The Shah diamond, one of the Seven Historic Gems of the Russian Diamond Depository. 88.7 carats. Of the purest water, with slight yellow tinge. Slightly polished. Bears three inscriptions in Persian: 1. "Burhan Nizam Shah II 1000" (the ruler of Ahmadnagar, India, 1591 C.E.); 2. "Shah Jehan son of Jehangir 1051" (Eternal Mogul, grandson of Akbar, 1641 C.E.); 3. "Kajar Fateh Ali Shah Sultan 1242" (the Shah of Persia, 1824 C.E.). The diamond was presumably found in India in the 16th century. It was in the treasury of the potentates of Ahmadnagar before 1595, when the Moguls seized it with the other war trophies. After Nadir Shah plundered Delhi in 1739, the diamond was taken to Persia with other gems. Khosrow Mirza Shah presented the gem to Emperor Nicholas I in 1829 in retribution for the assassination of Russian ambassador Alexander Griboyedov, a classic playwright.
- Categories: Economy, Business & Finance, Arts, Culture & Entertainment
- Location: Moscow, Russia
- Event date: 03.10.1992
- Date published: 01.10.2007
- Author: Yuriy Somov
- Credit: Sputnik
- Source: Sputnik
- Original: ДП92-3853, 35 mm slide
- Media: JPEG, 2362x3701px, 3.4Mb