“Beyond these chaotic rocks and ramparts that make up the citadel, and which silently descend all the way down, the outer wall of the city – the crenellated wall maintained by the Nizam – snakes off into the distance as it continues to draw the outlines of what was Golconda, Golconda of the marvelous diamonds.”
Pierre Loti
Golconda evokes a legend of incredibly pure diamonds from mines that disappeared two centuries ago, adorning the sumptuous finery of the greatest Mughal kings and Maharajahs. In a ground-breaking book on the subject, historian Capucine Juncker retells the story of these treasures of the earth.
Long before the discovery of Brazilian diamonds (1725) and African mines (1870), Golconda in India was the only known diamond source. Ancient Sanskrit texts already mention the stone of eternity, a spiritual and economic symbol. The one who wears “a beautiful diamond with a lightning sparkle has a strength that triumphs over all other powers, and makes themselves master of all the land around them” (Buddhabhatta, Ratnaparîksâ, stanza 51).
The Taveez set in a necklace, 17th century, diamonds and silk cord, 1.36 ´ 1.18 ´ 0.84 cm (dimensions of the central diamond), SANTI © Krishna Choudhary / SANTI
From Pliny the Elder (1st century) to Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, the great travelers mentioned diamonds, which were highly coveted in trade between the East and the West. The Mughal emperors Qutb Shahi, Shah Jehan and Aurangzeb made Golconda a prosperous and renowned region, while its diamonds became a symbol of power, wealth and splendor. They amassed priceless treasures. Ancient paintings show the astounding wealth of their ornaments and ceremonial finery.
The reputation of the diamonds was due to their age as well as their exceptional quality. C. Juncker points out that “The Deccan region, which was home to five sultanates including Golconda, is renowned for producing a large number of ‘type IIa’ diamonds, which account for 1% of the diamonds mined in the world, i.e. diamonds with very high chemical purity (no nitrogen detectable by IR spectroscopy and transparent to UVC) and exceptional optical transparency”. These qualities give the diamonds a unique beauty and light. These days we do use the terms ‘Golconda water’ and ‘Golconda quality’ to designate perfectly pure stones, after all. In the Mughals’ days, the diamonds underwent an absolute minimum of cutting to keep as close as possible to their original shape; they were gifts from the Earth. Cutting was actually forbidden by the Hindu religion. Later on, Europeans would cut them meticulously to extract all their light.
In Europe, Louis XIV – who was madly in love with diamonds – commissioned Jean-Baptiste Tavernier to bring him the fabulous Golconda gems that would adorn swords, shoes, clothes, accessories and ceremonial jewelry. They included the Regent, cut from a 426-carat rough of absolute clarity, the Beau Sancy and the astonishing 115-carat blue diamond, forerunner of the Hope Diamond.
When the British colonized India, Golconda diamonds began to circulate more frequently in the West, thanks in particular to the East India Company. They embellished European crowns and the jewelry of maharajas designed by the workshops of Cartier, Chaumet and Boucheron. In 1928, Boucheron fulfilled the largest special order in the history of Place Vendôme for the Maharajah of Patiala. In England, the famous Koh-I-Noor – which means ‘Mountain of Light’ in Persian and weighs more than 105 carats – was presented to Queen Victoria in 1950.
The most famous ‘Golcondas’: Capucine Juncker devotes a chapter to their history, which still captivates the contemporary world, occasionally leading to fierce auction battles. Among them are the deep-blue Wittelsbach-Graff, the slightly orangey-pink Princie and the bluish-green Dresden Green.
As C. Juncker writes, “The Golconda diamonds belonged to historic figures, they have a checkered history and immense romantic value… To wear them or own them is to be part of this history”.
The Dutch Rose jewel, anonymous, early 18th century, The Netherlands (?), silver and diamonds, 5.72 cm (height) ´ 3.18 cm (width) ´ 0.93 cm (depth), private collection © Les Enluminures
Where are Golconda diamonds today? With the mines exhausted more than two centuries ago, Golconda diamonds are extremely rare. The princely families of India began selling their jewels after the dissolution of the British Empire and India’s independence in order to maintain their lifestyle. Many Western jewelers such as Cartier and Harry Winston acquired several beautiful stones. The vaults of certain families are still certain to contain rare and ancient pieces. As C. Juncker highlights, “The tabloids are constantly showing us the extent to which Indian billionaires such as the Ambanis have retained their taste for expensive jewelry, whether contemporary or made from ancient or even historic pieces – including, perhaps, Golconda diamonds!”
Some old stones appear sporadically “at prestigious auctions, such as the Archduke Joseph in 2012 – a D IF that fetched a record price of $280,000 per carat – the Beau Sancy in 2012, the Princie in 2013, and more recently the Farnese Blue in 2018 and the Arcot II in 2019. Others are jealously guarded in bank vaults. A few major jewelers enjoy owning them for a period of time (Graff and the Wittelsbach; SANTI, who now owns the largest portrait diamond in the world), while some diamonds have completely disappeared from the radar (the Florentine, , the Nassak). There are questions about the identity of others, such as the Hornby, or even doubts or misattributions (Liz Taylor’s pendant with the engraved Taj Mahal diamond),” explains the author.
The Golconda origin cannot always be certified, any more than that of other diamonds around the world. As C. Juncker puts it, “Golconda diamonds are not fundamentally different from those from other diamond deposits. Where there is no documentation, their appearance (irregular cut, large facets) and provenance (former owners of royal descent in India) may provide important clues. According to the author, certain laboratories attest to the fact that “Diamonds of this type, which display an ancient cutting style as well as superior quality, are very rare and will most certainly evoke references to the historical term ‘Golconda’.”
Juncker, Capucine. “Diamants de Golconda”, SKIRA, October 2024, 208 p.
