The rulers of the Mughal dynasty had a passion for chronicling their
reign and almost every emperor in that lineage commissioned lavishly
illustrated biographies. These documents have proved to be invaluable
resources for later historians who have been able to use them to
reconstruct the social and political events during the lives and times
of the Mughal emperors.
These meticulously recorded volumes have been especially valuable in
reconstructing the story of the historic Akbar Shah diamond. This
fabulous gem, which once weighed 116 carats, is said to have borne two
inscriptions in Persian.
One referred to its first owner, Emperor Jahangir. According to the
etching, the stone found its way into the Imperial Treasury of the
emperor in 1619. A possible allusion to this can be found in the Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri(Memoirs
of Jahangir). These records, either written in Jahangir's own hand or
dictated to a scribe, cover the period of his reign(1605–27) and
illustrate his glamorous lifestyle. Of his sojourn in Gujarat, it is recorded: On Friday the 5th, Bahram, son of Jahangir Quli Khan,
came from the province of Bihar, and had the good fortunes to pay his
respects. He laid before me some diamonds he had obtained from the mines
at Kokhra.
It is likely that the Akbar Shah was among the array of diamonds that
were presented to Jahangir. It is interesting to note that the memoirs
make a mention of diamond deposits from the mine at Kokhra (present day Khukra, 64 km west of Ranchi)in the eastern state of Bihar.
Apparently, these were not from a mine at all, but from a river bed
that was fertile with diamonds. Though Jahangir's memoirs give a
description of how large diamonds were also mined from this source, this
area has rarely been given due credit by the diamond mining industry.
In fact, it is hardly ever mentioned as a diamond rich region in India.
The second inscription on the Akbar Shah confirms that it officially
became a part of Shah Jahan's treasury in 1629. It is widely believed by
historians that this celebrated gem was set as one of the eyes of the
peacock in the fabulous Peacock Throne. However, other scholars suggest
the possibility of it being the dazzling diamonds
encircled by emeralds and rubies, suspended opposite the throne. But
there are yet other authorities who feel that the suspended gem was the
Shah diamond.
The Allnatt Diamond is a diamond measuring 101.29 carats (20.258 g) with a cushion cut, rated in color as Fancy Vivid Yellow by the Gemological Institute of America. This diamond is named after one of its holders, Major Alfred Ernest Allnatt,
a soldier, sportsman, art patron and benefactor. While it is not known
precisely where the Allnatt originated, many experts believe that it was
probably found in what is now known as the De Beers Premier Diamond Mine.
The Allnatt's origins are unknown prior to Major Allnatt's purchasing
of the diamond in the early 1950s. After purchasing the diamond, he
commissioned Cartier to make a setting for it. The final setting was a
platinum flower with five petals, a stem and two leaves, all set with
diamonds. The Allnatt was resold at auction in May 1996 by Christie's in Geneva
for $3,043,496 US. At the time of its sale the Allnatt was 102.07
carats (20.41 g). and was graded Fancy Intense Yellow. After being sold
to the SIBA Corporation, the diamond was re-cut to its current weight and the intensity was upgraded as a result.
The Allnatt was displayed as part of the Smithsonian's "The Splendor of Diamonds" exhibit, alongside The De Beers Millennium Star and The Heart of Eternity.
Cora Sun Drop Diamond
The Cora Sun-Drop Diamond is the largest yellow pear-shaped diamond known, weighing 110.3 carats (22.1 g). Being sold for $10.9 million it has set a world record for a yellow diamond.
The Sun-Drop has a very short history. It was found in South Africa
in 2010 within a kimberlite pipe. Tests show that the diamond was
formed from 1 to 3 billion years ago. After that, on 24 February 2011,
it was kept in The Vault of the London Natural History Museum together with many other precious stones, such as the Duke of Devonshire Emerald and the Aurora Pyramid of Hope, where it stayed for six months. In November 2011, it was sold at an auction in Geneva for just over $10.9 million.[2] The stone was cut and owned by the diamond manufacturing company Cora International, based in New York. It was sold at the auction by Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels.
The Sun-Drop was bought by a telephone bidder who decided to remain
anonymous. Including commission and taxes the buyer paid $12.36 million.
The pre-sale estimate was from 11 to 15 million dollars. "It sold for a
record for a yellow diamond ... It was exactly within our expectation
for this spectacular stone," said Mr Bennett, an auctioneer.
