Daria-i-Noor

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).[1] 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 said to be preserved in a vault of Sonali Bank in Dhaka, Bangladesh.[2][3] A diamond with a similar name and description could be found in the Iranian Crown Jewels of Central Bank of Iran in Tehran.[4]

This article is about the famous Persian diamond. For Peter Martins' 1998 ballet, see River of Light.

Daria-i-Noor

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
Owner	Sonali Bank, Dhaka, Bangladesh/ Central Bank of Iran, Tehran, Iran

Dimensions

It is 41.40 x 29.50 x 12.15 mm and weighing around 182 metric carats, the world's largest known pink diamond.[1]

History

This diamond, like the Koh-i-Noor, was mined in Vijayawada, India.[5] It was originally owned by the Kakatiya dynasty, later it was possessed by the Khalji dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate and to Mughal emperors. It was part of Shah Jahan's Peacock Throne.

In 1739, Nader Shah of Iran invaded Northern India, 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 Daria-i-noor, in addition to the Koh-i-noor and the Peacock throne.[1]

After Nader Shah's death in 1747, the diamond was inherited by his grandson, Sharukh Mirza. From there, it fell into the hands of the Lotf Ali Khan. After Lotf Ali Khan's defeat at the hands of Mohammad Khan Qajar, who established the ruling Qajar dynasty of Iran, the Daria-i-Noor entered the Qajar treasury. During this time, Naser al-Din Shah Qajar was said to be very fond of the diamond, often wearing it as an armband, aigrette, or a brooch and maintenance of the diamond was an honor bestowed upon higher ranking individuals.[4]

Daria-i-noor, along with the Koh-i-noor, was later acquired by Ranjit Singh of Sikh Empire. It finally came into the possession of East India Company when Punjab fell under the British Rule in 1849. Daria-i-noor was one of the main attractions of The Great Exhibition in 1851. In 1852, Hamilton and Company auctioned the diamond under the direction of the British government. At the auction, the diamond was purchased by Khwaja Alimullah from Dhaka Nawab Family. In his visit to Calcutta in 1887, Viceroy of India Lord Dufferin went to see the diamond at Baliganj.[2]

Daria-i-noor was also seen by King George V and Queen Mary during their visit to Calcutta in 1912. After the Partition of India in 1947, the diamond was transferred from Calcutta to Dhaka and since then, has been kept in a vault of Sonali Bank. In 1985, a group of experts approved the genuineness of the diamond through an examination.[2]

Possible association

Drawing of the Great Table diamond, by Tavernier in 1676

Noor-ol-Ain tiara

In 1965, a Canadian team conducting research on the Iranian Crown Jewels concluded that the Daria-i-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 Daria-i-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.[6]

See also

• Elizabeth II's jewels
• Golconda Diamonds
• Great Table diamond
• Koh-i-Noor diamond
• Noor-ul-Ain
• List of diamonds
• List of largest rough diamonds

References

1. Malecka, Anna (2017). "Daryā-ye Nur: History and Myth of a Crown Jewel of Iran". Iranian Studies. 51 (1): 69–96. doi:10.1080/00210862.2017.1362952.
2. "Daria-i-Noor". Banglapedia. Archived from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
3. "Meet Daria-i-Noor, the Koh-i-Noor's little-known sibling". The Tribune. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
4. "Collections". cbi.ir. Archived from the original on 26 February 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
5. Satyanarayana, S. V. (2000). "Diamonds in the Deccan: An Overview". In Gupta, Harsh K.; Parasher, A.; Balasubramanian, D. (eds.). Deccan Heritage. INSA and Universities Press (India). p. 144. ISBN 978-81-7371-285-2.
6. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Darya-e-Nur#ref92943

External links

• Treasury of National Jewels of Iran