The Koh-i-Noor is a diamond of monumental stature. "As an artist, I want to preserve the legend and legacy of Koh-i-noor through my painting and imprint it on the blockchain as a digital artwork NFT. I want to give back the Koh-i-noor to people, back to all who think it belongs to them." ~ Reena Ahluwalia
Read moreThe Legendary Koh-i-Noor Diamond
The Koh-i-Noor is a diamond of monumental stature. No other diamond in history can lay claim to be more widely traveled, famous and controversial, all at once. Today, the Koh-i-Noor remains one of the most coveted and enigmatic jewels in the world. A story so deep that it began billions of years ago as the diamond formed beneath earth and continues to this date, spanning 750 years of human history.
Read moreThe Magnificent Maharajas of India
Maharajas! The word maharaja, literally ‘great king’, conjures up a vision of splendor and magnificence. These princely rulers of India played an important role within a social and historical context and were patrons of the arts, both in India and Europe. That resulted in magnificent objects symbolic of royal status, power and identity.
According to an account by Alain Boucheron on his family business in the book “The Master Jewelers” that was cited in the Times:
"The flamboyant Maharajah... arrived at Boucheron's in 1927 accompanied by a retinue of 40 servants all wearing pink turbans, his 20 favorite dancing girls and, most important of all, six caskets filled with 7571 diamonds, 1432 emeralds, sapphires, rubies and pearls of incomparable beauty.”
Here's a look at the opulent world of the maharajas and their extraordinarily rich culture thought their jewels.
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The Koh-i-Noor Diamond
It was only in the early 19th Century, when the Koh-i-Noor reached the Punjab, that the diamond began to achieve its preeminent fame and celebrity.
Enter, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab or Lion of Punjab.
It was not just that Ranjit Singh liked diamonds, and respected the stone’s vast monetary value; the gem seems to have held a far greater symbolism for him. Since he had come to the throne he had won back from the Afghan Durrani dynasty almost all the Indian lands they had seized since the time of Ahmad Shah. Having conquered all the Durrani territories as far as the Khyber Pass, Ranjit Singh seems to have regarded his seizure of the Durrani’s dynastic diamond as his crowning achievement, the seal on his status as the successor to the fallen dynasty. It may have been this, as much as the beauty of the stone, that led him to wear it on his arm on all state occasions. [Source: William Dalrymple / OutlookIndia]
In the past I have authored posts on, Bejeweled Maharaja & Maharani of Mysore, Koh-i-Noor Diamond, Diamonds on World Postage Stamps, Top Ten - Largest Diamonds Discovered In The World, Splendors of Mughal India, The Magnificent Maharajas Of India, Mystery & History Of Marquise Diamond Cut, Ór - Ireland's Gold, The Legendary Cullinan Diamond, Bejeweled Persia - Historic Jewelry From The Qajar Dynasty, Famous Heart-Shaped Diamonds, Type II Diamonds, Green Diamonds, Red Diamonds and more. Over years, I have spent countless hours in self-driven studies on diamond, jewelry history and research. I wrote these blogs for a simple reason - to share my collected knowledge with all who are interested, so that more can benefit from it. Take a look and enjoy! -- Reena