Origin of name
Darya-i-Nur in the Persian Language means "Sea of Light"
or "Ocean of Light" (Darya-sea or ocean, Nur-light). The name was probably
given by the Persians after it was plundered from India, by Nadir Shah,
together with other valuables, which included the Koh-i-Nur (Mountain of
Light) and the Nur-ul-Ain (Light of the Eye), and the jewel-studded pea-cock
throne of Shah Jahaan. In fact the name "Koh-i-Nur" is also attributed to
Nadir Shah, who exclaimed Koh-i-Nur !!! unable to hide his amazement when he
saw the diamond for the first time. The name used for the Koh-i-Nur by the
Mogul Emperors is not known, but historians usually refer to the diamond as
"Babur Diamond" which is believed to be the same diamond that Emperor Babur
referred to in his memoirs the "Baburnama".
Characteristics of the
diamond
The Darya-i-Nur diamond is a pale pink, table-cut diamond
(also known as Lasque), with a weight of around 186 carats, and having
dimensions of 41.40 x 29.50 x 12.15 mm. The clarity of the stone is not
known, but being a Golconda diamond it's clarity must be exceptional.
The Darya-i-Nur being a rare pink diamond, is most
probably a Type IIa diamond, which are nitrogen-free or contain undetectable
quantities of nitrogen. Type IIa diamonds can be divided into three
categories :-
1) Structurally perfect 2) Structurally imperfect
3) Naturally irradiated
1) Structurally perfect - These diamonds are chemically
pure and have perfectly formed crystals. The diamonds are absolutely
colorless. The D-F color grades which stand for colorless diamonds in the G.
I. A. color grading system, may fall under this group. 1-2 % of all natural
diamonds belong to this group.
2) Structurally imperfect - These diamonds are chemically
pure, but their crystals are not perfect. The crystals have undergone
plastic deformation due to the twisting and bending of the tetrahedral
crystal units, either during their formation in the earth's mantle or
subsequent rise to the earth's surface. The deformed areas in the crystal
change the absorption spectrum of the diamond, causing rare fancy colors
such as pink, red, purple and also brown color. These diamonds constitute
less than 0.1 % of all naturally occurring diamonds.
3) Naturally irradiated - These diamonds have been
exposed to natural radiation such as alpha, beta and gamma radiation,
emanating from naturally radioactive sources such as uranium compounds, over
a long period of time. The distortion of the crystal lattice caused by
radioactive shock, gives the diamond a green color. Their occurrence
is less than 0.1 % of all natural diamonds.
Thus the Darya-i-Nur diamond is a plastically deformed
Type IIa diamond.
The French traveler and jeweler Jean Baptiste Tavernier,
who had made up to six trips to India in the 17th century, had during one of
his trips visited Golconda in Southern India, in 1642, and had the
opportunity of seeing a very rare, pale pink, enormous diamond of more than
400 carats, which he referred to as "Diamanta Grande Table", the "Great
Table Diamond." The stone subsequently entered Shah Jahaan's court, and was
studded in the peacock throne of the great Mogul Emperor. It is
believed that the "Great Table Diamond" was subsequently cleaved into two
unequal portions. The major portion of this diamond was transformed into the Darya-i-Nur and the lesser portion became the Nur-ul-Ain. A team of Canadian
experts who conducted research on the Iranian Imperial Jewels in 1965,
concluded that the table-cut, Darya-i-Nur is the major portion of the "Great
Table Diamond," seen by Tavernier in 1642, and the 60-carat, oval pink
brilliant, the Nur-ul-Ain is the lesser portion of the same diamond.
The two diamonds the Darya-i-Nur and the Nur-ul-Ain are
two of the most celebrated diamonds among the Iranian Crown jewels. The
Darya-i-Nur is mounted on an elaborate frame, set with 457 smaller diamonds
and 4 rubies, surmounted by the lion and sun symbols, signifying the Aryan
origins of the Iranian people, a unique setting that was designed and
executed during the reign of Shah Nasser-ed-Din, (1831-1896). The Nur-ul Ain
adorns the tiara designed by Harry Winston for Empress Farah Diba's wedding
to Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, in 1958.
The Darya-i-Nur and the Nur-ul-Ain diamonds are the still
the first and second largest pink diamonds in the world. See table
below.
List of famous pink
diamonds
|
S/No |
Name |
Carat Weight |
Color |
|
1 |
Darya-i-Nur |
186 |
light pink |
|
2 |
Nur-ul-Ain |
60 |
light pink |
|
3 |
Steinmetz pink |
59.60 |
fancy vivid pink |
|
4 |
Shah Jahaan |
56.71 |
light pink |
|
5 |
Agra |
32.34 |
fancy light pink |
|
6 |
Pink Sunrise |
29.79 |
fancy pink |
|
7 |
Rose of Dubai |
25.02 |
fancy pink |
|
8 |
Mouawad Lilac |
24.44 |
fancy purplish pink |
|
9 |
Williamson |
23.56 |
fancy pink |
|
10 |
Graff Pink Orchid |
22.84 |
fancy purplish pink |
|
11 |
Mouawad Pink |
21.06 |
fancy pink |
|
12 |
Hortensia |
20.00 |
light orange pink |
|
13 |
Graff Pink Supreme |
10.83 |
fancy pink |
|
14 |
Conde Pink |
9.01 |
light pink |
Discovery of "Diamanta
Grande Table" a record-breaking historical event
An examination of the above table shows that except for
the Darya-i-Nur, all other pink diamonds are less than 100 carats in weight.
This is the normal trend in nature. Fancy colored diamonds such as pink,
red, blue, purple, green and orange, all have a restricted size in nature.
In fact, most of the fancy colored diamonds produced in the Argyle Mines in
Western Australia, which is the only consistent source of pink and red
diamonds in the world today, have an average size of only one carat. To have
an enormous fancy colored diamond of more than 100 carats in weight is an
extremely rare event. Therefore, the discovery of the 'Diamanta Grande
Table" with a weight of over 400 carats in the mid-17th century in the
Golconda mines in Southern India, was truly an extremely rare, historical
event, a feat that has not been repeated in any part of the world up to
date. The chances are that this record-breaking discovery may not be
repeated again in the future.
Early history
The Darya-i-Nur diamond is therefore most certainly a
diamond that originated in the famous Kollur mines near Golconda, the source
of several other famous and historical Indian diamonds. The original diamond
from which the Darya-i-Nur was derived, the "Great Table Diamond", eventually
entered Emperor Shah Jahaan's court in the mid-17th century, and the Emperor
got the diamond mounted on his famous jewel-studded throne, the peacock
throne, reputed to be the most splendorous throne ever made in the history
of mankind. However, it is not known precisely, when the "Great Table Diamond"
was cleaved to give the Darya-i Nur and the Nur-ul-Ain. Was it when the
stone was still in India? or was it after it's arrival in Persia, perhaps
still mounted on Shah Jahaan's Peacock Throne? It is generally believed that
the Great Table Diamond was already transformed into the Darya-i-Nur and the
Nur-ul-Ain when Nadir Shah plundered the jewels and other valuables of the
Mogul Emperors of India in 1739.
Emperor Shah Jahaan had one of the greatest collections
of jewels and jewelry, ever known in the history of mankind, which included
such famous diamonds as the Koh-i-Noor, the Darya-i-Nur, the Nur-ul-Ain, the
Agra, the Shah Jahaan diamond, the Shah diamond etc. and several rubies,
pearls and other precious stones. Shah Jahaan's peacock throne, and all the
crown jewels, were then inherited by a succession of Mogul Emperors, which
included Aurangzeb (1658-1707), Bahadur Shah (1707-1712), Jahandar Shah
(1712-1713), Farrukh Siyar (1713-1719), and Muhammad Shah (1719-1748).
Aurangzeb, who was the last of the great Mogul emperors was also a collector
and connoisseur of diamonds and precious stones, and expanded Shah Jahaan's
collection, by acquiring more diamonds and other valuables. But, during the
rule of Muhammad Shah, the Persian conqueror Nadir Shah, invaded Northern
India, in 1739, with the sole intention of plundering it's wealth. Nadir
defeated the Mogul army at Karnal in February 1739, and took Emperor
Muhammad Shah prisoner, and later marched into Delhi. He sacked Delhi and
Agra, and eventually when his army left Delhi in May, 1739, carried with
them a booty estimated at 70 crores (700 million rupees), and this helped
him to exempt all Iranians from taxes for the next three years. His plunder
included all the crown jewels of the Mogul Emperors, which consisted of
the Koh-i-Nur, the Darya-i-Nur, Nur-ul-Ain, etc. and the renowned peacock
throne of Shah Jahaan.
When Nadir Shah died in 1747, after being assassinated by
his own troops, most of his valuable treasurers were stolen by his close
associates and commanders of different dynastic units of the army. The
Koh-i-Nur diamond fell into the hands of Khan Abdali, the commander of his
5,000-man strong Afghan bodyguard. Likewise other commanders, of various
dynastic units, such as Muhammad Karim Khan of the Zand dynasty, Muhammad
Hassan Khan Qajar of the Qajar dynasty also laid their hands on part of his
valuable treasurers. Nadir Shah's blind grandson, Shah Rukh, also laid his
hands on a considerable part of the jewels. The vast empire created by Nadir
Shah, crumbled into several independent states, and within Iran itself three
different states emerged. Nadir Shah's blind grandson Shah Rukh headed one
state, known as the Afsharid State, based in Khorasan with it's capital at
Mash'had. This state lasted from 1748 to 1795. Muhammad Hassan Khan Qajar,
headed another state based in Mazanderan also known as Tabarestan, in
Northern Iran, south of the Caspian Sea. The third state was headed by
Muhammad Karim Khan of the Zand dynasty, based in Central and Southern Iran,
with it's capital in Shiraz.
Karim Khan was able to bring peace and economic
prosperity to his people, and his state was the most successful of the three
states. However when Karim Khan died in 1779, Agha Muhammad Khan Qajar, the
successor to Muhammad Hassan Khan Qajar, built up a strong army in
Mazanderan, and embarked on a war of conquest in the south. At first he
subdued the Zand territory, after defeating Lotf Ali Khan, in 1794. In 1796,
Agha Muhammad Khan Qajar assumed the imperial diadem as Shahanshah (King of
Kings), and later in the same year he captured Mash'had.
Shah Rukh was taken prisoner and forced to surrender all
the crown jewels he inherited from Nadir Shah, which included the
Darya-i-Nur and Nur-ul-Ain. As Agha Muhammad Khan Qajar was not satisfied
with the tally of the Afsharid's treasure declared by Shah Rukh, he
subjected Shah Rukh to the most horrifying and painful torture. As the
torture continued, jewels previously hidden were given up one by one. The
last gem he gave up was a large ruby which had once belonged to Aurangzeb.
Shah Rukh died immediately afterwards from the effects of the torture. Agha
Muhammad Khan Qajar who took a lot of pains in re-assembling the lost
treasurers of Nadir Shah, did not live long to enjoy his re-assembled
treasurers. The very next year, in 1797, he was assassinated by his own
servants, while on an expedition to Georgia.
Modern history
Agha Muhammad Khan Qajar was succeeded by his nephew Fath
Ali Shah (1797-1834). Fath Ali Shah was a collector and connoisseur of
valuable gemstones. He got his name engraved on one side of the Darya-i-Nur.
In the early 19th century, Sir John Malcolm, the British administrator and
diplomat was sent as an emissary to the Persian court, and had the privilege
of an audience with the Shahanshah Fath Ali Shah, and was allowed to inspect
the crown regalia. He thus relates the incident in his book "Sketches of
Persia", published anonymously in 1827, ...." The King, at this visit,
appeared in great humor with the Elchi, and gratified the latter by
showing him his richest jewels, amongst which was the Darya-i-Nur (Sea of
Light), which is deemed one of the purest and most valuable diamonds in the
world. Many of the others are surprisingly splendid." Sir John Malcolm adds,
the Darya-i-Nur or "Sea of Light" weighs 186 carats and is considered to be
the diamond of the finest luster in the world. The Taj-i-Mah or "Crown of
the Moon" is also a splendid diamond. It weighs 146 carats. These two are
the principal diamonds in a pair of bracelets, valued at nearly a million
sterling. Those in the crown are also of extraordinary size and value.
When Fath Ali Shah died in 1834, the Iranian Crown Jewels
passed down a succession of rulers which included Mohammed Shah (1834-48),
Nasser-ed-Din Shah (1848-96), Mozaffar-al-Din Shah (1896-1907), and finally
Mohammed Ali Shah (1907-1909). When Nasser-ed-Din Shah, inherited the
Darya-i-Nur in 1848, he decided to get an appropriate mount prepared for it.
When the mount was finally completed, the Darya-i-Nur was set in an
elaborate frame, which was surmounted by the lion and sun emblem of the
Imperial Government of Iran. 457 smaller diamonds and four rubies were also
mounted on this frame. The Darya-i-Nur remains in this same mount, which has
been preserved up to this day.
In 1906, after much agitation by the population, known as
the constitutional revolution, Iran was finally granted a constitution by
the ruling Shah, Mozaffar-al-Din. The new constitution provided a new
judicial code, a free press, and a framework for secular legislation. The
power of the Royal Court. and the clergy were drastically curtailed, and
more authority was placed in the hands of the Majlis (National Assembly).
The first National Consultative Assembly known as the Majlis, was opened in
October 1906.
In 1908, the new ruler Mohammed Ali Shah, tried to
suppress the Majlis, with the help of the officers of the Cossack Brigade,
the Shah's personal bodyguard and the most effective military force in the
country at that time. However the people's will prevailed and democracy was
revived in Iran the following year, under the second Majlis. Mohammed Ali
Shah took refuge in the Russian Legation in Teheran, carrying with him the
Darya-i-Nur and other valuable items from the Iranian Crown Jewels, and
claimed that the jewels were his personal property. However, after
representations made to the Russian Government by the peoples
representatives, the Iranian Crown Jewels were returned back to Iran.
Iran's experiment with democracy was short lived, lasting
only about 15 years from 1906 to 1921. The collapse of democracy in Iran was
mainly due to the interference of the British and the Russians, who carved
out spheres of influence in the country. The Russians withdrew from Iran
after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, but the British continued to
maintain an interest in Iran, until they were forced to withdraw their
advisers in 1921 due to international pressure. However, in 1921, an Iranian
officer of the Persian Cossack Brigade, Reza Khan, stage a coup and took
control of all the military forces of Iran. Reza Khan consolidated his
position first as War Minister, and later as Prime Minister under Ahmed
Shah, and eventually deposed Ahmed Shah in 1925, and had himself crowned as
Reza Shah Pahlavi. Thus the Shah rulers of Iran who were only nominal Heads
of State, after the constitutional revolution of 1906, were effectively
restored as absolute monarchs in 1925.
Reza Shah Pahlavi laid the foundations of a modern state
in Iran, by introducing educational and judicial reforms. He also
re-negotiated the oil concessions given to western countries. But, his
suspicions of the British and the Russians, forced him to move closer to
Nazi Germany, which resulted in the Anglo-Soviet invasion of his country in
1941, under the pretext of ensuring the safe passage of U. S. war material
to the Soviet Union through Iran. The Allies forced Reza Shah to abdicate,
placing his young son Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi on the throne. After the
war the National Front, consisting of nationalists, clerics and
non-communist left-wing parties, led by Mohammed Mosaddeq, a career
politician and lawyer, was elected to power, and Mosaddeq became Prime
Minister in 1951. Upon his assuming office as Prime Minister, Mosaddeq
nationalized the country's oil industry. Britain and the U.S. immediately
swung into action and planned a joint coup to oust Mosaddeq. In August 1953,
Shah Mohammed Reza fled the country after quarrels with the Prime Minister
Mosaddeq came to a head. Almost simultaneously the CIA plotted coup
succeeded, and Mosaddeq's Government was ousted. Within a week Shah Mohammed
Reza returned to Iran and appointed a new Prime Minister. Shah Mohammed Reza
then moved immediately to consolidate his position as the absolute monarch
of Iran.
In 1958, when Shah Mohammed Reza married Empress Farah
Diba, the Nur-ul-Ain diamond, the 2nd largest pink diamond in the world, and
the non-identical twin of the Darya-i-Nur diamond, was set as the
centerpiece of a special tiara, designed by Harry Winston for the occasion.
This Tiara is also preserved as part of the Imperial Crown Jewels of Iran.
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