The Fabled Diamonds of Golconda

Before the discovery of the diamond mines in Brazil and South Africa in the early 18th century, India was the sole supplier of the world’s diamonds, and much of its diamonds were mined in a small geographic area called Golconda in the present-day states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Located not far from Hyderabad, Golconda with its elaborate fort was the early capital city of the Qutb Shahi dynasty established in the early 16th century. Because of the presence of diamonds in the area, Golconda established itself as a diamond trading center and until the end of the 19th century, the Golconda market was the primary source of the finest and largest diamonds in the world. Golconda came to be synonymous with great wealth, and the name is still spoken with reverence among diamond traders and collectors. Queen Victoria wearing the Koh-i-Noor diamond in a brooch, by German painter Franz Xaver Winterhalter. Golconda’s diamonds were known to Europeans since the time of Marco Polo. The French gem merchant, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, was one of the few foreigners who travelled extensively across the land, visiting gem mines and their kings. In an account of his voyages, he explained how India’s diamond deposits were extensive, with stones found in present-day Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Bengal, Bundelkhand to name a few. On his journey, Tavernier was permitted to examine the Great Mogul Diamond, a colossal gem shaped like half of an egg and named after Shah Akbar, the third of India’s Mogul emperors. The stone vanished soon after. Some believe that the stone was cut by thieves into smaller sizes to disguise their identity. Most modern scholars are now convinced that the 189 carat Orlov diamond originally worn by Russian Empress Catherine the Great and now displayed in Moscow's Kremlin Armoury is one of the pieces. The Orlov diamond.