Russia's 3rd-largest diamond goes to state

MOSCOW, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- The third-largest diamond ever found in Russia has been acquired by the government for the collection of precious stones founded by Czar Peter the Great.

The 298.48-carat stone was discovered in July 2004 in the Republic of Sakha in Siberia, where Russia's major diamond-bearing deposits are located.

Vladimir Rybkin, head of the Diamond Fund, refused to reveal the purchase price, Novosti reported. The stone was bought from the Sakha government, which owns the diamond-mining company.

The new acquisition will go on display in the Kremlin Armory Palace, which houses the Diamond Fund, Novosti said.

Other stones in the collection include the largest diamond found in Russia, which weighed in at 342.5 carats and was discovered in 1980; and the second-largest, 320.65 carats, found in 1989.

Catherine the Great's diamond-covered crown and the 190-carat Orlov diamond, a gift to the empress from her lover, Grigori Orlov, are also in the fund, with Faberge eggs designed by the legendary court jeweler Carl Faberge.

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