Golconda diamonds are diamonds mined in the geographic area known as the Godavari delta in the present-day Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Golconda Fort, located in the western part of modern Hyderabad, was a seat of the Golconda Sultanate and became an important center for diamond enhancement, lapidary and trading. Golconda diamonds have distinctive characteristics: they are graded as Type IIa, formed of pure carbon, are devoid of nitrogen, and are large in size with high clarity. They are often described as diamonds of the first water, making them among history's most celebrated diamonds. The word "Golconda diamond" became symbolic of diamonds of incomparable quality. For 2000 years Golconda diamonds were the only known fine diamonds in the world. Due to centuries of excessive mining, the Golconda diamond production has been exhausted since 1830 AD, therefore gemologists and traders have classified Golconda diamonds as antique, rare, and precious. Some of the world's most famous Golconda diamonds are: the colourless Koh-i-Noor, the Nassak Diamond, the blue Hope Diamond, the Idol's Eye, the pink Daria-i-Noor, the white Regent, the Dresden Green, and the colourless Orlov, as well as now-untraceable diamonds such as the Florentine Yellow, the Akbar Shah, the Nizam and the Great Mogul. The 16th-18th centuries were the peak period of the Golconda diamond industry, with 23 mines in the region (of which Kollur Mine was the most active) and 30,000 people working at a time in one mine, The output from all the mines in Golconda was estimated to be around 10,000,000 carats (2.0 t). After decades of disuse, the term "Golconda diamond" was repopularised in the 1950s—(during the De Beers advertising campaigns generally for diamonds) when Marilyn Monroe posed sporting the Moon of Baroda in a promotional event. In 2015, Osmania University and Geological Survey of India in a combined collaboration discovered new potential sites for diamond mining in the region, though as of 2022 mining has not started. Several literary legends were inspired by the Golconda diamonds. These include such examples as Sindbad the Sailor's valley of the diamonds, the gem lore of Marco Polo and the theme of Russell Conwell's inspirational lecture Acres of Diamonds. According to folklore some Golconda diamonds are alleged to be cursed, impart good luck to their owners, or possess mystical powers while some diamonds were worn as talismans. In 2013, the Princie Diamond—(from the Jewels of the Nizams), was auctioned for US$ 39.3 million—the highest recorded auction price for Golconda Diamonds and the world record for US$ 1.1 million per carat. In 2019, Dresden White Diamond was stolen along with the jewels worth US$1.2 billion in the Green Vault heist. (en)
Golconda diamonds are diamonds mined in the geographic area known as the Godavari delta in the present-day Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Golconda Fort, located in the western part of modern Hyderabad, was a seat of the Golconda Sultanate and became an important center for diamond enhancement, lapidary and trading. Golconda diamonds have distinctive characteristics: they are graded as Type IIa, formed of pure carbon, are devoid of nitrogen, and are large in size with high clarity. They are often described as diamonds of the first water, making them among history's most celebrated diamonds. The word "Golconda diamond" became symbolic of diamonds of incomparable quality. (en)