The Jacob Diamond, also known as the Imperial or Victoria Diamond, is a colourless diamond from

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

(or from the Golconda mines) ranked as the fifth-biggest polished diamond in the world. The last

nizam Nizam of Hyderabad was the title of the ruler of Hyderabad State ( part of the Indian state of Telangana, and the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka). ''Nizam'' is a shortened form of (; ), and was the title bestowed upon Asaf Jah I ...

of the

Hyderabad State Hyderabad State () was a princely state in the Deccan region of south-central India with its capital at the city of Hyderabad. It is now divided into the present-day state of Telangana, the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka, and the ...

Mir Osman Ali Khan Mir Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII (5 or 6 April 1886 – 24 February 1967) was the last Nizam (ruler) of Hyderabad State, the largest state in the erstwhile Indian Empire. He ascended the throne on 29 August 1911, at the age of 25 and rule ...

, found the diamond in the shoe of his father ( Mahboob Ali Khan) at

Chowmahalla Palace Chowmahalla Palace or Chowmahallat is the palace of the Nizam of Hyderabad, Nizams of Hyderabad State located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It was the seat of power of the Asaf Jahi dynasty (1720-1948) and was the official residence of the Niza ...

and used it as a

paperweight A paperweight is a small solid object heavy enough, when placed on top of papers, to keep them from blowing away in a breeze or from moving under the strokes of a painting brush (as with Chinese calligraphy). While any object, such as a stone, ...

for a long time. It was bought by the

government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

for an estimated $US13 million in 1995. It is

cut Cut or CUT may refer to: Common uses * The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely directed force ** A type of wound ** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past ** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment ** ...

in a rectangular cushion-cut, with 58

facet Facets () are flat faces on geometric shapes. The organization of naturally occurring facets was key to early developments in crystallography, since they reflect the underlying symmetry of the crystal structure. Gemstones commonly have facets cu ...

s, and measures long, wide and deep. The diamond weighs 184.75 carats (36.90 g). Currently, it is kept at the

Reserve Bank of India Reserve Bank of India, abbreviated as RBI, is the central bank of the Republic of India, and regulatory body responsible for regulation of the Indian banking system and Indian rupee, Indian currency. Owned by the Ministry of Finance (India), Min ...

vaults in

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

. As part of the Nizam's jewellery exhibition in 2001 and 2007, the Jacob Diamond was a major attraction at

Salar Jung Museum The Salar Jung Museum is an art museum located at Dar-ul-Shifa, on the southern bank of the Musi River, India, Musi River in the city of Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It is one of the List of museums in India, notable National Museums of India. ...

Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

. Unlike the famous

Koh-i-Noor The ; ), also spelled Koh-e-Noor, Kohinoor and Koh-i-Nur, is one of the largest cut diamonds in the world, weighing . It is currently set in the Crown of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. The diamond originated in the Kollur mine in present ...

, the Jacob Diamond has changed hands only twice in the history of its existence and has not been associated with violence.

History

Before it was sent to Europe to be cut, the uncut diamond is believed to have been over in weight. The diamond was put up for sale in 1891 by Alexander Malcolm Jacob, hence the name. It was offered to

Mahbub Ali Khan Mahbub Ali Khan (; 3 November 1934 – 6 August 1984) was a Bangladesh Navy rear admiral and the Chief of the Naval Staff (Bangladesh), chief of naval staff from 1979 until his death in 1984. He is known for his heroic actions for his country. ...

(the sixth

of Hyderabad). Initially, the nizam was quite uninterested in the diamond and offered a mere 40 lakhs (4 million rupees) for it. The nizam was asked to make a good faith 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 nizam's deposit. Ultimately, the nizam was awarded the diamond for almost half his original offer, 23 lakhs (2.2 million rupees, approx. $US50,000 at 2005 rates) when the case was resolved. Disillusioned by the process, and now considering the diamond to be unlucky, the nizam wrapped it in cloth and hid it away. Several years after the death of his father the last nizam,

Osman Ali Khan Mir Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII (5 or 6 April 1886 – 24 February 1967) was the last Nizam (ruler) of Hyderabad State, the largest state in the erstwhile Indian Empire. He ascended the throne on 29 August 1911, at the age of 25 and rule ...

, found the Jacob Diamond in the toe of his father's shoe at

, and he himself used it as a paperweight for a long time until the diamond's true value was realized. Later, the family wished to sell the Jacob among other jewels, but the Government of India blocked the sale, citing that the jewels are a national treasure that could not be sold to foreigners. After much litigation, the diamond was purchased by the Government of India from the nizam's trust for an estimated $US13 million in 1995, along with other Jewels of The Nizams, and is held at the

vault in

. The Jacob diamond along with jewels of Nizam were handed over by his descendants including Himayat Ali Mirza, and Mukarram Jah. Displayed as part of the nizam's jewellery exhibition in 2001 and 2007, the Jacob diamond was a major attraction at

, Hyderabad.

References

{{reflist Individual diamonds Jewels of the Nizams of Hyderabad Golconda diamonds 1884 in science

History

See also

References