shook the Empire particularly from about the period of the Brazilian discovery.
Until
a fresh survey of the Indian diamond fields is undertaken, it is
difficult to form a correct idea of the present Indian reserves but
there is always a scope for mining on a small scale and the production
of diamonds occasionally. If all the areas in India are worked
seriously the production might be improved. It is difficult to say
whether India will ever regain her ancient glory or attain the fame of
South Africa or Brazil as a large producer of diamonds.
Some famous Indian diamonds
No
account of diamonds will be complete without an account of some of the
large and famous Indian diamonds, which earned a world wide fame and
possessing a special interest. The following are the most important
stones:—
1. Koh-i-noor.—Some
legends are in vogue about its great antiquity even 5,000 years ago.
But for the period up till 1304 A.D. no information is available. It is
said that in 1304 A.D. Alauddin took it from the king of Malwa. It
remained with the Moghuls till 1526, when Ranjit Singh got it from
Ahmed Shaw at Lahore. When the Punjab was annexed by the British all
the State jewels of Lahore were confiscated by the East India Co. On
3rd June, 1850, it reached Her Majesty, Queen Victoria, the weight
being 186 carats. When it was with Aurangzeb, it had a weight of 793
carats. This reduction was due to the unskilfulness of Hortensio
Borgio, a Venetian lapidary who had been entrusted with its cutting.
This enraged the emperor so much that Borgio was dispossessed of all
his property and with great difficulty escaped with his life. The atone had
the form of an irregular rosette. It was again recut in 1852. The
present weight is 106 1/16 carats and the stone is of considerable
beauty. It is supposed to have been found at Kollur.
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