The Millennium Star is a diamond that was sold to an anonymous buyer in 2006, thought to be in Asia, by
De Beers. At 203.04
carats (40.608 g), it is the world's second-largest known
top-color (grade D, i.e., colorless), internally and externally flawless, pear-shaped diamond.
The diamond was discovered in the
Mbuji-Mayi district of
Zaire
Zaire, officially the Republic of Zaire, was the name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1971 to 18 May 1997. Located in Central Africa, it was, by area, the third-largest country in Africa after Sudan and Algeria, and the 11th-la ...
in 1990 in
alluvial
Alluvium (, ) is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluvium is also sometimes called alluvial deposit. Alluvium is ...
deposits; uncut, it was 777 carats (155.4 g). De Beers purchased it during the height of the country's Civil War in the early to mid-nineties. Workers of the
Steinmetz Diamond Group took over three years to produce the classic pear form. The cutting was done using lasers.
It was first displayed in October 1999 as the centerpiece of the De Beers Millennium diamond collection. The collection also includes eleven blue diamonds totaling 118 carats (23.6 g) and
The Heart of Eternity. They were displayed at London's
Millennium Dome
The Millennium Dome was the original name of the large dome-shaped building on the Greenwich Peninsula in South East (London sub region), South East London, England, which housed a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millen ...
over 2000.
There was an attempt on 7 November 2000 to
steal the collection from the
Millennium Dome
The Millennium Dome was the original name of the large dome-shaped building on the Greenwich Peninsula in South East (London sub region), South East London, England, which housed a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millen ...
, but the
Metropolitan Police discovered the plot and arrested the robbers before their escape. Crime journalist Kris Hollington wrote a book called ''Diamond Geezers'' () about the attempted theft. The book also features a detailed history of the Millennium Star. The attempted robbery was featured in the 2025
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
documentary ''The Diamond Heist''.
The largest cut white (D) diamond by weight is the 1991 modified heart-shaped
Centenary Diamond.
See also
*
List of diamonds
Diamond (gemstone), Diamonds occur naturally and vary in size, color, and quality, so the largest of a particular color may not be large in absolute terms, but may still be considered very desirable. Diamonds may also have high valuations in sal ...
References
A diamond reward ''rivieratimes.com.'' 7 August 2013
External links
{{portalbar, London
Individual diamonds
De Beers
2000 in London
Diamonds originating in Zaire