Great Table
Specifications
| Weight | 350 to 450 carats* |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 59.42 x 33.51 x 13.25 mm** |
| Color | Pale Pink |
| Weight of Rough | Unknown; assumed to be semi-polished crystal |
| Origin | Golconda, India |
| Date Found | Unknown; probably early 1600’s |
| Current Location | Cut into the Darya-I-Nur and the Nur-al-Ain in the early 1800’s |
*Per Tavernier, 242 old carats.
**Dimensions derived using GemCad and computer modeling.
Details
The Great Table Diamond: A Lost Gem of Royal and Legendary Significance
Historical Mentions: From Tavernier to Brydges
The first recorded mention of the Great Table appears in 1642, by the famed French traveller and gem merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, who sketched and described the diamond during his travels through Persia. Over a century later, in 1791, Sir Harford Brydges, a British diplomat in the service of the Shah of Persia, referenced the stone again—confirming it matched Tavernier’s earlier description.
This 1791 account is the last known historical reference to the Great Table. After that, the diamond seemed to disappear from history, joining the ranks of rare historical diamonds lost to time.
The Great Table Diamond as drawn by Tavernier (1642)
Rediscovery Through Science: The 1969 Study
Fast forward to 1969, when a team of three Canadian gemmologists, led by V.B. Meen, had the rare opportunity to study the Iranian Crown Jewels. Their work, published in Gems & Gemmology and the book The Crown Jewels of Iran, represents one of the most important pieces of historical diamond research to date.
They focused on two large pink diamonds—the Darya-I-Nur (DIN) and Nur-Al-Ain (NAA)—noting their nearly identical color, clarity, and gemmological properties. The team proposed that these two stones might have been cleaved from the original Great Table Diamond sometime between 1794 and 1834.
If correct, this would place the Great Table in the same category as the Koh-i-Noor or Cullinan—historic diamonds worth millions that were broken into smaller but equally famous gems.
Scientific Modeling and Faceting Analysis
The Canadian team determined that the Great Table was likely a rough diamond crystal with dodecahedral form, and its angular surfaces pointed to a dodecahedral face. This insight helped define the cutting angles, particularly the bevel facets, which were calculated at 54.75°—the angle between octahedral faces in diamond crystallography.
Tavernier’s Drawing Meets Modern Technology
Because Tavernier’s original drawing lacked precise measurements, Sucher recreated the gem using:
- Adobe Illustrator for scalable line drawings
- GemCad software to model accurate dimensions
- Known dimensions of the DIN and NAA to reverse-engineer the minimum size needed for the Great Table to contain them both
The conclusion? The Great Table Diamond would have required final dimensions of approximately 59.42 x 33.51 x 13.25 mm—larger than previously thought.
Carat Weight Discrepancies: From History to Modelling
- Tavernier’s record: 242 5/16 old carats (≈248.75 modern carats)
- Meen’s estimate (1969): ~299 carats
- Modern 3D model: ~380.38 carats (based on improved geometric analysis and a specific gravity of 3.51 g/cm³)
The differences in weight estimates are primarily due to:
- Variations in dimensional assumptions
- Lack of advanced modeling tools in earlier studies
- The challenge of interpreting Tavernier’s 17th-century drawings
These evolving figures reflect the complexity of reconstructing ancient diamonds with royal significance, and illustrate how modern technology can refine historical gemmological data.
Final Visualization
Replicas of the Great Table (top), and the Darya-I-Nur and Nur-Al-Ain (bottom), showing orientation and dimension matching
A Fascinating Past of One of History's Most Valuable Diamonds
Whether considered a lost treasure or the progenitor of two famous diamonds, the Great Table earns its place among the world’s most valuable historical diamonds. Its disappearance, coupled with the rise of the DIN and NAA, adds a layer of gemmological intrigue and historical mystery.
This diamond’s journey from Tavernier’s sketch to modern 3D modelling represents one of the best examples of how legendary diamonds in famous jewels continue to reveal their secrets through the lens of science, history, and craftsmanship.