At 995.2 carats, the Excelsior diamond is perhaps the second largest diamond ever found (if the lost Braganza cannot be found and authenticated).

A high-clarity, blue-white diamond, it was found in l893 by a South African mine worker who picked it out of a shovelful of gravel. Because of its irregular shape, it was cut by I.J. Asscher and Company of Amsterdam into 21 polished stones, of which the largest was a marquise diamond of 69.80 carats. A smaller, 18-carat marquise diamond cut from the Excelsior was displayed at the l939 World's Fair by De Beers.

The African mine worker who found the diamond kept it a secret until he could safely turn it over to the mine manager who rewarded him with some money, a horse and a saddle.