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Famous Diamonds: The Jubilee
At 243.35 carats, the Jubilee is one of the finest examples of a famous diamond of exceptional color, purity and size. (It is not to be confused with the Golden Jubilee Diamond, the 545.67-carat gem , which is a brown diamond.)
The 245.35-carat Jubilee Diamond, discovered in the Jagersfontein Mine in 1895, is part of the Mouawad diamond collection.
The 650.80-carat rough stone was discovered at the Jagersfontein Mine in South Africa in 1895 and was originally called the Reitz Diamond, after Francis William Reitz, who was president of the Orange Free State where the diamond was uncovered. The diamond was cut and polished to its current size in 1896. Due to the stones size and purity, the diamond was originally planned to be presented to Queen Victoria, however that did not happen. It was, nevertheless, renamed in 1897 to honor the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Victoria.
The famous diamond changed hands in 1900, when Indian businessman Sir Dorabji Jamshedji Tata purchased the cushion-shaped diamond. The diamond was sold a few years after Dorabji’s death in 1932, and the proceeds, along with his entire fortune, funded the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust dedicated to advancing learning and research, relief work and other charitable purposes.
Learn about the The Elizabeth Taylor Diamond, Cullinan II, Koh-i-noor and The Orlov, all part of our famous diamonds series.