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The World's Largest Cushion Cut Diamond

By sunny breeze

What do you think, where would you go in order to see the one of the biggest diamonds in the world? Many would probably point it the direction of some of the European Royal Families, but in the video below you will see one gigantic faceted diamond of over 200 carats. Please note that you're going to have to wait till near the end of the video in order to see the jewel, but it is worth it. This, to be exact, 218.08 carats diamond is simply fabulous. As a reminder, one carat weights 0.2 grams, which makes the total weight of this gem a stunning 46.3 grams. In the world of faceted diamonds this is really, really huge.

Video: The world largest square cut diamond

As for the whereabouts of this jewel, you would have never guessed. It is situated in Macau, in the Grand Lisboa Casino, permanently exposed to the looks of the fascinated visitors.

This is presently the largest cushion cut diamond in the world of D color. For those who are not familiar with the classification of diamond color, "D" means totally colorless. As for the cushion cut, it is basically a square cut with rounded corners. This cut belongs to the old school of diamond shaping and it certainly combines an antique feel with modern style. Diamonds cut this way are generally less brilliant than, for example, the round diamonds. On the positive side, cushion cut diamonds tend to have more intense fire.

The new name of the stone is “The Star of Stanley Ho, Grand Lisboa, Macau”, honoring the Stanley Ho’s contributions to the gaming industry in Macau. In the speech given at the presentation of this jewel, Dr. Ho explained that he dedicates this piece to his timeless commitment to Macau. Macau, for those who do not know, is a Special Administrative Region of China, similar to Hong Kong.

Dr. Stanley Ho, is a prominent figure of the gaming industry of Macau — you must give him a credit indeed, as he is still very much hands on. You never know what’s going to happen next, since, as always, not all the cards are on the table. As the competition heats up in Macau, it remains to be seen who holds the ace of hearts, but chances are this star looks set to shine for a very long time.

Today, the "Star of Stanley Ho" belongs to the Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, S.A. Dr. Stanley Ho expressed his conviction that this diamond represented a timeless quality that reflected SJM’s timeless commitment to Macau and its people.

The previous owner, Robert Mouawand, is a famous diamond and jewelry collector. Some of the notable items in Mouawad’s collection of pricy gemstones included the following outstanding stones:

• Jubilee, antique-shape, cushion cut diamond, 245.35 carat E/VVS2 color;
• Premier Rose, a pear shape diamond, 137.02 carat, D/FL color;
• Queen of Holland, a cushion shape diamond, 135.92 carat weight, D/IF color.

About the Author

Sunny breeze is a member of sunnyray's staff.

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