Daria-i-Noor
_Diamond_from_the_collection_of_the_national_jewels_of_Iran_at_Central_Bank_of_Islamic_Republic_of_Iran.jpg) The Daria-e Noor (Sea of Light) Diamond from the collection of the national jewels of Iran at Central Bank of Islamic Republic of Iran (Tehran). | |
| Weight | 182 carats (36.4 g) |
|---|---|
| Color | Pale pink |
| Cut | Tabular, free-form. Inscribed. |
| Country of origin | India |
| Mine of origin | Kollur Mine, Andhra Pradesh |
| Cut by | Shekhar Bhimanadham |
| Owner | Central Bank of Iran, Tehran, Iran |
The Daria-i-Noor (Persian: دریای نور which means “Sea of light” in Persian; also spelled Darya-ye Noor) is one of the largest cut diamonds in the world, weighing an estimated 182 carats (36 g). Its colour, pale pink, is one of the rarest to be found in diamonds. The exact whereabouts of the Daria-i-Noor is debatable. The Daria-i-Noor is in the Iranian Crown Jewels of Central Bank of Iran in Tehran.[1]
History
This diamond, like the Koh-i-Noor, was mined at the Paritala-Kollur Mine in Andhra Pradesh, India.[2] It was originally owned by the Kakatiya dynasty, later it was looted by Turkic Khilji dynasty and to Mughal emperors. In 1739, emperor Nader Shah of Persia invaded Northern India and occupied Delhi. As payment for returning the crown of India to the Mughal emperor, Muhammad, he took possession of the entire fabled treasury of the Mughals, including the Darya-i-noor, in addition to the Koh-i-noor and the Peacock throne. Many of the other treasures are in the Iranian crown jewels
Possible association
In 1965, a Canadian team conducting research on the Iranian Crown Jewels concluded that the Darya-ye Noor may well have been part of a large pink diamond that had been studded in the throne of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, and had been described in the journal of the French jeweller Jean-Baptiste Tavernier in 1642, who called it the Great Table diamond ("Diamanta Grande Table"). This diamond may have been cut into two pieces; the larger part is the Darya-ye Noor; the smaller part is believed to be the 60-carat (12 g) Noor-ul-Ain diamond, presently studded in a tiara also in the Iranian Imperial collection. It is believed another part of this diamond is in the vaults of Sonali Bank of Bangladesh. In 1987, the diamond was authenticated of it's genuine.
References
- ↑ "Collections". cbi.ir. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
- ↑ Deccan Heritage, H. K. Gupta, A. Parasher and D. Balasubramanian, Indian National Science Academy, 2000, p. 144, Orient Blackswan, ISBN 81-7371-285-9