The Cullinan Diamond III & IV Brooch

The Cullinan II and IV, known as the lesser star of Africa were set as a brooch by the Queen Mary in 1910. It is the signle most valueable item owned by the Queen, Who inherited the pieces of jewellery from the Cullinan cleavings on the death of her grandmother in 1953. The pear drop (III) of 94.4 carats hangs from (IV), A square cut stone of 63.6 carats. On 25th March 1958, while on a a State Visit to Holland, The Queen and The Duke Of Edinburgh made a tour of the Asscher diamond works, and in talking about the cutting of the cullinan diamond fifty years earlier, she referred tot the cullinan III and IV brooch as 'Granny's chips', which became the nickname for these stories. This was the first occasion on which the Queen had ever worn the Brooch, and during the afternoon she npinned it and handed it to Louis Asscher who had been a witness as his brother cleaved the stone. The elderly man, nearly blind, was deeply moved that her Majesty had brought the Cullinans with her, knowing how much it would mean to him to see them again.