Personal Consultation
By Benji, Content ManagerThe Great Chrysanthemum diamond is a pear-shaped, modified brilliant-cut, 104.16 carat (198.28 carats rough), with a color grading of Fancy Brown as certified by the GIA. The stone has 67 facets on the crown, 57 facets on the pavilion, and 65 vertical facets along the girdle, making a total of 189 facets. The Great Chrysanthemum is the second largest pear-shaped brown diamond in the world and was discovered in South Africa in 1963.
The rough stone was purchased by Julius Cohen, a New York jeweler in the year it was discovered, and taken to New York. The stone was cut by the diamond cutting firm Messrs. S & M Kaufmann of New York. The diamond was then mounted as the centerpiece of a necklace, consisting of marquise, pear, and round-shaped diamonds.
Julius Cohen sold the diamond to an anonymous foreign buyer but it is presently owned by Garrards of London.
Apparently, the beautiful brown flowers of the Chrysanthemum are the inspiration for the naming of this diamond, as the rich golden brown color of the stone seems to closely approximate the color of the flower.
