Daria-i-Noor

Dimensions

It is 41.40 x and weighs around 182 metric carats. It is the world's largest known pink diamond. Originally, it may have been cut from an even larger stone.

History

This diamond, as is also presumed for the Koh-i-Noor, was mined in Kollur Mine in the Golconda region of Andhra Pradesh, India. Its early origins are shrouded in mystery, but it is believed to have been one of the eyes of the Mughal Peacock Throne.

In 1739, Nader Shah of Iran invaded Northern India and occupied Delhi. As payment for returning the crown of India to the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah, he took possession of the entire fabled treasury of the Mughals, including the Daria-i-Noor, the Koh-i-Noor, and the Peacock Throne.

After Nader Shah's death in 1747, the diamond was inherited by his grandson, Shahrokh Shah. From there, it fell into the hands of Lotf Ali Khan. After Lotf Ali Khan's defeat at the hands of Agha 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 arm band, an aigrette, or a brooch, and maintenance of the diamond was an honour bestowed upon higher ranking individuals.

Possible association

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 Noor-ul-Ain diamond, presently studded in a tiara also in the Iranian Imperial collection.

Namesake

A different, much smaller, diamond has occasionally been called "Daria-i-Noor" in Bangladeshi reporting, and is reportedly kept in a bank vault in Dhaka; see Daria-i-Noor (Dhaka).

References

References

1. Malecka, Anna. (2017). "Daryā-ye Nur: History and Myth of a Crown Jewel of Iran". Iranian Studies.
2. "Collections". cbi.ir.
3. (2016-10-06). "The Darya-i-Noor Diamond - Israeli Diamond".
4. Staff. (2009-09-22). "Darya-i-noor Pink Diamond: World Famous Diamonds".
5. (28 July 2022). "Largest pink diamond in 300 years discovered in Angola". The Tribune.
6. (2000). "Deccan Heritage". [[Indian Academy of Sciences.
7. Bhatia, Shyam. (28 March 2012). "Meet Daria-i-Noor, the Koh-i-Noor's little-known sibling". The Tribune.
8. (27 October 2022). "Darya-e Nur".
9. (27 January 2023). "Dariya-i-Noor: The myth and the mystery of the country's most precious diamond". The Business Standard.
10. (3 September 2025). "Bangladesh eyes end to treasure trove bank vault mystery". France 24.