At a hefty 105.60 carats, the Koh-I-Noor diamond is one of the largest in the world and one of the most famous. Today, it is part of the British Crown Jewels, but the gem has a long history that connects it to the Shahs and Mahrajahs of the Indian subcontinent and the surrounding region. The Koh-I-Noor was in some cases gifted from one ruler to another and in other cases it was taken as part of the plunder of war.
It is believed, but not confirmed, that the Koh-I-Noor diamond was most likely found in the Golconda mines of the Deccan between 1100 and 1300. While there were some writings about a very large diamond, it is not certain that they are referencing the Koh-I-Noor. The first confirmed mention of the rock was by Babur, the Turco-Mongol leader who invaded India in 1526 and established the Moghul empire, which ruled the northern region of the country for some 330 years. The Moghuls were very into culture: Art, architecture, literature, music and education as well as gemstones and jewelry.
Koh-I-Noor and the Peacock Throne
Jewelry was very important in the royal Moghul culture, jewelry showed a person’s rank in the court. Rules as to what gemstones could be worn and in what type of setting were very strict. Having a sizable diamond like the Koh-I-Noor, was a symbol of power and prestige. Babur mentioned a large diamond in his memoirs, written in 1526 and it is speculated that the diamond was bounty from a battle. An alternate version of the story says that the diamond was actually given to Babur’s son by the Raja of Gwalior after they were victorious in the first battle of Puripat, which was in 1526. It is important to note that India was the world’s sole source of diamonds until the icy gems were discovered in Brazil in 1725, so a diamond, especially one of a substantial size was quite rare.
The Koh-I-Noor was on full display when the Moghul leader Shah Jahan commissioned a gemstone throne in 1628. The throne featured a peacock with the Koh-I-Noor set in its head at the top of the throne. The Timur ruby was also set in the opulent throne, which took seven years to make. The empire grew and prospered for approximately the next one hundred years or so, with Delhi as its heart.
Then in 1739, the Persian ruler Nader Shah invaded India through Delhi. He defeated the Moghuls and allegedly left India with so much bounty that it took 700 elephants, 4,000 camels and 12,000 horses to get all of the gold, gemstones and other loot back to Persia. Of course, Nader Shah took off with the Peacock throne, but not before he removed the Koh-I-Noor Diamond and Timur ruby which he wore as an armband. It was also Nader Shah who gave the diamond its name, remarking when he first saw it that it was “Koh-I-Noor”, which translates to mountain of light. The diamond became legendary for its size and for the many rulers who owned it.
Koh-I-Noor Surrendered to British East India Company
The diamond’s fame was so great that by the early 1800’s the British East India Company was on the hunt for the rock as they expanded their control of India from the coast to the interior of the country. The East India Company sought the gem as a symbol of colonial power.
Meanwhile, in 1813, the Koh-I-Noor was returned to India, when it was gifted to Ranjit Singh, a Sikh ruler, who was particularly fond of the gem. Ranjit Singh died in 1839 and planned on leaving the diamond to a sect of Hindu Priests. However, with the void left by Ranjit Singh’s death, there was a struggle for power with four rulers in charge in as many years. Ultimately, the only royal left with a claim to the throne was a young child Duleep Singh and his mother Rani Jindain.
Koh-I-Noor Goes to England
The British East India Company took advantage of the chaos created by the bloodshed that led to the weakening of the empire and in 1849 the British imprisoned Rani Jindain. After that they forced Duleep, who was ten years old at the time, to sign away his right to the throne and the Koh-I-Noor diamond. The diamond was then given to Queen Victoria on July 3, 1850 to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the British East India Company.
As the world’s largest diamond the Koh-I-Noor was now the talk of London. It was decided that the gem would be displayed at the 1851 Great Exposition so that the public could view the stone. Despite its size, the Koh-I-Noor proved to be a big disappointment for the general public. The diamond was cut in a traditional Indian style, which made it appear dull and lifeless, leading the press to nickname it, “Mountain of Darkness”.
The negative view of the diamond, pushed Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert to investigate ways to make the diamond more attractive. After consulting with the physicist Sir David Brewer and jeweler to the Queen, Garrard of London, and Dutch diamond firm Mozes Coster, the decision was made to recut the diamond. The experts had determined that there were a number of inclusions in the center of the stone that were inhibiting the flow of light, making the gem appear lackluster.
Recutting the Koh-I-Noor
Mozes Coster was one of the world’s largest and most renowned diamond firms and they sent two of their best cutters, Levie Benjamin Voorzanger and J.A. Feder to recut the Koh-I-Noor. The work was supervised by Prince Albert himself, along with the Queen’s mineralogist James Tennant and the Duke of Wellington. The cutters said that they could rework the stone without losing any of its weight, which at the time was approximately 180-carats. The cutting began the first week of July 1852 and was finished in September of the same year. When the recut diamond was revealed, there was once again a furor, it was now significantly smaller at its current weight of 105.60 carats, but it now had one thing it didn’t have before: Sparkle.
Koh-I-Noor: For Women Only
Some important diamonds have myths about curses and the Koh-I-Noor happens to be one of those gems. Allegedly it carries a curse and when the diamond was presented to Queen Victoria, there was a note with the stone that said “He who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all of its misfortunes. Only God or woman can wear it with impunity.”
While Queen Victoria personally owned the Koh-I-Noor diamond, it became part of the British Crown Jewels when she passed away. And by the way, Queen Victoria mentioned in her will that the Koh-I-Noor should only be worn by women. Subsequently, it has only been worn by women in the British royal family and usually in a crown for coronations or other special occasions. The Koh-I-Noor was set in the crown of Queen Alexandra for her coronation, then by Queen Mary when she was coronated and later by the Queen Mother, who also had the rock reset in her coronation crown.
Today the Koh-I-Noor diamond continues its status as one of the largest and most famous diamonds in the world. It has also made headlines in recent years as countries that once owned the stone, India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan, have all made requests to the British government to return it to them. So far that has not happened and the Koh-I-Noor resides with the rest of the crown jewels in the Tower of London.
Top of Page: Oil on canvas portrait of Queen Victoria wearing the Koh-I-Noor diamond set in a brooch, painting by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, 1856, Public Domain courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
Authored by Amber Michelle