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The Great Chrysanthemum diamond comes from a 198.28-carat fancy brown diamond which was found in the summer of 1963 in the South African diamond fields.
Julius Cohen, a New York City manufacturing jeweler, purchased this unusual stone and had it cut into a pear shape by the firm S & M Kaufman.
The 104.15-carat cut stone has a total of 189 facets (67 on the crown, 65 on the girdle, and 57 on the pavilion).
It is mounted as the central stone in a yellow gold necklace made of 410 oval and marquise-shaped diamonds. In the rough, the diamond appeared to be a light honey color; after cutting, however, it proved to be a rich golden brown, with overtones of sienna and burnt orange, the warm colors of the brown chrysanthemum after which the stone was named.
The Great Chrysanthemum has been exhibited by several retail jewelers in the United States and was shown as a Diamonds International Awards winner in 1965. In the same year, it was displayed at the Rand Easter Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa. Julius Cohen later sold it to an unknown foreign buyer.