Golconda Diamonds

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A 'Golconda Diamonds' are Indian diamonds mined in a specific geographic area within the historic Golconda Sultanate (present day Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states of India). Diamonds from these mines were transported to the present day old city of Hyderabad to be cut, polished, evaluated and sold. Golconda established itself as a diamond trading center and, until the end of the 19th century, the Golconda market was the primary source of the finest and largest diamonds in the world. Thus, the legendary name 'Golconda Diamond' became synonymous with Golconda itself.

Some of the most popular diamond mines were Kollur Mine (presently in Guntur district). There were also other mines around the River Krishna in South India. Along with diamonds, the region also became a trade center for metalware, pearls, spices and textiles. According to The New Indian Express (22 October 2016), "the Hyderabad based historian, Mohammed Safiullah says such was the trade that the estimated output from all mines in Golconda was estimated to be around 12 million carats".

Video Golconda Diamonds

History

Earlier, Golconda sultanate was located in between the two major sea routes of India, Surat and Machilipatnam. The town was developed as a trade center and, under the patronage of the Qutb Shahi rulers, a thriving market particularly of diamonds was developed nearby the Golconda fort, the work force involved in the diamond trading was upto 100,00 people. The medieval diamond trade drew travelers from around the world and the ruling patrons constructed facilities and provided security for traders to stay and do business, particularly those travelling from Europe and central Asia. According to Manu S. Pillai, (The Hindu, 05 November 2016), Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, renowned French traveller and jeweller, claimed to have seen a flat diamond called the Great Table diamond kept in a dungeon in Golconda. Jean de Thévenot and François Bernier were also French traders in 'Golconda Diamonds'.

Maps Golconda Diamonds

Notable Diamonds

Some of the most famous diamonds from Golconda are:

• Nassak Diamond, 43.38 carats (8.676 g) cut; with Edward J. Hand since 1970, Greenwich, Connecticut, USA.
• The Sancy Diamond, 55.23 carats (11.046 g) cut; in the Galerie d'Apollon, Paris.
• The Shah Diamond, 88.7 carats (17.74 g) cut; in the Diamond Fund, Kremlin, Russia.
• The Great Mogul Diamond, 280 carats (56 g) cut, 787 carats (157.4 g) rough; lost after N?dir Sh?h sacked Delhi.
• The Pitt or Regent Diamond, 140 carats (28.0 g); in the Apollo Gallery, Louvre Museum, Paris.
• Niz?m Diamond, 340 carats (68.0 g); currently owned by the Government of India.
• The Orloff Diamond, 300 carats (60.0 g).
• Dary?-ye N?r, 182 carats (36.4 g); in the Iranian Crown.
• The Golconda Diamond, 135 carats (27.0 g); belonging to Dunklings Jewellers, Melbourne, Australia.
• Koh-i-Noor, 105.6 carats (21.12 g) (793 carats (158.6 g) rough, 186 carats (37.2 g) cut, further cut for Crown Jewels); in the British Crown Jewels, London.
• The Hope Diamond, 67 carats (13.4 g); in the American Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian Institution, Washington.
• The Kolluru Diamond, 63 carats (12.6 g); purchased by Tavernier but present location unknown.
• Dresden Green Diamond, 41 carats (8.2 g); "The New Green Vault" in the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden.
• Princie Diamond, 34.65 carats (6.930 g) cut; auctioned by Christie's in New York and purchased by an anonymous collector.
• Archduke Joseph Diamond, 78.54 carats (15.708 g) cut; auctioned by Christie's in New York and purchased by an anonymous collector.
• Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond, 31.06 carats (6.212 g) cut; currently owned by Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, former ruler of Qatar.
• Noor-ul-Ain, 60 carats (12 g) cut; currently in the National Treasury of Iran.

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Gallery

src: gemexplorer.org

Legends

Out of 38 diamond mines of India, 23 were located in the Golconda Sultanate, making it the 'Diamond Capital' of the past. It was considered a point of pride by any ruler to be the owner of one of the Golconda Diamonds. The top four pink diamonds of the world are from Golconda.

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Notable personalities

Currently, most of the world famous diamonds are from Golconda, and several monarchs and legendary personalities keep them as a mark of pride.

• the Koh I Noor Diamond, at the center of the Queen Mother's Crown in the Tower of London;
• the Regent Diamond, in the hilt of Napoleon's sword;
• the Idol's Eye, 70 carats, formerly owned by Sultan of Kashmir;
• the Agra Diamond, worn by the Babur Mughal emperor in the center of his turban, 1526;
• the Wittelsbach Diamond, sold to King Philip IV of Spain.
• the Great Moghul Diamond, a 242-carat jewel whose current location is unknown.

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References

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External links

• Diamond ranking
• History of Kohinoor
• The Koh-i-noor Diamond By Iradj Amini

Source of the article : Wikipedia