What was the rough carat weight of the Tiffany Yellow Diamond before cutting?

Before cutting, the Tiffany Yellow Diamond weighed roughly 287.42 carats.

The stone was discovered in South Africa in the late 1870s and purchased by Tiffany & Co. for $18,000 through the company’s Paris agent. Its original rough size made it an important diamond, but the finished gem became even more famous for its unusually deep yellow color and distinctive cut.

Gemologist George Frederick Kunz supervised the cutting in Paris. Kunz and his team studied the rough diamond for about a year before removing substantial material to create a cushion-shaped Stellar Cut Brilliant. The finished stone weighs 128.54 carats and has 90 facets, compared with the 58 facets typical of a traditional brilliant cut.

The key quiz trap is the difference between rough and finished weight: 287.42 carats describes the uncut stone, while 128.54 carats describes the famous completed diamond. Tiffany never sold the gem; it became a long-term emblem of the company and has appeared in several settings, including Jean Schlumberger’s Bird on a Rock.