LUCAPA DIAMOND COMPANY
鉱山開発会社のルカパは2月15日、アフリカ南西部アンゴラで、404.2カラットの巨大ダイヤモンドが発掘されたと発表した。カラットは宝石の質量を表す単位で、1カラット=0.2g。今回発見されたダイヤモンドは幅は約7センチ、重さ約80グラムで、Zippoライターを少し大きくしたサイズだ。
LUCAPA DIAMOND COMPANY
ABCニュースによると、ルカパの代表を務めるマイルズ・ケネディ氏は、「アンゴラで発見された最大のダイヤモンドだ」とコメント。「私はこれまで400カラット以上のダイヤモンドを見たことはないが、これより軽いダイヤモンドと比較すると、このダイヤモンドは20億円以上の価値があるだろう」と述べた。
なお、これまで発見された史上最大のダイヤモンドは、南アフリカで1905年に発見された「カリナン」（3106カラット）。原石は9パーツにカットされ、その多くがイギリスの王冠にあしらわれた。
以下に、世界で発見された巨大ダイヤモンドを紹介しよう。
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巨大ダイヤモンド
カリナン（模造品） 3106.75カラット(01 of17)
Replica of the Cullinan Diamond, the largest non carbonado and largest gem-quality diamond ever found, at 3106.75 carat (621.35 g, 1.37 lb) rough weight. About 10.5 cm (4.1 inches) long in its largest dimension, it was found on 26 January 1905, in the Premier No. 2 mine, near Pretoria, South Africa. Dated 2014 (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images) (credit:Universal History Archive via Getty Images)
カリナン3、カリナン4(02 of17)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 15: The Cullinan III and IV Broach is displayed at The Queen\'s Gallery, Buckingham Palace on May 15, 2012 in London, England. Jewellery, made from the largest diamond ever found, will be shown to the public at the \'Diamonds: A Jubilee Celebration\' exhibition which is part of the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace from June 30th - 8th July 2012 and July 31st - October 7, 2012. Celebrating Queen Elizabeth II\'s Diamond Jubilee the exhibition will showcase seven of the 9 stones cut from the Cullinan Diamond - the remaining two from part of the Crown Jewels. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images) (credit:Peter Macdiarmid via Getty Images)
カリナン5(03 of17)
Cullinan V Diamond. A Cullinan Diamond found in South Africa and measured at 18.85 Carats. Dated 2014 (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images) (credit:Universal History Archive via Getty Images)
セファドゥ 620カラット(04 of17)
The Giant Sefadu, a diamond believed to be the world\'s largest uncut diamond, is shown by a employee of a Kuala Lumpur jewelry company Thursday, July 30, 1998. The diamond, 620 carats and 2-3/4 inches, was discovered in 1970 at Sefadu in the West African nation of Sierra Leone. Although the Sefadu\'s monetary value would be increased if it were cut, Lazare Diamonds has decided to keep this extraordinary diamond in its natural, uncut state. It will be on exhibit at a Kuala Lumpur boutique starting Friday. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
616 - 616カラット(05 of17)
616 CARAT DIAMOND---03/08/05---Valued at Three Million dollars and the largest diamond ever to be displayed in Canada the 616 carat Dutoitspan, found by De Beers in Kimberly, South Africa is displayed at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Convention at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, March 8, 2005. The unpolished Diamond is roughly the size of a hen\'s egg and is one of the largest octahedral diamond crystals ever found. (Photo by Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images) (credit:Steve Russell via Getty Images)
レソトの約束 603カラット(06 of17)
A model looks at a giant diamond called \'The Lesotho Promise\', the 15th largest uncut diamond ever excavated, at the High Council for Diamonds in Antwerp, Belgium, Monday Oct. 9, 2006. \'The Lesotho Promise\' weighs 603 carats and is estimated to be worth US$ 12.36 million (euro 9.76 million). (AP Photo/Yves Logghe) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
レソトの星をカットして作られたダイヤモンド 76.41カラット(07 of17)
A 76.41cts flawless diamond is pictured at Graff diamond jewellers, in London, 06 December 2007. The diamond was cut from the 15th largest diamond (603ct) in the world called The \'Lesotho Promise.\' The Lesotho Promise was found at the Letseng Diamond Mine in Lesotho, a kingdom surrounded by South Africa. AFP PHOTO/CARL DE SOUZA (Photo credit should read CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/GettyImages) (credit:CARL DE SOUZA via Getty Images)
ザ・ゴールデン・ジュビリー 545.67カラット(08 of17)
Jeweler Georgie Gleim examines the world\'s largest polished diamond, the Golden Jubilee, at her store in Palo Alto, Calif. Friday, June 7, 1996. The 545.67-carat stone will be on public display at the store June 8-16 and will then travel to several other countries before going to Thailand where it will be presented to King Bhumibol as a gift from the Thai people in celebration of his 50th year on the throne. (AP Photo/Neal Hamberg) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
インコンパラブル 407.48カラット(09 of17)
October 16, 2008 - Royal Ontario Museum Preparator Susan Ventura sets a satellite diamond beside The Incomparable Diamond inside a walk-in gem vault during setup of an exhibition titled \'The Nature of Diamonds\' that opens in Toronto Ontario October 25th. The Incomparable Diamond is the worlds third largest diamond ever recorded, a 407.48 carat golden-coloured kite shaped diamond. Toronto Star/Pawel Dwulit (Photo by Pawel Dwulit/Toronto Star via Getty Images) (credit:Pawel Dwulit via Getty Images)
センティナリー273.85カラット(10 of17)
LONDON - SEPTEMBER 1997: The Centenary diamond on display at the Diamond Trading Company in London. It was found on July 17th, 1986 by the electric X-ray recovery system at the Premier Mine in SOuth Africa, owned by De Beers. Only a handful of people knew about it and all were sworn to silence. The diamond is 599 carats, and is perfect in colour. It is one of the largest top-colour diamonds ever found. It was named \'Centenary\' by De Beers because Cecil Rhodes discovered it around a century after the creation of London Diamond Syndicate. Over the years the Premier Mine has produced several outstanding diamonds of the most superb colour, which have been cut into famous gems: The Cullinan in 1905, the Niarchos in 1954, the Taylor-Burton in 1966, and the Premier Rose in 1978. (Photo by Patrick Landmann/Getty Images) (credit:Patrick Landmann via Getty Images)
ティファニー・イエローダイヤモンド 287.42カラット(11 of17)
Tiffany Yellow Diamond is one of the largest yellow diamonds ever discovered; its carat weight is 287.42 carats (57.484 g) in the rough when discovered in 1878 in the Kimberley mine in South Africa. Dated 2014 (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images) (credit:Universal History Archive via Getty Images)
ミレニアム・スター 203カラット（原石は777カラット）(12 of17)
The 203 carat Millennium Star, the largest flawless pear-shaped diamond in the world, which formed part of a display worth 350 million that a 12 strong gang of robbers attempted to steal on 07/11/00 from the Millennium Dome. * ....in the Money Zone, using an earth digger, smoke bombs and a powerboat. * 08/11/2001: Police foiled the \"robbery\" of the jewels when they caught raiders red handed as they smashed their way in using a mechanical digger, an Old Bailey court heard, at the opening of the trial of six men accused of plotting to rob the De Beers Millennium Diamond Exhibition with others unknown. 18/02/02 Four men were found guilty at the Old Bailey in London of plotting to carry out the robbery. (credit:Tony Harris/PA Archive)
ヤコブ・ダイヤモンド 184.5 カラット(13 of17)
The 184.5-carat Jacob Diamond, believed to be the seventh largest in the world on display at the Salarjung Museum in Hyderabad, India, on Friday, Jan. 12, 2007. The \'Nizam\'s Jewels\', a collection of the treasures of the Jah family who governed the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh from 1724 until India gained independence from Britain in 1947, will be on display at India\'s National Museum when a royal jewelry collection travels to India\'s capital next month, the museum\'s spokesman said Friday.(AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A) (credit:MAHESH KUMAR A/AP)
コ・イ・ヌール 105.6カラット(14 of17)
UNITED KINGDOM - NOVEMBER 27: Cubic zirconia replicas of the original and a modern Koh-i-Noor diamond are on display at the Natural History Museum\'s new permanent gallery \'\'The Vault\'\' in London, U.K., on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007. New York diamond dealer Alan Bronstein, whose gems go on show at London\'s Natural History Museum tomorrow, doesn\'t recommend colored diamonds as an investment. (Photo by Suzanne Plunkett/Bloomberg via Getty Images) (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
コ・イ・ヌール(15 of17)
BANGALORE, INDIA: Executive Director of Jewels de Paragon (JDP) Pavana Kishore shows the \'Koh-I-Noor\' diamond on display with other famous diamonds at an exhibition intitled \'100 World Famous Diamonds\' in Bangalore 19 May 2002. The Koh-I-Noor diamond, which once belonged to Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan, weighs 105.60 Carats and is part of the British crown jewels, stored in the tower of London. AFP PHOTO (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:STR via Getty Images)
コ・イ・ヌール(16 of17)
An Indian model shows a replica of the famous Indian diamond \'Koh-i-noor\' during a press meeting in Calcutta, 29 January 2002. Replicas of hundred worlds most famous diamonds are on public display in occasion of a show organised by a diamond-jewellery merchant. AFP PHOTO/Deshakalyan Chowdhury / AFP / DESHAKALYAN CHOWDHURY (Photo credit should read DESHAKALYAN CHOWDHURY/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:DESHAKALYAN CHOWDHURY via Getty Images)
ブルー・ハート・ダイヤモンド 101.31カラット(17 of17)
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 17: The largest heart-shaped diamond ever to come to auction is displayed 17 October at Christie\'s in New York. The 101.31 carat D-color internally flawless stone is estimated to go for 13 to15 million USD at the 24 October auction. (Photo credit should read JON LEVY/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:JON LEVY via Getty Images)
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