ONE DECISIVE BLOW!

The Cullinan diamond, discovered in South Africa in 1905, is the largest gem-quality diamond ever found. It was recorded at  3106.75 carat and 10.5 cm  long.

Joseph Asscher of Amsterdam prepared himself for the greatest responsibility of his life: the difficult and risky cutting of the largest and most expensive diamond in the world.   He spent SIX MONTHS doing nothing but studying the rough diamond from every angle.

We cannot imagine the tension, pressure and stress of such a work.  After much preparation and special arrangements, 10th February 1908, Joseph Asscher placed the cleaving blade at the prearranged point of the diamond and struck the blade with his hammer with one decisive blow. To his horror the cleaving blade broke, but his horror changed to relief when he found the diamond was unharmed.  He obtained a special, extra large cleaving blade.  Failure was unthinkable! The tension must have been enormous as he tried again.  This time it split perfectly into  three large sections, just as planned. Each was closely studied and then divided into nine principal diamonds, ensuring each had a suitable cut and shape to give the most beautiful results in respect of their lustre, transparency, refraction and dispersion of light.  It would be another 8 months before the polishing of Cullinan 1 was completed.  Eventually 9 major diamonds and 96 smaller cut stones were taken from the rough Cullinan.

The largest polished gem from the stone is named Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa.  It is 530.4 carats and was the largest polished diamond in the world until the Golden Jubilee Diamond, 545.67 carats was discovered in 1985.
The stone was presented to King Edward VII on his birthday by the Transvaal government.  Cullinan I is now mounted in the head of the Sceptre with the Cross.  Cullinan II or the Lesser Star of Africa, is in the Coronation crown, both part of the British crown jewels.

There are times when we feel we have been dealt one decisive blow. 
The nerves wince and the soul cries out in agony. 
The blow seems an appalling mistake!

We know that every blood-bought, adopted child of God is precious to Him and that He loves us with an everlasting love and only wants the very, very best for us.  We are His most precious possession – a precious jewel – and we are in the hands of the most skilled lapidary who cannot fail.  We know His goal for us is to mould us to His plan of Christlikeness, and that one day we will be presented faultless before Him, only because of His work in us. Meanwhile, we can lie confidently and securely in His hands, for He knows just exactly what is needed to bring us to perfection.

1 Peter 1:7  [CEV]
Your faith will be like gold that has been tested in a fire.
And these trials
will prove that your faith is worth much more than gold
that can be destroyed. 

Romans 8:28 [CEV]
We know that God is always at work
for the good of everyone who loves him
– the ones God has chosen for his purpose

Job 23:10 [ESV]
But he knows the way that I take;
when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold

Mr Anon says . . .
What we call adversity, God calls opportunity.

In order to realise the worth of the anchor,
we need to feel the stress of the storm.

There is no situation so chaotic that God cannot create something beautiful.  He did it at creation. He did it at Calvary.
He is still doing it today in the lives of His children.

Annie Johnson Flint:
He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater;
He sendeth more strength when the labours increase.
To added affliction He addeth His mercy;
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

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