KOH-I-NOOR DIAMOND 059
T
ihe Koh-i-noor
(“Mountain of Light”)
diamond, like many
famous gems, had
a turbulent history. Mined in
southern India, the stone was
initially referred to in 1526 in
the memoirs of Babur, the
first Mogul king of India.
It was a spoil of war, and it
continued to change hands
between kings over the
course of several centuries, which may go
some way towards explaining its reputation
for being cursed, as whoever owned the
huge diamond was a target for attack.
By the time five-year-old Duleep Singh
came to power in 1843 as the last ruler of
the Punjab and Sikh Empire, the diamond
belonged to him, as the previous four
maharajas had been assassinated while in
possession of the stone. Just a few years
later, the British dismantled Singh’s kingdom,
and the Koh-i-noor transferred to Britishownership as part of the treaty
that incorporated the Punjab
into the British Empire.
Presented to Queen Victoria in
London in 1850, the diamond
was apparently accompanied
by a curse that read: “He
who owns this diamond will
own the world, but will also
know all its misfortunes. Only
God or Woman can wear it
with impunity”.
Far more controversial than the
supposed curse was the criticism that the
186-carat gem looked dull due to poor
cutting. Prince Albert decided to have the
diamond recut in 1852, drastically reducing
its size to 105.6 carats but eliminating several
flaws in the process and creating an oval
brilliant cut. Since then, the recut Koh-i-noor
has been set in four different crowns,
each worn by British queens, including
Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary, and Queen
Elizabeth the Queen Mother.Key dates
1100–2015
110015001600180019001100–1300 The diamond
is thought to have been
mined in southern India1526 The diamond is first
documented in the memoirs
of the Mogul king, Babur1850 Duleep Singh, last
maharaja of the Punjab and
Sikh Empire, presents the
jewel to Queen Victoria1851 On display at
the Great Exhibition in
London, the diamond is
criticized for being dull1902 The diamond is set
into the coronation crown
of Queen Alexandra1947 Newly
independent India
requests the
diamond’s return2015 A group of
Indian investors launch
legal proceedings for
the diamond’s return1976 Prime Minister
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto lays claim
to the diamond for his
country, Pakistan1937 Elizabeth (the late
Queen Mother) wears the
diamond at the coronation
of her husband, George IV1852 The Koh-i-noor is
recut into an oval brilliant
at Prince Albert’s behest195020001850Maharaja Duleep SinghOnly God
or Woma n can
wear it with
i mpu n it y...
Curse said to have accompanied the
Koh-i-noorKoh-i-noor
diamond
Koh-i-noor diamond (centre) in Queen
Elizabeth the Queen Mother’s crownQueen Elizabeth the Queen Mother,
wearing the Koh-i-noor in a simple
version of her crown△ Replica of the Koh-i-noor (centre) in its original cut and settingKoh-i-noor
diamond058-059_STO_Kohinoor_Diamond.indd 59 18/05/2016 18:12