Natural diamonds are far more than just geological wonders. For centuries, they’ve sparked wars, helped forge alliances between vast empires, been the focal point of tempestuous love affairs, and made Hollywood red carpet appearances. Yes, we’re still not over Margot Robbie wearing the heart-shaped Taj Mahal diamond set in a necklace to the Los Angeles premiere of Wuthering Heights earlier this year. The Taj Mahal diamond isn’t just a stunning gemstone, it’s a cultural icon, as are a handful of other historic diamonds that were all discovered in India.
These fabled stones now grace the pages of history books and are a part of royal crowns, or rest under heavy glass in the world’s most famous museums. What really makes these famous Indian diamonds the subject of such global intrigue?
The great Indian diamonds
To truly understand these iconic diamonds and their fascinating journeys, one must look beyond the sparkle. We aim to do this with the Great Indian Diamond Archive: a curated, research-based exploration of the world’s most legendary diamonds, all of which happen to have been born on Indian shores.
We take a closer look at twelve such historic Indian diamonds, highlight their identity and gemological characteristics, in addition to offering an overview of their historical journeys and, most importantly, why they stand out.
The Koh-i-Noor
An oval modified brilliant cut that weighs 105.60 carats, the Koh-i-Noor is the stone with the most mysterious past among all the Golconda diamonds. Though it has been part of the British Crown Jewels since 18491 and now displayed in the Tower of London, its widely believed to have been in possession of the erstwhile Mughal empire for centuries prior.
A large diamond, valued at “half the daily expense of the whole world”, is mentioned in the memoirs of Babur (1483-1530), the founder of the Mughal empire in the Indian subcontinent. Babur’s diamond, thought to be the Koh-i-Noor, changed hands many times and was owned by various Indian and Persian rulers over the centuries.2
Legend says the Koh-i-Noor diamond brings bad luck to any man who wears it, so only a queen or queen consort has worn it since it came into British hands. The Koh-i-Noor may have a long history of ownership, yet it endures as a symbol of grandeur, heritage and legacy.
The Hope Diamond
When the jewel trader Jean-Baptiste Tavernier acquired the Hope Diamond, it was a 112-carat stone that he described at the time as a “beautiful violet.” The somewhat triangular stone — still considered one of the world’s most famous coloured diamonds — was sold to King Louis XIV of France in 1668.3 The diamond was then recut, set in gold and suspended on a neck ribbon which the king wore on ceremonial occasions.
Today, the Hope Diamond weighs 44.50 carats and is still on display at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. It arrived at the Smithsonian as a donation in 19584, prior to which it changed many hands and journeyed through many countries before being bought by Harry Winston Inc. of New York City. It was shown at many exhibitions and charitable events across the world.
The Regent Diamond
Once considered the most outstanding gem of the French Crown jewels, the Regent diamond was discovered in India in 1701 and weighed 410 carats in its rough form.5 This famous diamond is believed to have been purchased by Sir Thomas Pitt, the then British governor in Madras (modern day Chennai), who published an intriguing letter in the London Daily Post to squash rumours that he had stolen the gem. Then, when the stone was cut to a 141-carat cushion brilliant, it ended up being called the Pitt diamond.
Eventually, it was bought in 1717 by the Duke of Orléans, the then regent of France and has since been given its current name. Though a few years later it was reported stolen along with other crown jewels, it was eventually recovered and went on to become part of Napoleon’s sword. Today, it is on display at the Louvre in Paris.
The Daria-i-Noor Diamond
Most of the storied Golconda diamonds are shrouded in mystery of one kind or another and the Daria-i-Noor (meaning “sea of light”) is no different. Often described as the sister of the infamous Koh-i-Noor, the pale pink tablet-shaped diamond that weighs about 185 carats6, features an oblong surface, and is believed to have moved through the hands of Mughal, Maratha and Sikh rulers after being discovered in the Golconda mines. It eventually vanished from public view.
There have been rumours of the Daria-i-Noor resting in a sealed bank vault in Bangladesh7 while Iranian officials at the Central Bank of Iran in Tehran told the Gemological Institute of America in 1964 that the Daria-i-Noor had never left the treasure vaults, where it holds a prominent place among the Iranian crown jewels.8
The Great Mogul Diamond
Discovered in 1650, this 787-carat Golconda diamond is believed to be the largest diamond ever found on Indian shores. Tavernier described it in 1665 as a high-crowned rose-cut stone with a flaw at the bottom and a small speck within.7 Like the Koh-i-Noor and the Daria-i-Noor, it isn’t just spectacular to look at; it has a fascinating story behind it.
Nobody knows where the diamond currently is. Some believe that either the Orlov diamond or the Koh-i-Noor may have been cut from this stone after its loss following the assassination of its owner, Nader Shah, in 1747.8
The Orlov Diamond
Very little is known about the Orlov’s history except that it was likely discovered in the Golconda region. A large rose-cut diamond, it’s shape has been described as half of a pigeon’s egg.9 According to one legend, it was pried from the eye of an idol in India in the 1700s by a deserter from the French army while other sources mention that the stone (believed to be the long-missing Great Mogul diamond) belonged to Nader Shah, king of Persia, and was stolen after he was assassinated in 1747.
Proper documentation of the diamond dates to the early 1770s when the diamond was acquired by Count Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov for his lover, Russian Empress Catherine II, known as Catherine the Great, who reigned from 1762 until her death in 1796.
In 1774, she had the gemstone set in the Imperial Sceptre, where it remains to this day, and is on display at the Kremlin Armoury in Moscow. Since the diamond is mounted, it has not been accurately weighed; based on old records, it amounts to approximately 190 carats.10
The Dresden Green Diamond
At 41 carats, the Dresden Green is the largest-known natural green diamond in history. The green hue — which is visible not just at the surface, as is typical of natural green diamonds — that was created by natural radiation, can be seen throughout the stone. However, its stunning colour isn’t the only thing that makes it so special; there’s an intriguing tale behind it.
Believed to have originated in the Golconda mines, it was brought to London around 1726. The same year, it was bought by Friedrich Augustus I, King of Poland, and was subsequently sold to Friedrich Augustus II in 1741. A year later, it was set in a specially commissioned badge of the Order of the Golden Fleece, only for the badge to be broken up four years later and set into a new badge. Eventually, this badge was dismantled too and the section containing the historic diamond was used to create a hat ornament. Today, the legendary diamond remains in the Green Vault, a museum in Dresden, Germany.11
The Nassak Diamond
The Nassak Diamond has a provenance that cannot be determined with precision, but what is known is this – that it was originally a triangular-shaped stone of approximately 90 carats; it was then re-cut to around 78 carats. Eventually, it was re-cut again into a 43-carat rectangle – less than half its original size.12
The diamond was discovered in the Amaragiri mine located in Mahbubnagar, Andhra Pradesh, following which the diamond adorned the statue of Shiva in the Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple, near Nashik, Maharashtra, from at least 1500 to 1817.13 The diamond was named after Nashik (or Nassak), which served as an important place of pilgrimage for Hindus at the time.
The Nassak Diamond was brought to the London market in 1818 and sold by the East India Company in 1831. The successful purchasers, crown jewellers Rundell and Bridge recut the diamond, after which it made its way into the handle of the 1st Marquess of Westminster’s dress sword. It’s currently under private ownership.
The Jacob Diamond
Another iconic diamond whose history isn’t quite as well known as the others, the Jacob Diamond is believed to have been discovered in either the Golconda mines or in Kimberly, South Africa. It was discovered in 1884, and in the rough, weighed a whopping 457.50 carats, the third largest diamond in the world at the time.14
What is also known is that in 1891, a trader named Alexander Malcom Jacob (hence the name) acquired it from a jewellery syndicate in Amsterdam. He then offered to sell it to the Nizam of Hyderabad at the time. At first, it was used as a paperweight by the Nizam’s son but then rumours circulated about the diamond being cursed.
The diamond in its current form weighs approximately 184.75 carats15, and has been in possession of the Government of India for decades now, stowed away safely as a national treasure.
The Shah Diamond
Why the 88.71-carat table-cut Shah Diamond stands out is not just because of the tinge of yellow. The elongated octahedral stone bears three ancient Persian inscriptions, all visible to the naked eye, indicating it was discovered before or around 1591, probably in the Golconda mines in India.16
The first date is 1591, with the name of the ruler of Ahmednagar (present day Maharashtra) at the time. The second is 1641, by when the diamond was already in the possession of the Mughal empire. The final inscription refers to 1824, when the stone moved into the hands of the Persian empire.17 It was later presented to Czar Nicholas I in 1829 by an Iranian prince.
The Shah Diamond is currently displayed in the Diamond Fund of Russia in Moscow.
The Taj Mahal Diamond
The heart-shaped Taj Mahal diamond necklace that Margot Robbie was spotted wearing recently is the very same one that was once worn by Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor and Queen Mumtaz, the wife of Shah Jahan.
Made from rubies and diamonds, including an inscribed heart-shaped table-cut diamond, the Taj Mahal Diamond (which weighs approximately 115 carats) has a romantic history. It’s reported that Emperor Jahangir presented his wife Nur Jahan with the commissioned necklace, and that the pendant was later passed on to their son, Shah Jahan, who gifted it to Queen Mumtaz. The necklace, of course, is named after the iconic Taj Mahal.18
Mounted in jade, featuring table-cut diamonds and red gems, and suspended from a traditional Indian silk cord, the Taj Mahal Diamond was bought by Cartier in 1971. After a woven gold and ruby necklace that aligned with the cord’s silhouette was added, the legendary diamond was shown to Hollywood icon Robert Burton who presented the necklace to his wife Taylor on her 40th birthday.
The Nizam Diamond
Also referred to as the Bala Koh-i-Noor or “Little Koh-i-Noor,” this 340-carat diamond was discovered in the 1800s — likely mined from the Golconda region — by a goldsmith who happened to chance upon it. Some accounts state that in its rough form, it appeared to be slightly larger than a pigeon’s egg. It’s believed that the goldsmith broke the iconic diamond into three pieces, with the intent to sell. The larger of the three broken pieces was the largest as it represented half of the original diamond.19 This part of the diamond made its way to the treasury of the Nizam at the time.
The diamond was so exquisite, it made its way into the travelogue of Isabel Burton (1831–1896), wife of the explorer Sir Richard Francis Burton. She described it as follows: “The general appearance is an imperfect oval, with only one projection which will require the saw. It is not unlike a Chinese woman’s foot without the toes, and it will easily cut into a splendid brilliant, larger and more valuable than the present Kohinoor.”20
In the 1850s when it was weighed, it amounted to approximately 277 carats. It was only in the 1920s that it was finally cut into an octahedral shape by the order of the Nizam.
The historic diamond made an appearance in 2019 by the name of the Nizam diamond at a prominent New York Gallery but its current whereabouts remain unknown. Many believe that it now sports an irregular pear shape and weighs around 120 carats.
How we selected these diamonds
We carefully curated a selection of Indian diamonds that have, over the years, reached iconic status due to their unique natural characteristics (be it carat weight, colour or cut) and the stories of mystery and intrigue that surround them. Keep in mind though that this isn’t a ranking of these historic diamonds – they’re all incredible in their own ways!
India’s rich legacy of natural diamonds
For centuries, India’s mines stood as the world’s sole source of natural diamonds, producing stones of exceptional purity. From the legendary Koh-i-Noor to the mesmerizing Hope Diamond, the treasures unearthed from Indian soil did more than just decorate thrones; they established the very standard for what the world considers precious.
As we look back on India’s role as the original custodian of these gems, it becomes clear that the value of these historic diamonds transcends the physical. They are still the ultimate symbols of rarity and cultural legacy, reminding us that while trends may shift, the world’s fascination with natural diamonds is anchored in a history that is as deep and enduring as the earth from which they surfaced.
Sources:
- www.britannica.com/topic/Koh-i-noor ↩︎
- 4cs.gia.edu/en-us/blog/famous-diamonds-kohinoor/ ↩︎
- Si.edu/spotlight/hope-diamond/history ↩︎
- Si.edu/spotlight/hope-diamond/history ↩︎
- www.britannica.com/topic/Regent-Diamond ↩︎
- www.britannica.com/topic/Darya-e-Nur ↩︎
- www.britannica.com/topic/Great-Mogul-Diamond ↩︎
- www.britannica.com/topic/Great-Mogul-Diamond ↩︎
- 4cs.gia.edu/en-us/blog/famous-diamonds-orlov ↩︎
- 4cs.gia.edu/en-us/blog/famous-diamonds-orlov ↩︎
- 4cs.gia.edu/en-us/blog/green-diamond ↩︎
- www.jewellermagazine.com/Article/545/Nassak-World-Famous-Diamonds ↩︎
- books.google.co.in/books/about/Nassak_Diamond.html?id=-lCNMAEACAAJ&redir_esc=y ↩︎
- cairndiamonds.com/blogs/news/the-jacob-diamond-famous-diamonds-of-the-world?srsltid=AfmBOoqz_fH3mHLIiEDiKyvNGtrIM3asnH1PRly0W9oakqc2tgN_Z0nW ↩︎
- cairndiamonds.com/blogs/news/the-jacob-diamond-famous-diamonds-of-the-world?srsltid=AfmBOoqz_fH3mHLIiEDiKyvNGtrIM3asnH1PRly0W9oakqc2tgN_Z0nW ↩︎
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shah-Diamond ↩︎
- www.gia.edu/doc/spring_1968.pdf ↩︎
- adiamondisforever.com/en-in/gifting/why-customized-natural-diamond-jewelry-is-the-ultimate-style-flex/ ↩︎
- www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/080723/bala-kohinoor-journey-golconda-mines-unknown-billionaire.html ↩︎
- www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/080723/bala-kohinoor-journey-golconda-mines-unknown-billionaire.html ↩︎
