Outlook Web Desk
A Canadian mining company found a 2,492-carat diamond, the second largest diamond in the world in Botswana. Mokgweetsi Masisi, the Botswana President, had the biggest surprise when he saw the diamond.
Cullinan diamond, a staggering 3,106 carat stone, is the biggest diamond in the world. It was found in South Africa in 1905 by Sir Thomas Cullinan.
Koh-i-Noor, one of the most famous diamonds in the world, came from central southern India's Golconda mines. Weighing 105.6 carats, the diamond was taken by the East Company India in 1849 as part of the Treaty of Lahore.
Though the origin is not exactly known, the Koh-I-Noor was first seen on Mughal ruler Shah Jahan's gemstone-adorned throne in 1628. The diamond was placed at the top of the Peacock throne.
Persian ruler Nader Shah invaded Delhi and took away Koh-I-Noor in 1739. The stone was brought back by Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh in 1813. The British had laid their eyes in the gemstone by now.
After Ranjit Singh's death in 1839, the British waited out for the chaos to settle down. As a young Duleep Singh was left with the throne, he was jailed in 1849 and forced to give away Koh-I-Noor to the British.
It went to become Queen Victoria's special possession, who wore Koh-I-Noor as a brooch and then it eventually became a part of the Crown Jewels.
The diamond then was in Queen Alexendra's crown, then in Queen Mary's and finally of Queen Mother in 1937. The crown was last seen in the public in 2002, atop Queen Mother's coffin.
The Koh-I-Noor, the Hope diamond from India, since then has been in the United Kingdom and it is currently displayed at the Crown Jewels section of the Tower of London historic royal palace.
A replica of the infamous Koh-I-Noor diamond is on display at the Prince of Wales Museum of Western of India in Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya.