Kohinoor Diamond

‘Koh-i-noor’, the stone that has been at the heart of many rivalries and bloodshed, remains at the centre of a complicated ownership dispute between nations. It has adorned astral crowns and prized jewellery in history and is presently the most priceless attraction of the British crown jewels. Kohinoor, one of the largest and priceless diamonds globally, has an emotional bond with India since it was mined right here. The Kohinoor diamond currently weighs a staggering 105.6 carats. It is almost the size of a pebble which is remarkable for most of us who are more accustomed to smaller diamonds.

Why so pretty?
The beauty and brilliance of diamonds have always enticed every one. The carat, colour, cut and clarity are the primary criteria considered to evaluate its worth. Colour and clarity are a natural part of its crystal lattice; however, its cut is purely decided by a skilled lapidary. The cut determines the overall brilliance of the diamond. The precisely placed cuts transform these beauties from a Carbon crystal to a valuable gem we love to treasure. Unlike Gold and Platinum, the value of precious gems like diamonds and its counterparts increase drastically with size. Which, simply put, means that a one-carat diamond costs significantly more than two half-carat diamonds of the same quality. Size matters, immensely. Thus when a diamond is humongous in weight, its value skyrockets and it becomes almost invaluable which is the case with Kohinoor.

What’s in a name?
Kohinoor, also spelt as Koh-i-noor or Koh-i-nur, is a Persian name which translates to ‘Mountain of light’. Fitting, is it not? It was also popularly known as the diamond of Babur. The name Kohinoor was coined around the 18th century by Nadir Shah.

Source
This precious giant was dug out of the heart of Kollur mine in Golconda, which is in present-day Andhra Pradesh. The mines were situated somewhere on the banks of the Krishna river. Of course, these are theories since no one has been able to pinpoint its exact origin.

How big?
From a jeweller's perspective, the size is 21.6 grams with a colour quality marked as ‘finest white’. The stone is a perfect oval in shape. It is even more astounding to learn that it weighed a whopping 793 carats before its first cutting.

History
Many believe that the 'Syamantaka Mani' mentioned in Vishnu Purana which dates back 5000 years, is none other than the Kohinoor diamond. It says that the stone was gifted by Surya, the Sun God, to his ardent devotee Satrajit. Like Kohinoor, the Mani was believed to possess magical powers and bring good fortune and plentitude to its owner. It would bless him with eight measures of gold daily. The Mani history leaves a trail of theft, bloodshed and murder, very similar to the history of the Kohinoor.

The Kohinoor is documented by Babur, the Mughal empire founder in his memoir 'Baburnama'. Alauddin Khilji passed it on over dynasties and Babur acquired it after his conquest of the states of Delhi and Agra, at the famous Battle of Panipat. He called it 'Diamond of Babur'. His successors later on inherited it. The peacock throne belonging to Shah Jahan had the Kohinoor adorning it during his rule. It is rumoured that his son Aurangzeb, who had imprisoned his father, assigned the task of cutting and refining the diamond to a Venetian lapidary named Hortenso Borgia who did a morbid job of reducing the 793 carat stone into 186 carats.

Nadir Shah of Persia is believed to have acquired the diamond from Aurangzeb's grandson Muhammad Shah. After his assassination, the diamond belonged to his general Ahmad Shah Abdali, who was later enthroned as the Emir of Afghanistan. He handed the diamond to the ruler of Lahore, Ranjit Singh as a price for securing his throne. Thus, Kohinoor made its journey back to India. It came into possession of the British via the Last treaty of Lahore, which is present in much controversy. The agreement officially granted the Kohinoor to Queen Victoria along with Maharaja's other possessions. Another version of the story is that the stone was a gift by the Maharaja to the Queen for the British help during Sikh wars. The Kohinoor made its final voyage in 1850, from India's shores aboard HMS Medea, shrouded in secrecy. Since then, it rests in England's crown jewels mesmerising the world with its beauty, legend, and history.

Cutting and re-cutting
The diamond reached the hands of Queen Victoria by 1850. It was at display at the illustrious Crystal Palace. But the cut of the diamonds was unflattering and not as shiny which reduced the number of visitors and disappointed the general crowd. The cut was of a type similar to that of other diamonds of the Mughal era, now belonging to the Iranian Crown Jewels.

An exhibition held at Hyde Park, London was known as the Great Exhibition advertised the Kohinoor with its mysterious past and many bloody encounters on its journey, drawing in huge crowds for the show. It was first placed in a gilded birdcage for safety, but visitors were less than impressed with its asymmetric shape and lacklustre. To emphasise its beauty and highlight its grandeur, the Kohinoor was moved to a black velvet background and lit with gas lamps. But it was not as effective. In a couple of years, the Queen had it re-cut by a Dutch jeweller Mr Mozes Coster who reshaped it down to 108 carats. The cutting was done at Garrard and Co. factory using rudimentary steam-powered mills. The re-cutting took approximately 38 days and cost about 8000 pounds. The drastic drop in size was criticised, to which he responded that the diamond had huge imperfections that had to be cut down to bring out its brilliance.

The cutlet or the cut diamond may be considered unusually broad and looks like there is a large hole at its centre when viewed directly from the top. Still, it was tagged to be ‘full of life’. Although the size dropped significantly, its beauty grew manifold. The Kohinoor was cut with a total of 66 facets and is a stellar brilliant. One of the first to see the cut diamond was Maharaja Dhileep Singh who was speechless for several minutes after viewing the stone. It was mostly kept safe at the Windsor Castle.

Appearances
Queen Victoria is famously seen to have flaunted the diamond in a honeysuckle brooch and circlet on several occasions. She left it in her will that only a female member of the ruler should wear the Kohinoor. Queen Victoria felt strongly about the Kohinoor. In a letter to her daughter, Victoria, Princess Royal, she had written about the history of the stone and how acquiring it from India is deeply regretted. She also mentioned her dislike towards wearing the diamond. With her death, the Kohinoor was set in the crowns of subsequent queens.Fast-forward to 1937; the Kohinoor is set onto Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's crown, along with a staggering number of 2800 other diamonds. It occupies a prime position, at the centre of the front cross.

Trivia
Rumours and tales often abound an object of such beauty and rarity. One of the much-heard stories is the curse of Kohinoor. "He who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes. Only God or a woman can wear it with impunity." Hence the Kohinoor has always graced the crowns of queens and not the kings of England. Maybe the curse was written by a woman, after all! Another interesting fact is that in addition to Kohinoor, Nadir Shah also got hold of its 182 ct sister diamond the Daria-i-Noor, which is presently a part of the Iranian crown jewels.

Current scenario
Kohinoor is perched graciously atop the Tower of London, alongside others such as the Cullinan diamond. The first request by the Indian government for its return was made soon after Independence. A second request followed the first one. But each time the British turned it down and refuted any claim of ownership. BesidesIndia, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan are also contesting for ownership of this piece of history.

Culture
When an object is so very famous, it finds its way into popular culture. It was first mentioned in a British novel, ‘Moonlight’, which traces the story around two stones: the Kohinoor. Favourite crime thriller novelist, Agatha Christie too couldn't steer off this jewel. Her novel's plot, ‘The Secret of Chimneys’, is a quest to find the hidden Kohinoor.

Price
So how much does the Kohinoor cost? It is a task to put a price on such a marvellous jewel. To conclude the Kohinoor is veritably the exact definition of priceless. Its long journey in history along with the several fortunes and misfortunes encountered on the way, the tales of Kohinoor captivates the heart of millions and remains one of the prized gems in the world.