World’s largest diamond found

History.com has this for today:

On 25 January 1905, at the Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Africa, a 3,106-carat diamond was discovered during a routine inspection by the mine’s superintendent. Weighing 1.33 pounds and christened the Cullinan, it was the largest diamond ever found.
Frederick Wells was just eighteen feet below the earth’s surface when he spotted a flash of starlight embedded in the wall just above him. His discovery was presented that same afternoon to Sir Thomas Cullinan, who owned the mine. Cullinan then sold the diamond to the Transvaal provincial government, which presented the stone to Britain’s King Edward VII as a birthday gift. Worried that the diamond might be stolen in transit from Pretoria, South Africa to London, England, Edward arranged to send a phony diamond aboard a steamer ship loaded with detectives as a diversionary tactic. While the decoy slowly made its way from Africa on the ship, the Cullinan was sent to England in a plain box.
Edward entrusted the cutting of the Cullinan to Joseph Asscher, head of the Asscher Diamond Company of Amsterdam, Holland. Asscher, who had cut the famous Excelsior Diamond, a 971-carat diamond found in 1893, studied the stone for six months before attempting the cut. On his first attempt, the steel blade broke, with no effect on the diamond. On the second attempt, the diamond shattered exactly as planned; Asscher then fainted from nervous exhaustion.
The Cullinan was later cut into nine large stones and about a hundred smaller ones, valued, all told, at millions of dollars. The largest stone is called the Star of Africa I, or “Cullinan I”. At 530 carats, it is the largest cut fine-quality colorless diamond in the world. The second largest stone, the Star of Africa II or Cullinan II, is 317 carats. Both of these stones, as well as the Cullinan III, are on display in the Tower of London with Britain’s other crown jewels; the Cullinan I is mounted in the British Sovereign’s Royal Scepter, while the Cullinan II sits in the Imperial State Crown.

Rico says he forwarded this to his fiancée, who loves diamonds (not that Rico could afford one that big, nor could she wear it on her tiny finger).