There is a growing movement among some South Africans calling for Britain to return the world’s largest diamond, known as the Star of Africa, which is set in the royal scepter that King Charles III will hold at his coronation on Saturday. The diamond, weighing 530 carats, was discovered in South Africa in 1905 and presented to the British monarchy by the colonial government when the country was under British rule. With the current global conversation on returning artwork and artifacts that were pillaged during colonial times, some South Africans are demanding that the diamond be brought back to their country.
A Johannesburg-based lawyer and activist, Mothusi Kamanga, has launched an online petition, which has gathered around 8,000 signatures, urging the return of the diamond. Kamanga believes that the diamond symbolizes South African pride, heritage, and culture, and its return would be a step towards decolonization, which means taking back what has been expropriated from the country.
The diamond, officially known as Cullinan I, was cut from the Cullinan diamond, a 3,100-carat stone mined near Pretoria. A smaller diamond cut from the same stone, Cullinan II, is set in the Imperial State Crown worn by British monarchs on ceremonial occasions. Along with the scepter, it is kept with the other crown jewels in the Tower of London. While some South Africans argue that the diamond should be returned to its home country, others don’t feel as strongly about it, saying that things have changed and are evolving.
Johannesburg resident Mohamed Abdulahi believes that the diamond should be returned because it was taken while the British were oppressing South Africa. However, some locals believe that the diamond’s return may not be essential, as the concept of superiority in the olden days doesn’t matter anymore. A replica of the Cullinan diamond, which is about the size of a man’s fist, is displayed at the Cape Town Diamond Museum.