The Tiffany Diamond

The Tiffany Diamond is one of the world’s largest and finest yellow diamonds. Discovered in the Kimberley diamond mines in South Africa in 1877, the 287.42-carat rough stone was acquired the following year by founder Charles Lewis Tiffany for $18,000 and solidified Mr. Tiffany’s reputation as the “King of Diamonds.”

The rough stone was brought to Paris, where Tiffany’s chief gemologist, Dr. George Frederick Kunz, supervised the cutting of the diamond into a cushion-shape brilliant weighing 128.54 carats with an unprecedented 82 facets—24 more facets than the traditional 58-facet brilliant cut. The stone is just over an inch wide and seven-eighths of an inch from top to bottom. Cut to enhance its radiant color rather than size, the diamond sparkles as if lit by an inner flame.

The Tiffany Diamond was the highlight of Tiffany’s award-winning exhibits at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and the 1939–40 World’s Fair in New York City, among many others. Later appearances included the 2006 "Bejewelled by Tiffany" exhibition at Somerset House in London, and an exhibition celebrating the National Gem Collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.