What is the name of the second biggest diamond that had been found in South Africa?
After the Cullinan, the second largest of the world’s roughs was the 995 carat Excelsior, found at the Jagersfontein mine in the Orange Free State in 1893. The giant Excelsior was a lovely blue-white, though it had internal black spots. It was- – some say needlessy – cut into 21 gems, of which the largest weighed a modest 69 carats. Wastage in the cutting process (primarily due to the black spots) was a staggering 63 percent. It was delivered to London just before the second great Jagersfontein discovery; the 634 carat Reitz, named after the Orange Free State President, F.W. Reitz. The Reitz was later renamed the Jubilee in honour of Queen Victoria’s 60th year on the throne, and yielded one large and exceptional cut gem. The Cullinan II is the second largest cut diamond (as it was cut from the Cullinan I and the Excelsior is the second largest rough diamond.
