Editing Millennium Star

{{Short description|203.04-carat colourless diamond from Zaire}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2008}}

{{Infobox diamond
| name           = Millennium Star
| image          = 
| caption        =
| weight         = {{convert|203.04|carat|g|abbr=on}}
| color          = Grade D Colorless
| cut            = Pear Brilliant
| country        = [[Zaire]]
| mine           = Mbuji-Mayi
| found          = 1990
| cutter         = [[Steinmetz Group]]
| original_owner =
| owner          = [[De Beers]]
| value          = Insured for £100,000,000
}}
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&nbsp;[[Carat (unit)|carat]]s (40.608&nbsp;g), it is the world's second-largest known [[diamond color|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]] in 1990 in [[alluvial]] deposits; uncut, it was 777 carats (155.4&nbsp; 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&nbsp;carats (23.6&nbsp;g) and [[Heart of Eternity Diamond|The Heart of Eternity]]. They were displayed at London's [[Millennium Dome]] over 2000. 

There was an attempt on 7 November 2000 to [[Millennium Dome raid|steal the collection]] from the [[Millennium Dome]], but the [[Metropolitan Police]] discovered the plot and arrested the robbers before their escape.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1010974.stm |work=BBC News  | title=Great Dome robbery foiled | date=7 November 2000 | accessdate=12 May 2010}}</ref> Crime journalist Kris Hollington wrote a book called ''Diamond Geezers'' ({{ISBN|1843171228}}) about the attempted theft. The book also features a detailed history of the Millennium Star. The attempted robbery was featured in the 2025 [[Netflix]] documentary ''The Diamond Heist''.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/apr/16/the-diamond-heist-review-guy-ritchie-millennium-dome-jewel-robbery-netflix | date=16 April 2025 | accessdate=20 April 2025 | title=The Diamond Heist review – Guy Ritchie's thrilling tale of the failed Millennium Dome jewel robbery | work=The Guardian | last1=Mangan | first1=Lucy }}</ref>

The largest cut white (D) diamond by weight is the 1991 modified heart-shaped {{convert|273.85|carat|g}} [[Centenary Diamond]].

==See also==
* [[List of diamonds]]

==References==

{{reflist}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130808124632/http://www.rivieratimes.com/index.php/provence-cote-dazur-article/items/a-diamond-reward.html A diamond reward]. ''rivieratimes.com.'' 7 August 2013

==External links==
{{portalbar|London}}
* [http://famousdiamonds.tripod.com/millenniumstardiamond.html Some images of the diamond]

[[Category:Individual diamonds]]
[[Category:De Beers]]
[[Category:2000 in London]]
[[Category:Diamonds originating in Zaire]]