Do you know that the size of Kohinoor diamond has reduced from 793 carats to just 105.6 carts?

The Kohinoor diamond was originally 793 carats but now it stands at just 105.6 carats (oval shape) while its weight is only 21.6 grams. Kohinoor diamond is the most valuable, famous, and oldest diamond in the whole world. Kohinoor is a Persian word and means 'mountain of light'. It is believed to be more than 5000 years old.

A Photo by Team SM

When Kohinoor diamond passed from Shan Jahan to Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb ordered Hortenso Borgia, a gem artist from Venice to cut and enhance the Kohinoor diamond, but he overworked and reduced its weight from 793 to 186 carats.

A Photo by Team SM

So enraged was Aurangzeb at the negligence and stupidity of the lapidary, that not only did he decline to compensate him for his labor, but he also seized all of Borgia’s worldly possessions.

A Photo by Team SM

Later when the diamond was presented to the queen in a special ceremony in London in July 1850. The Queen was said to have been a little dissatisfied with the lack of sparkle of its ‘rose’ cut when the fashion in Europe at the time was for multi-faceted gems. The reworking which took some 450 hours to complete, gave the stone more facets as an oval cut shape and dramatically reduced the weight from 186 to 105.6 carats. In a painting by Franz Xaver Winter Halter, the queen is wearing a Kohinoor diamond as a broach.

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Writer - Sahil Madaan

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