. But I have the feeling that something can be learned here and there about the history of South Africa
@@HistoryCalling Please do. It's on the Graceland album. Simon sings it with Ladysmith Black Mambazo in the South Africa concert. They labor in the diamond mines and only get diamonds on the soles of their shoes.
My favorite diamond was a pear shaped 1/2 carat that my late husband gave me for our engagement. A friend of mine always kept her jewelry in the freezer for safe keeping. Sooooo….I thought that a clever idea and did the same thing. You guessed it! I threw it away when I cleaned out my freezer. Bless him, he NEVER let me live that down (nor should he). I NEVER cleaned my freezer again! (Only kidding) Love your stories and thanks for making me smile at a sweet and foolish memory!
Oh my word, I think I would have died if I'd accidentally thrown out a diamond ring, let alone something as precious as an engagement ring. I'm sorry to hear you lost it. It sounds like your husband forgave you though, if he able to tease you about it.
I didn't think I'd be really into famous gems. But here we are :) in the past I've only known about gems that looked weird or had a story behind them (like the Star of India being stolen and found in a locker!?). Usually it's castles for me but I'm so excited about a new fixation. In other news you've officially earned an alarm in my phone so i can be here when you upload! You're doing so amazing.
My dad and I (South African) have visited London a number of times, and my dad *always* says 'that's ours, I am taking it back!' when we go see the Crown Jewels at the Tower 🤣
The uncut diamond will not shine when rough. The true color and quality of a well cut diamond is much better to look at in person. You would not say the same thing in person
Love this channel so much I absolutely adore history I always have done since I was a little girl. Did you know the large Red Stone in the Crown Jewels was always believed to be a giant Red Ruby but it turns out now that is a huge huge Red Spinel . This video couldn’t of been any better for me I adore Gemstones and History. Thank you so much 😊 i really appreciate all the time you have put in to these short concise mimi documentaries
Well well Frederick Wells. I'm sure a manager would be casting an experienced eye most of the time at the diggings, rather like fossil hunters know what to look for on the ground. I can also imagine the possibility that one of the workers found the rock and handed it over as you mentioned. If so I hope a few crumbs were thrown his way. ("Many of these were soldiers who remained in South Africa after the recently ended Boer War".-from Ekala Tours, Cullinan mine and village heritage tours). Thanks again for an interesting episode. And as always, I keep learning! =)
"I understand" the British, and it was not necessary to listen to the words of David Cameron when he said: if we say yes to one, tomorrow we will wake up and we will have nothing in the British museum" to realize that it is so. If they had to return everything they owe, they would be left with nothing, because he basically said in other words, that everything they have is stolen or taken by force. But what surprises me the most is that, despite all that, British and Western citizens are so arrogant, I would be embarrassed to tell an African who is in your country trying to make a living to go to his country and things like that. But the foundations of yours were made with everything you stole from ours. I think it's a mixture of ignorance and arrogance because if they had to pay and return everything they amassed, they would even run out of spoons.
They are incredible. I've seen them before, but I'm hopefully going back to London soon and will see them again. I never get tired of looking at them :-)
Asscher: "Who, me...stressed...I'M NOT STRESSED, YOU'RE STRESSED, NOW GIVE ME MY HYPER-CAFFIENATED CUP OF COFFEE OVER THERE AND SHUT YOUR CAKE-HOLE!!!!!"
@@HistoryCalling - no one could insure such a package any way I suppose - probably the safest way to get it to London all things considered - I wonder how much in stamps
I've always been intrigued by Diamonds. Whatever their colour. I was given a ring many years ago. It had Black Diamonds set in white and yellow gold Including platinum holding them in situ. Unfortunately I was having a party ... person or persons unknown decided to relieve me of it's possession. Aside from the fact it was unusual - primarily it was the fact it took 3•2 Billion years for Nature to create those Black Diamonds.
@@HistoryCalling Thanks ! Have been looking for years for anr. Even my Jeweller can't locate an appropriate Stone ... It won't be the same ring .The sentimental value makes it a priceless commodity. May just have to rely on the old addage ... "If you WANT something enough ...
My mum lived in London all her life, and never once went to the ToL to see the crown jewels 💎. I've lived on the south coast 20 odd years and have been to see them three times! Each time is a source of wonderment. They are all stunningly beautiful.
It's funny how things like that happen. There are famous places in Northern Ireland where all the tourists go and I've never set foot there. I guess we're just less impressed by things that are on our doorstep :-)
This is my favorite diamond because no curses were mentioned. More importantly why have so many world famous diamonds have been shipped in the regular mail haha?
Yes, I don't think this one is meant to be cursed. I think that weirdly the mail thing is for more security, as no one would presumably think you'd put such a valuable commodity in the post.
imagine thinking to send that via post!! i get paranoid when i have to mail a package back for a return 😂😂 the fact that it’s so clear is just so mesmerizing 😍
So we've just had a cullinan 60th birthday party for a member of our family who spent the last 24 years tracing our ancestral history, turns out Thomas Cullinan who owned the land the diamond was found on is part of our family, so we would like our rock back please 😂 joking aside, the Cullinan family is very much a fascinating story. I met family members this weekend i never even knew existed. I highly recommend people to do the DNA ancestry journey, you never know what or who you might find and come together with.
Ha ha.. I can well imagine.. " Look what I found Boss." " MMM... walk on boy." " Hey Boss , look what I found.!" "Good Chap." Can't wait to show the Director what I found. LOL The lore of the great jewels is full of wonderful stories.. most of which are probably made up. Thanks for another fun moment.
Even tho she has clearly the right to ware the Imperial state crown, I wonder if the Queen wares the jewels, crowns and tiaras typically worn by a Queen Consort. i only just learned that the queen has only ever worn the Saint Edward’s crown once! And that was at her coronation in 1953
Hmm, good question. You do see her wearing tiaras that are also worn by other women in the family, like the Duchesses of Cornwall and Cambridge, so yes, I think she wears a mix.
@@HistoryCalling ha, all good . You’re hitting every base..We are learning something over here on every video, and we Have the pleasure Of listening to A lovely English woman’s voice tantalizing our eardrums…cheers
ok, let's settle what a lot of people are saying here. Clearly a lot of you didn't watch the video. Firstly the person who found the diamond was awarded $10,000 which would have been a fortune back then. Secondly, the diamond was purchased by The Transvaal company and it was then gifted by them to King Edward in 1907. So the diamond was NOT stolen. Got that? Good.
Nothing in the history of this Diamond even comes close to it being stolen. The closest thing we got is the alleged Black miner who found it. He was an employee of said mine so of course he wasn't allowed to keep it.
@@Jack-Hands Both the mine and company managers were also employees who weren't allowed to "keep it", and didn't. But one was awarded with credit for the find, 10,000$, and historical recognition, and the other immortalized in the name the diamond. We may not have the full story (such as a somewhat diminished award the miner received) And history is full of the anonymous people whose hard work and sacrifice paved the way to others' glory and fortune. From time to time we have to think about the unknown soldiers and laborers whose names are lost to history.
This is amazing as always, Ms History! I could certainly use finding a stone like this haha I must ask that you cover less jewelry. It's making the wife unbearable in her demands for a diamond necklace, and my RUclips adverts are now taking her side 😂
Thank god it is in a civilized country like UK for humanity to see and appreciate and not in Black south Africa where it would have been stolen within minutes
Ah. This a great insight to the diamonds. However after some deep thought about being the biggest diamond ever found. Personally I came to the conclusion My before Girlfriend was and still is..
It was mined in a privately owned mine by employees of said mine. If you worked at the Toyota factory do you believe you are entitled to take a car home every day?
Many South Africans are still bitter about such theft. Anyway, if you ever do a video on the criminal Cecil John Rhodes, I can show you where he died. The house still stands today. Easily one of the creepiest places here in South Africa. I actually stood next to the bed he died in.
Queen Elizabeth Il owned the largest clear cut diamond in the world known as The Great Star of Africa' the 530 carats gem was mined in South Africa back in 1905. It was stolen from South Africa. It has an estimated worth of $400 million. The British claim that it was given to them as a symbol of friendship and peace yet it was during colonialism. The British then replaced the name "The Great Star of Africa" with name of Chairman of Mine "Thomas Cullinan".
Tell Africa to take a hike, it's been in UK'S hands for over 100 years and no one's been try to claim it as theirs until the queen dies. If that's the real case , what was your problem with her having it ? But not her heir ? In my opinion it should have stayed in it's original state. Now that it's all broken apart and made in to smaller diamonds it's sad.
What's your favourite famous diamond? Let me know below and check out my PATREON site for extra perks at www.patreon.com/historycalling Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE too.
I love a good curse, so it's the Hope diamond for me!
It's a beauty as well :-)
What is your name. I know Dr Starkey and want to know if he sees your channel?
The Star of India or the Adamooka Opal. They tie for first because they're so unique looking.
I'm not really a diamond person, but the one historical diamond I've seen that made an impression on me is the Orlov/Orloff diamond. It was given by Grigory Orlov to Catherine the Great in hopes of rekindling their relationship. However, Catherine had moved on to Potemkin, but she gave Orlov some consolation prizes, including the Marble Palace in St. Petersburg (not too shabby). She also named the diamond after him and had it set into a sceptre. This is now held in the Kremlin Armoury. Oh, and it also has one of those '"set in the eye of an Indian idol" origin stories but now supposedly most scholars think it actually is the Great Mogul Diamond.
I think I may be a little strange, but I find the rough, uncut stone more fascinating that the resulting cut stones. Nature at its best! I love the Hope Diamond, as blue is my favorite color, and who doesn't love a good curse story?! But I am truly enchanted by pink diamonds! Love hearing about famous artifacts and other objects! Great video - thank you!
Thanks Connie. Yes, I'd love to know what the original stone looked like at some point in the past before nature broke it up and left behind the Cullinan.
What if you put that diamond in a cocktail & pretended it was ICE⁉️😂 Surprised look on guest's faces?
I saw, ‘granny’s chips’ in an exhibition at Buckingham palace a few years ago, stunning. The Queen wore them to the Abbey I think on her diamond jubilee.
A worthy addition to your series devoted to precious stones. The Amber Room video is one of my favorites. The story of Asscher fainting may be apocryphal, but it's certainly entertaining. Poor guy was no doubt fully stressed. I held off on walking my dogs so I could watch; they're protesting now so I'm off. Thank you, HC. Until next week.
Thank you. The Amber Room was surprisingly hard to put together actually, as I couldn't access most of the primary sources myself and the secondaries didn't always agree with each other. Go walk the dogs. You don't want them messing up the house! :-)
@@HistoryCalling LOL! Good advice. Our poor 16 year old schnauzer barely made it out the door in time. Mea culpa. I gave her a few extra treats as an apology. Be well.
My heart goes out to the family of the person who, I suspect, found the actual diamond. During this era, and the way the British took claim for finding anything, makes me think the actual finder claimed nothing. The diamond is beautiful. I appreciate your videos and think they're so informative. Remember, my thoughts are my own.
A person who works in a mine gets paid as a miner. They don't own the mine or its contents.
A person who works on a building site is paid a a builder. They don't own the building.
I take your point and there is a whole discussion to be had there about colonialism which I don't feel informed enough about to speak on (which is one reason I kept the focus on the diamond here), but I also see what Mandy means about a miner not owning what they find. I have no idea how the miners at that mine were paid and treated, so I can't comment on how fair the situation was I'm afraid.
I take your point and there is a whole discussion to be had there about colonialism which I don't feel informed enough about to speak on (which is one reason I kept the focus on the diamond here), but I also see what Mandy means about a miner not owning what they find. I have no idea how the miners at that mine were paid and treated, so I can't comment on how fair the situation was I'm afraid.
I was thinking of a finder's fee. And, yes this would be a big debate.
@@lisalarosa4546 Not in Africa at that date.
Yay! Notifications are working!! So excited. Happy Friday, everyone!! Another great video, I had heard the story of Asher passing out when he first hit the stone. I can only imagine how he might have felt!
Thank you and I'm glad to hear the notifications are functioning properly. It makes me a little nervous when people tell me they aren't working. Enjoy the video :-)
I feel your happiness 😊
The history of the Cullinan diamond was fascinating. Between this and the Hope diamond, I am truly enthralled by their beauty and their history. Thank you for your wonderful videos. They make Fridays great.
Thank you so much :-)
Fascinating and beautifully described. Hard to comprehend that the steel used to split this massive diamond broke trying to break it! That must have been very stressful. My birthstone is Sapphire, although my favourite stone is Aquamarine, I love the way it sparkles and changes colour - I wear a gorgeous Aquamarine ring, the stone is surrounded by tiny diamonds and is on a band of white gold - although not as large or priceless as the Cullinan Diamond, it's still my little treasure. ♪ Aquamarines are a girl's best friend ♪ hasn't got the same ring to it, has it?
I have a couple of aquamarines too and love them as well :-)
Hello dear, how are you doing?
As pretty as the gems are, I can't help but think about the exploitation of the native South Africans which was required to both establish the colony and to set up the mining operation which eventually revealled the Cullinan. Maybe that makes me a downer but I feel like this jewel is a perfect example of England's exploitation of foreign peoples for its own gain.
That’s my issue too. I can’t fully appreciate their beauty due to all the ugliness surrounding these blood diamonds and what the British crown did to my ancestors. Makes me sick and sad tbh.
And you’re not a downer to acknowledge and speak on what other/many people should be speaking on- instead of celebrating celebrities and royalty shamelessly wearing these stones.
Absolutely appalling...disgusting monarchy
Oh grow up the lot of you. Learn at least a bit of history before hitting the keys.
@@Leno323people think bad tings happened under the British. But absolutely horrifying and despicable things happened under the Belgium's, Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch. The Commonwealth nations in Africa today are by far the most advanced and successful.
Thank you History Calling. Wouldn't it be good just walking along and seeing something flashing. Makes me wonder about the stones we haven't found yet. Enjoyed the fact that it was sent in the post too.
Absolutely, especially if it was a case of 'finders keepers' :-) Yes, I love that both it and the Hope Diamond were sent in the post. It's just so unexpected.
Love these videos. Would be very interested one about all the crown jewels that have gone missing over the centuries.
I'm actually debating not one, but two videos on a topic like that at the moment :-)
@@HistoryCalling Irish crown jewels for the win.. We need to know about Frank Shackleton. 🍎
That's one of the two :-)
Another great video. You undoubtedly know that the queen wore the "granny's chips" broach during her interview on the coronation documentary. Breathtaking! She also told the fainting story. I wish I had known all this when I got to see the crown jewels a number of years ago.
Yes, I debated showing a still image of her wearing them in fact, but I always like to avoid relying on 'Fair Use' of copyrighted materials when I can, just in case I misuse them by accident. Hopefully you'll get to see them again in the future.
This was fascinating, thank-you!
My pleasure :-)
Wow! Excellent! Had no idea. Great choice of content. The photos are splendidly revealing. Another fine episode in the bag. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and skills. Lvya
Thanks David. Glad you liked it :-)
I saw the Stars when I went to the UK as a child in the 70s. Diamond is my birthstone, so I’ve always loved them. I didn’t realize that the raw stone they came from made so many beautiful stones.
They are gorgeous. I've only seen the first and second in person myself, but even in their cut down form, they're huge. It's hard to imagine the size of the original stone.
@@HistoryCalling If you can find it, there’s a video around here somewhere of the Queen when she was younger (probably filmed in the 70s) talking about the imperial state crown and the gems in it. She shows you the actual scale model of what the diamond originally looked like.
Well, it seems today one of the largest pink diamonds sold for 57.8 million dollars. Well god bless whomever can afford that. This video was a true delight, and I had never seen Granny’s Chip in that crown setting until today. Oh course the Queen often wore the brooch, and Cullinan 5 with a sapphire. Thanks so much for your sleuthing a great knowledge.
And that pink diamond came from Australia.
The cullinan V brooch is my favorite. I am kind of obsessed with it. ❤️💎💎💎
Thanks for your help on the content.
Speaking of jewels ….you and your fascinating videos certainly rank among the best ! Thanks so much for your hard work & wonderful presentations !!
Thank you. That's very kind of you to say :-)
All great of course for the king, the crown and the people. But I have the feeling that something can be learned here and there about the history of South Africa
My favorite diamond is sung about by Paul Simon.. Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes. My birthstone is my favorite... Ruby dark ruby.
I'm not familiar with that song. I'll have to look it up now. :-)
@@HistoryCalling Please do. It's on the Graceland album. Simon sings it with Ladysmith Black Mambazo in the South Africa concert. They labor in the diamond mines and only get diamonds on the soles of their shoes.
My favorite diamond was a pear shaped 1/2 carat that my late husband gave me for our engagement. A friend of mine always kept her jewelry in the freezer for safe keeping. Sooooo….I thought that a clever idea and did the same thing. You guessed it! I threw it away when I cleaned out my freezer. Bless him, he NEVER let me live that down (nor should he). I NEVER cleaned my freezer again! (Only kidding) Love your stories and thanks for making me smile at a sweet and foolish memory!
Oh my word, I think I would have died if I'd accidentally thrown out a diamond ring, let alone something as precious as an engagement ring. I'm sorry to hear you lost it. It sounds like your husband forgave you though, if he able to tease you about it.
@@HistoryCalling Oh he did forgive. He was a wonderful man with a great sense of humor (thankfully). 🥰
Very interesting to learn. Thank you.
My pleasure :-)
I didn't think I'd be really into famous gems. But here we are :) in the past I've only known about gems that looked weird or had a story behind them (like the Star of India being stolen and found in a locker!?). Usually it's castles for me but I'm so excited about a new fixation.
In other news you've officially earned an alarm in my phone so i can be here when you upload! You're doing so amazing.
Thanks Audrianna. I'm glad you liked hearing about the Cullinan. I need to look up that Star of India story! I hope the alarm doesn't get annoying :-)
Well researched and well presented.
Very good, thank you!
Thank you too :-)
My inner raven just says ohhh shiny!
I wonder if that's what the ravens at the Tower say too... :-)
Interesting! I loved seeing the old photos. The only famous diamond I saw was the Hope Diamond at the Smithsonian Institute.
I've seen that one too. It's pretty amazing also :-)
Your voice is so nice, I reckon you could read out the weather report and make it interesting!
Aww, thank you. Sadly weather reports here in Northern Ireland in January make for pretty grim reading though :-(
@@HistoryCalling melancholy a word the Irish own. 😃
Very interesting story of this huge diamond I would have to go with the biggest lol, 😊 thank you as always HC.
You're welcome. Yes, I think go big or go home as well (though I'm quite partial to the Hope Diamond's blue colour too).
@@HistoryCalling I agree HC, it's gotta be blue😊.
My dad and I (South African) have visited London a number of times, and my dad *always* says 'that's ours, I am taking it back!' when we go see the Crown Jewels at the Tower 🤣
Haha, just as long as he doesn't actually try it, or he might become the first prisoner in the Tower for many decades :-)
@@HistoryCalling I always tell him 'off with your head' haha!
Should be returned to South Africa 👍
@@lizm9842 Why?
How is it your father's exactly? (to be read in a sarcastic tone)
That was a cool story Thanks
You're very welcome :-)
The uncut diamond will not shine when rough. The true color and quality of a well cut diamond is much better to look at in person. You would not say the same thing in person
Love this channel so much I absolutely adore history I always have done since I was a little girl. Did you know the large Red Stone in the Crown Jewels was always believed to be a giant Red Ruby but it turns out now that is a huge huge Red Spinel . This video couldn’t of been any better for me I adore Gemstones and History. Thank you so much 😊 i really appreciate all the time you have put in to these short concise mimi documentaries
Well well Frederick Wells. I'm sure a manager would be casting an experienced eye most of the time at the diggings, rather like fossil hunters know what to look for on the ground. I can also imagine the possibility that one of the workers found the rock and handed it over as you mentioned. If so I hope a few crumbs were thrown his way. ("Many of these were soldiers who remained in South Africa after the recently ended Boer War".-from Ekala Tours, Cullinan mine and village heritage tours).
Thanks again for an interesting episode. And as always, I keep learning! =)
Yes, I hope whoever actually found it got some sort of reward as well.
So very interesting and well done! Thank you.
Thanks Marilyn :-)
Amazing how people were able to do work like this prior to computers.
I agree. They were incredible craftsmen (and some women too I'm sure).
"I understand" the British, and it was not necessary to listen to the words of David Cameron when he said: if we say yes to one, tomorrow we will wake up and we will have nothing in the British museum" to realize that it is so. If they had to return everything they owe, they would be left with nothing, because he basically said in other words, that everything they have is stolen or taken by force. But what surprises me the most is that, despite all that, British and Western citizens are so arrogant, I would be embarrassed to tell an African who is in your country trying to make a living to go to his country and things like that. But the foundations of yours were made with everything you stole from ours. I think it's a mixture of ignorance and arrogance because if they had to pay and return everything they amassed, they would even run out of spoons.
How exactly was this diamond stolen from you?
I’ve seen the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London . The whole thing is fabulous. I have a few diamonds my self but they are tiny compared to these.
They are incredible. I've seen them before, but I'm hopefully going back to London soon and will see them again. I never get tired of looking at them :-)
Hello Carol, how are you doing?
@@Godwinpounds4333 😂mf stop.
Do not think that
Asscher: "Who, me...stressed...I'M NOT STRESSED, YOU'RE STRESSED, NOW GIVE ME MY HYPER-CAFFIENATED CUP OF COFFEE OVER THERE AND SHUT YOUR CAKE-HOLE!!!!!"
Who could blame him :-)
people had a lot of faith in the post office back then
I know. I would worry about sending a book through it sometimes, let alone diamond!
@@HistoryCalling - they did register it but omg - 🛸
I know. Still, at least it arrived safely.
@@HistoryCalling - no one could insure such a package any way I suppose - probably the safest way to get it to London all things considered - I wonder how much in stamps
This is so interesting. Beautiful
I think so too :-)
I've always been intrigued by Diamonds. Whatever their colour. I was given a ring many years ago. It had Black Diamonds set in white and yellow gold Including platinum holding them in situ.
Unfortunately I was having a party ... person or persons unknown decided to relieve me of it's possession.
Aside from the fact it was unusual - primarily it was the fact it took 3•2 Billion years for Nature to create those Black Diamonds.
Oh that's awful that someone stole it from you. I'm sorry to read that. It sounds like a beautiful stone.
@@HistoryCalling Thanks ! Have been looking for years for anr. Even my Jeweller can't locate an appropriate Stone ... It won't be the same ring .The sentimental value makes it a priceless commodity. May just have to rely on the old addage ... "If you WANT something enough ...
Imagine someone owning a piece of the Cullinan Diamond and not even realizing it.
My mum lived in London all her life, and never once went to the ToL to see the crown jewels 💎. I've lived on the south coast 20 odd years and have been to see them three times! Each time is a source of wonderment. They are all stunningly beautiful.
It's funny how things like that happen. There are famous places in Northern Ireland where all the tourists go and I've never set foot there. I guess we're just less impressed by things that are on our doorstep :-)
@HistoryCalling: When did the Anglo-Boer War (South African War) occur, in relation to the diamond being gifted by the then South African government?
i’m sooo late to the party but i cannot wait to hear about this!!!
This is my favorite diamond because no curses were mentioned. More importantly why have so many world famous diamonds have been shipped in the regular mail haha?
Yes, I don't think this one is meant to be cursed. I think that weirdly the mail thing is for more security, as no one would presumably think you'd put such a valuable commodity in the post.
@@HistoryCalling I guess hindsight makes it easy to question it (also maybe there wasn't as much mail theft back then)
Tthank you.
We gave a world War 2 fighter plane "THE EVELYN" TO THE UK, PLEASE DO A STORY ON THAT ❤
imagine thinking to send that via post!! i get paranoid when i have to mail a package back for a return 😂😂 the fact that it’s so clear is just so mesmerizing 😍
I know. The same thing was done with the Hope Diamond and it just boggles my mind. Makes you wonder what else is being sent in the post, even today...
@@HistoryCalling i didn’t even think about that until now!! my curiosity has been peaked 🤣
Yay! Jewel history !
It's Beautiful xx
They take everything yet nothing ever found on their land smh this crazy
Do something on the Boer WAR please!
So we've just had a cullinan 60th birthday party for a member of our family who spent the last 24 years tracing our ancestral history, turns out Thomas Cullinan who owned the land the diamond was found on is part of our family, so we would like our rock back please 😂 joking aside, the Cullinan family is very much a fascinating story. I met family members this weekend i never even knew existed.
I highly recommend people to do the DNA ancestry journey, you never know what or who you might find and come together with.
Love from SA ON and the Boer WAR!
Ha ha.. I can well imagine.. " Look what I found Boss."
" MMM... walk on boy."
" Hey Boss , look what I found.!"
"Good Chap." Can't wait to show the Director what I found.
LOL The lore of the great jewels is full of wonderful stories.. most of which are probably made up.
Thanks for another fun moment.
You're welcome :-)
Your mention of Queen Mary makes me think that the ships Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth would be very interesting 20th century topics.
Even tho she has clearly the right to ware the Imperial state crown, I wonder if the Queen wares the jewels, crowns and tiaras typically worn by a Queen Consort.
i only just learned that the queen has only ever worn the Saint Edward’s crown once! And that was at her coronation in 1953
Hmm, good question. You do see her wearing tiaras that are also worn by other women in the family, like the Duchesses of Cornwall and Cambridge, so yes, I think she wears a mix.
Largest discovered by humans? Did cats discover a bigger one?
I must admit I am smitten by your voice
Thank you. If you heard the outtakes when I mess up for the 6th time in a row though, I can guarantee it wouldn't sound too good :-)
@@HistoryCalling ha, all good . You’re hitting every base..We are learning something over here on every video, and we Have the pleasure Of listening to A lovely English woman’s voice tantalizing our eardrums…cheers
ok, let's settle what a lot of people are saying here. Clearly a lot of you didn't watch the video. Firstly the person who found the diamond was awarded $10,000 which would have been a fortune back then. Secondly, the diamond was purchased by The Transvaal company and it was then gifted by them to King Edward in 1907. So the diamond was NOT stolen. Got that? Good.
Nothing in the history of this Diamond even comes close to it being stolen.
The closest thing we got is the alleged Black miner who found it. He was an employee of said mine so of course he wasn't allowed to keep it.
@@Jack-Hands Both the mine and company managers were also employees who weren't allowed to "keep it", and didn't. But one was awarded with credit for the find, 10,000$, and historical recognition, and the other immortalized in the name the diamond. We may not have the full story (such as a somewhat diminished award the miner received) And history is full of the anonymous people whose hard work and sacrifice paved the way to others' glory and fortune. From time to time we have to think about the unknown soldiers and laborers whose names are lost to history.
This is amazing as always, Ms History!
I could certainly use finding a stone like this haha
I must ask that you cover less jewelry. It's making the wife unbearable in her demands for a diamond necklace, and my RUclips adverts are now taking her side 😂
Oh dear! Sorry about that. The upcoming video isn't jewellery related, promise. :-)
@@HistoryCalling thank goodness hahah
Thank god it is in a civilized country like UK for humanity to see and appreciate and not in Black south Africa where it would have been stolen within minutes
When they discover even bigger, this will be forgotten!
Well done for making this video and keeping all of the politics out of it
Now I wish all those claiming it was stolen come here and watch your video
Ah. This a great insight to the diamonds. However after some deep thought about being the biggest diamond ever found. Personally I came to the conclusion My before Girlfriend was and still is..
Thank you and I'm sure your girlfriend will be flattered that you call her an even better diamond than the Cullinan :-)
They do not bargain the colar, but, here you can expect this.
I wonder if the native people of Latin America ever found a rock like this. I'd love to see a diamond crystal skull
I was a bit disappointed when I saw the state crown in daylight. The diamond looked quite yellow.
It belongs to Africa, not the person who found it
Finders keepers
No. It does belong to the person who found it. It was made by EARTH. Anyone from earth gets to lay claim to it if they are the first to find it.
It was mined in a privately owned mine by employees of said mine.
If you worked at the Toyota factory do you believe you are entitled to take a car home every day?
What is your name. I know Dr Starkey and want to know if he sees your channel?
I like to keep my name private I'm afraid, at least for now.
@@HistoryCalling ok-but you are one of the best ones on RUclips-I like your videos
My birthday is the 25! Too bad it wasn't given to me for a birthday present! Ooowweeeeee!!
Yup, only Kings get gifts like this for their birthdays sadly. The rest of us should be so lucky!
I mean,God forbid it was found and named after some obscure worker in the mine!
I got to the part where the diamond was sent away and im already cringing like damn.. something like that should stay at home..
It was bought! Legally mind you. And gifted to the Royal Family.
History is definitely not your strong suit.
really good facts thanks for this. but the way you say „eight“ makes me kinda angry
Why oh why, if you have the largest diamond in the world, would you cut that diamond into smaller pieces?!?!?!
Almost as big as my engagement ring!
😃
Is there a larger diamond found by none humans then?
Many South Africans are still bitter about such theft. Anyway, if you ever do a video on the criminal Cecil John Rhodes, I can show you where he died. The house still stands today. Easily one of the creepiest places here in South Africa. I actually stood next to the bed he died in.
I know nothing about him actually. I'm off to Google ...
You're creepy fifi
It wasn't theft
@@dianewalker4633 Exactly! It was a gift!
Yeah there they do not bargain the colar, but here…
I find it such bs they cut down such a huge gem.
Very interesting information but your voice and monotone is annoying.
So sooooo fishy that parts of Africa just gifts all this away to the British.
So what's fishy about it?
Oh, the irony of SA having to buy its own diamond back!
South Africa? The diamond was mined in the ZAR not in South Africa as it never existed in 1905.
Queen Elizabeth Il owned the largest clear cut diamond in the world known as The Great Star of Africa' the 530 carats gem was mined in South Africa back in 1905. It was stolen from South Africa. It has an estimated worth of $400 million.
The British claim that it was given to them as a symbol of friendship and peace yet it was during colonialism. The British then replaced the name "The Great Star of Africa" with name of Chairman of Mine "Thomas Cullinan".
Was it stolen? How?
@@mazambane286 It wasn't stolen
Just think if they sold all the jewelry how many people that could feed and pay for any medical expenses that they have , 🤔
"medical expenses"... *Laughs in NHS*.
I'LL TAKE THAT MUTANT ANY DAY ‼️‼️
Me too. It's beautiful.
Will they be returned to the rightful owners??
Who?
The British owners of the mine were it was found?
Those are long dead by now.
Did britain stole the crown diaman from Africa
.
Tell Africa to take a hike, it's been in UK'S hands for over 100 years and no one's been try to claim it as theirs until the queen dies. If that's the real case , what was your problem with her having it ? But not her heir ? In my opinion it should have stayed in it's original state. Now that it's all broken apart and made in to smaller diamonds it's sad.
Bought by "The people of South Africa" 😂😂 the lies we tell ourselves
I have seen bigger!
Thieves
Was it stolen? How?
England 🏴 give back what u stolen if you want god to forgive u
Finders keepers
Who said it was stolen?
Bloody thieves
How so?