Royal gift or ‘stolen’ gem? Calls for UK to return 500 carat Great Star of Africa diamond to South Africa
THE story of a woman with a rare blue star in the centre of her engagement ring is making international headlines.
The diamond, found in Tanzania in 2012, is owned by a South African businessman and was once valued at $1 million. The woman sold it to a South African diamond dealer for $3.8 million.
The South African owner is demanding the UK return the diamond to him for £500,000.
The diamond is called the Great Star of Africa, named after being formed when the asteroid that hit Earth in 1908 collided with the then-recently formed sun.
The largest diamond ever found is said to be approximately 1.15 carats, which was discovered in South Africa’s diamond fields in 1909.
The Great Star of Africa is thought to be about 50 to 75 carats.
As the diamond is so large, it is said the largest diamond in the world is said to be between 1 and 2 carats.
A small amount of the larger stone are actually found in the ground, but the largest of the stone is about 2.24 carats, about 1.38 per cent of the total stone.
Despite its size, the diamond is considered to be an inferior quality, which the man who owns it is worried about if it is ever found.
The diamond in question was bought by a South African businessman, who says he thinks he has found the largest diamond in the world. The woman bought the diamond and called it the Great Star of Africa after it formed when an asteroid struck in 1908.
There was an attempt to find the diamond, but failed because the owners weren’t careful with the gemstone.
South Africa’s Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa said he is confident that his government will secure legal protection for the diamond and return it to the private owner.
The Great Star of Africa was discovered by a South African diamond prospector in the eastern part of the country.
The large stone is believed to have grown from an estimated 500 to 800 carats, as opposed to the smaller stone, which was found to be about 1 carat.
On Friday, the South African National Institute of Standards and Technology issued a statement saying the diamond was now a part of