No stone on earth has as rich and fascinating a history as the Koh-i-Noor. In 1304, when the large diamond was held by the Rajah of Malwa, people were convinced that the owner of the Koh-i-Noor was the mightiest man in the world. As you might expect, the struggle for possession of the gemstone has been fierce.

In 1738, after successfully invasion Delhi, the commander Nadir Shah played a clever trick to become the owner of the large stone. Nadir proposed during the victory celebrations to exchange turbans with the emperor of the conquered country, who had chosen this place to hide the diamond. When Nadir saw the exceptional gemstone, he exclaimed: “Koh-i-noor” (mountain of light).

Re-cut
Nadir took the gemstone back to Persia. It stayed there until the Brits annexed Persia in 1849 and presented the Koh-i-Noor to Queen Victoria. In order to accentuate the brilliance of the gem, it was decided to re-cut the stone. The size was reduced from a 186 carat diamond to the present 108.93 carat.

Recently, the ownership of the Koh-i-Noor has been called into question. Several world leaders claim entitlement to the gemstone. A new chapter in the history of the Koh-i-Noor