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TheShah Diamond was found at theGolconda mines in what is nowTelangana,South India, probably in 1450, and it is currently held in theDiamond Fund collection ofMoscow'sKremlin Armoury.
The Shah Diamond is not of thefirst water, since it has a yellowish tinge due to a littleiron oxide at the surface. It is said to have originally weighed 95carat, and that it lost 9 carats when being cut. Its present weight is 88.7 carats (18 g). It is an elongatedoctahedron, the eight original faces of which have been replaced by fifteen facets. It is often described as the shape of a coffin. The cut of the diamond is technically called a lasque cut; typical of Indian diamonds.[1] A groove has been cut round the stone to accommodate the thread by which it was formerly worn round the neck. Its most remarkable feature is that on three of its original faces the names of three of the rulers who owned it have been engraved inPersian, along with theHijrī year. The names and dates of these three rulers are as follows:[2]
It does not rank as one of the top diamonds of the world in beauty or size, but the inscriptions on it testify to its history and provenance.
It was rendered to theNizām Shāhī court inAhmednagar. In 1591,Shāh Nizām ordered carving on one of the facets of the diamond:"Burhān Nizām Shāh the Second. Year 1000" (=1591 CE).
That same year,Akbar the Great, theEmperor of Mughal India occupied theAhmadnagar Sultanate and seized the diamond. A number of years later Akbar's grandson,Shāh Jahān, came to the throne, and commanded that another inscription be carved:"Shāh Jahān, The son of Shāh Jehangir . Year 1051" (equivalent to 1641 CE). The son of Shah JahānAurangzēb hung the diamond above his throne and encircled it with rubies and emeralds. After visiting the court of Aurangzēb, the famous French jewellerTavernier wrote: "On the side of the throne which is opposite the court there is to be seen a jewel consisting of a diamond of about 80 to 90 carats weight, with rubies and emeralds around it, and when the king is seated he has the jewel in full view."[3] Because of its proximity to the throne, the diamond was also known as the "Throne Diamond".[4] It was transferred toLahore in 1715 and kept here until 1738.
In 1738,Nāder Shāh attacked India, seized the diamond, and took it back with him toPersia. The diamond stayed in Persia for nearly a century until, in 1826, the third inscription was engraved on the third facet:"The ruler of the Qājār Fath 'Alī Shāh Sultān. Year 1242".
In 1829, the Russian diplomat and writerAlexandr Griboyedov was murdered in the capital ofPersia,Tehran. The Russian government demanded severe punishment of those responsible. In fear, the court ofFath 'Alī Shāh sent the Shāh's grandsonKhusro Mirzā toSaint Petersburg, where he gave the diamond to theRussian TsarNicholas I as a present. It was then kept among the Russian Crown Jewels in the Diamond Room at theWinter Palace in St. Petersburg, until theRussian Revolution and the overthrow of theRomanov Dynasty on 2 March 1917. The diamond, along with the other treasures, was removed, taken to Moscow and placed in theKremlin Diamond Fund. It remains there today in theKremlin, where it is exhibited as one of the seven famous gems.
