Jacob Diamond
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Weight | 184.5 carats carats (36.9 grams g) |
|---|---|
| Color | Colorless |
| Cut | Modified Heart-shaped brilliant |
| Mine of origin | African Mine |
| Date discovered | 1891 |
| Original owner | The Nizams |
| Current owner | Govt. of India |
| Estimated value | 400 Crores INR |
The Jacob Diamond is a large diamond, ranked seventh in the world, known earlier as the Imperial Diamond.[citation needed] It is believed to be the Victoria Diamond, owned by the The Nizam of Hyderabad and currently owned by the Government of India.
Its Diamond cut is a rectangular cushion-cut with 58 facets, measures 39.5 mm long, 29.25 mm wide and 22.5 mm deep. The diamond weighs 184.5 carats (36.90 g).
It was only several years after the death of his father that the last Nizam, Osman Ali Khan, found the Jacob Diamond in the toe of his father’s shoe at Chowmahalla Palace.
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[edit] History
The uncut diamond is believed to have been over 400 carats in weight, before it was sent to Europe to be cut. The diamond was then put up for sale in 1891 by Alexander Malcon Jacob, hence the name, where it was offered to Mahbub Ali Khan, the Nizam of Hyderabad. However, initially the Nizam was quite uninterested in the diamond, and offered a mere 46 lakhs (4 million) Rupees for it. The Nizam was asked to make a safe deposit if he was to go through with the transaction. The European jewel cutters did not like this offer, but were forced into court when they lost track of the safe deposit. Ultimately, the Nizam was rewarded the diamond for almost half of his original offer, 23 lakhs (2.2 million) Rupees (approx. $50,000 by 2005 rates) when the case was resolved.
Nevertheless, the Nizam still showed little interest in the diamond, and the object was used as a paper weight for many years. This continued until the diamond's true value was realized and it was stored away as another of Nizam's treasures.
After much litigation, the diamond was forcibly purchased by the government of India from the Nizam's trust for an estimated $13 million in 1995, along with other Jewels of The Nizams, and is held at the Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai.
As part of the Nizam's jewellery exhibition in 2002 and 2007, the Jacob diamond was a major attraction at Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad.
[edit] See also
[edit] Further reading
Jewels of the Nizams (Hardcover) by Usha R. Krishnan (Author)ISBN 81-85832-15-3 [1]
