The Cullinan Diamond
One of the largest diamonds ever found was in South Africa and named for the owner of the mining company. The Cullinan diamond was 3106 carats. It was cut into 105 beautiful diamonds. The largest is the Star of Africa, a 530 carat diamond. In 1907 this diamond was given to King Edward VII of England and set into the Royal Scepter. It is kept, along with the other British Crown Jewels, in the Tower of London.

The Hope Diamond
A 44 carat blue diamond set as a pendant with 16 white diamonds surrounding it and a chain of 45 white diamonds. This diamond has an infamous reputation and fluoresces with a unique reddish color when exposed to ultraviolet light. Donated to the Smithsonian.

The Regent Diamond
Found on the Kistna River, India in 1701, this 410 carat stone originally known at the Pitt. The diamond was sold to Thomas Pitt who sent it to England to have it cut and polished. The result was a brilliant cushion shaped diamond of 140 carats. In 1717 it was sold to the the Duke of Orleans, regent of France, from which it gets the name Regent. The royals used the stone in many ways including being set in the Crown of Louis XV, as a hair ornament of Queen Marie and as an adornment in the hat of Marie Antoinette. After the French Revolution the stone was set in the hilt of Napoleon Bonaparte's sword. Napoleon's wife, Marie Louisa, carried the Regent back to Austria upon his death. Later her father returned it to the French Crown Jewels. Today, it remains in the French Royal Treasury at Louvre.

The Taylor-Burton Diamond
This 69 carat diamond was originally known as the Cartier diamond after Cartier Inc. paid the record price of $1,050,000 for the gem at auction. The next day Richard Burton bought the stone for Elizabeth Taylor. It was then renamed the Taylor-Burton diamond. She first wore the pear shaped diamond publicly at a party for Princess Grace's 40th birthday in Monaco. In 1978, she sold the diamond to build a hospital in Botswana. It was subsequently purchased by Robert Mouawad.