Historic Diamond Fields & Mines in India
What Happened to India’s Historic Diamond Mines?
Kollur and the Krishna–Godavari Diggings
The Krishna River gravels around Kollur, Paritala, and nearby villages produced the stones later called “Golconda diamonds.” By the early nineteenth century the gravels were worked out and international markets were already turning to Brazil and South Africa. As irrigation projects expanded in modern India, the old Kollur diggings were submerged beneath the Pulichinthala (K. L. Rao Sagar) reservoir. Today the area no longer shows mine pits; only scattered records and riverbank remains mark the location of a once-legendary source. Sources: Kollur Mine · Deccan Chronicle on submergence.
Vijayanagara Fields
During the Vijayanagara Empire, taxes and royal monopolies supported alluvial mining in the Krishna–Tungabhadra basin. After the empire’s fall, these diggings came under Golconda and later Hyderabad merchants. By the 1800s the deposits were mostly exhausted. No organized mining remains in the region today; sites are farmland and riverbanks with only historical references pointing to their past significance. Source: Diamond mining in India.
Vadodara (Baroda)
Baroda is remembered not for large mine districts but for its princely treasury. The famous “Moon of Baroda” diamond is said to have been discovered near the city. There are no ongoing mines in Vadodara itself; the name survives in gem history because of the Gaekwad rulers’ patronage and later international exhibitions of their jewels. Source: Moon of Baroda.
Wajrakarur Kimberlite and Lamproite Pipes
In Anantapur district, pipes and dikes at Wajrakarur were mapped during the twentieth century. They proved diamondiferous but never supported the scale of working seen at Kollur. The field remains of geological interest with exploration and academic studies but no large operating mines. Today, the locality is visited mainly by researchers and students rather than miners. Sources: Mindat index · ScienceDirect paper.
Panna / Majhgawan Mine
Panna, in Madhya Pradesh, is the only area in India where a modern mechanized diamond mine still operates. The Majhgawan pipe was developed by NMDC, a state-owned company, and has seen periodic shutdowns due to its proximity to the Panna Tiger Reserve. In 2025 Reuters reported that mining resumed under court-supervised conditions, with plans to extract several thousand carats annually. Panna is therefore the living continuation of India’s diamond production, though on a modest scale compared to Africa and Russia. Sources: Reuters Jan 2025 · NMDC project page.
Bunder Project
The Bunder deposit in Chhatarpur district was discovered by Rio Tinto in the early 2000s. The company withdrew in 2016 citing regulatory delays, and in 2019 the state auctioned rights to Essel Mining of the Aditya Birla Group. Since then, forest clearance and water-use issues have stalled progress. Environmental groups continue to oppose large-scale mining, and no production has begun as of the mid-2020s. Sources: Bloomberg on Rio Tinto exit · Times of India 2019 · Mongabay 2021.
Summary
Most historic Indian mines (Kollur, Paritala, Vijayanagara fields) were worked out by the early nineteenth century and are now farmland or reservoirs. Baroda is remembered for ownership, not active mines. Wajrakarur pipes remain academic study sites. Panna is the one functioning diamond mine today, producing under government control. Bunder has proven reserves but is delayed by environmental and legal issues.
Famous Diamonds Linked to India — Technical Facts and Ownership Histories
Koh-i-Noor
Weight: 105.602 ct (after 1852 recut; earlier Mughal-style stone reported >186 ct). Color/Type: D, Type IIa. Cut/Facets: Oval brilliant, ~66 facets. Clarity: High; no public GIA grading.
Ownership: Mughal treasury → taken by Nader Shah of Persia (1739) → Afghan Durrani rulers → transferred to Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1813) → ceded to the British after annexation of Punjab (1849) → recut (1852) and retained in British Crown Jewels. Current holder: UK Royal Collection (Crown Jewels).Sources: Britannica · Wikipedia.
Daria-i-Noor (“Sea of Light”)
Weight: ~182 ct. Color/Type: Pale pink, generally treated as Type IIa. Cut/Facets: Flat table/lasque (Mughal style). Clarity: No modern public report.
Ownership: Mughal treasury → taken to Persia by Nader Shah (1739) → Iranian dynastic regalia → cataloged with the Iranian National Jewels (Central Bank of Iran).Sources: Wikipedia · DiamondBuzz overview.
Noor-ul-Ain
Weight: ~60 ct. Color/Type: Pale pink, Type not publicly reported. Cut/Facets: Oval brilliant (mid-20th-century make). Clarity: Not published.
Ownership: In Iranian state holdings; mounted by Harry Winston in a tiara for Empress Farah Pahlavi (1958); remains with the National Jewels in Tehran.Sources: Wikipedia · Royal Watcher (tiara).
Great Mogul Diamond (lost)
Weight: ~280 ct as seen by Tavernier (1665). Color/Type: Not recorded to modern standards. Cut/Facets: High domed Indian rose/lasque (facet count not standardized). Clarity: Unknown.
Ownership: Recorded in Mughal treasury by Tavernier; subsequent identity unconfirmed. Hypothesis linking it to Russia’s Orlov remains unproven; present whereabouts unknown.Source: Wikipedia.
Orlov
Weight: 189.62 ct. Color/Type: Descriptions vary from colorless to faint tint; Type not published. Cut/Facets: High domed Indian rose (~180 small facets reported in literature). Clarity: Not published.
Ownership: Attributed to Golconda origin; by 1770s in St. Petersburg; mounted in Catherine II’s imperial sceptre (1774); retained in Russian regalia and now in the Kremlin Diamond Fund.Source: Wikipedia.
Regent
Weight: 140.64 ct finished (rough reported 410–426 ct). Color/Type: D, often cited Type IIa. Cut/Facets: Cushion brilliant (~74 facets). Clarity: Very high; no public GIA card.
Ownership: Rough acquired in India (1698) by Thomas Pitt → sold to Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (1717) → French Crown Jewels → recovered after 1792 theft → French state jewel at the Louvre.Source: Wikipedia.
Hope Diamond (from the French Blue)
Weight: 45.52 ct. Color/Type: Fancy deep grayish-blue, Type IIb (boron). Cut/Facets: Antique cushion brilliant; exact facet count per mounting not published. Clarity: Not publicly graded by GIA in standard report format.
Ownership: French Blue cut for Louis XIV from Indian rough → stolen (1792) → smaller blue appears in London (c.1812) → acquired by Henry Philip Hope → later Pierre Cartier → Evalyn Walsh McLean → Harry Winston → donated to Smithsonian (1958), where it remains. Modeling links it to the French Blue by geometry.Sources: Smithsonian · GIA study.
Alleged “curse” — deaths & misfortunes linked to the Hope
- Louis XVI — executed by guillotine (1793) while the French Blue was part of the Crown Jewels. Association is historical; “curse” causal claims are folklore. Source: Wikipedia (Owners & fates).
- Marie Antoinette — executed (1793). Often listed as a wearer, but records suggest she likely never wore the Golden Fleece pendant that held the diamond. Source: Wikipedia.
- Princesse de Lamballe — murdered by a Paris mob (1792). Frequently included in “curse” lists as a temporary wearer; the linkage is unverified. Source: Washington Post.
- Lord Francis Hope — owner forced to sell after bankruptcy (1900s). Source: Wikipedia.
- May Yohé — actress and wife of Lord Francis Hope; divorced and died in poverty, often cited as “ill-fated” in curse tellings. Source: Wikipedia.
- Sultan Abdul Hamid II — deposed in 1909; ownership of the stone is disputed. Source: Wikipedia.
- Evalyn Walsh McLean — owner whose family endured widely reported tragedies (son killed in a car accident; daughter’s overdose; husband’s institutionalization and early death) before she died of pneumonia in 1947; these events fueled the curse narrative. Sources: Washington Post · Smithsonian history.
- Selim Habib — Paris dealer linked with the stone; financial troubles and a false report that he drowned at sea were repeated in the press and helped amplify the “curse.” Source: Smithsonian history.
Myth vs. record. Many names that appear in popular “victim” lists are unverified or contradicted by the historical record. Examples: Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (often said to be “torn apart by wolves”) actually died at about 84; Nicholas Fouquet, “Wilhelm Fals”, and a Greek merchant sometimes called “Simon Maoncharides” are frequently repeated but lack reliable documentation. The curse narrative itself was heavily embroidered by early-1900s newspapers and by Pierre Cartier when marketing the stone to the McLeans. Sources: LiveScience (Radford) · Smithsonian history.
French Blue (Tavernier Blue)
Weight: ~67 old French ct (≈69 modern ct) before loss. Color/Type: Blue, Type IIb by inference. Cut/Facets: Royal “French” cut for Louis XIV (facet plan reconstructed in studies). Clarity: Not applicable post-loss.
Ownership: Cut for the French Crown from Indian rough; stolen in 1792; not recovered as a stone; progenitor to the Hope per modern reconstructions.Source: GIA reconstruction.
Dresden Green
Weight: ~41 ct. Color/Type: Natural green, Type IIa (lab-documented). Cut/Facets: Modified pear brilliant. Clarity: VS1 (reported).
Ownership: In Saxon royal holdings by 18th century; retained in state custody; exhibited by Dresden State Art Collections (Grünes Gewölbe).Sources: GIA paper (PDF) · Wikipedia.
Florentine (lost)
Weight: 137.27 ct. Color/Type: Light yellow; Type not known. Cut/Facets: Nine-sided double-rose, 126 facets. Clarity: Not applicable to modern grading.
Ownership: Documented with Medici then Habsburg collections; disappeared after 1918; current location unknown.Source: Wikipedia.
Jacob Diamond
Weight: 184.75 ct. Color/Type: Colorless; Type not published. Cut/Facets: Rectangular old mine cushion (~58 facets typical). Clarity: Not publicly graded.
Ownership: In Nizam of Hyderabad’s collection; later acquired by Government of India; reportedly stored with RBI; occasional proposals for exhibition.Sources: Wikipedia · Economic Times.
Nassak (“Eye of the Idol”)
Weight: ~89 ct historic; 43.38 ct after recut. Color/Type: Traditionally described “blue-white”; Type likely IIa. Cut/Facets: Now emerald cut (Winston recut); earlier make unknown. Clarity: Not published.
Ownership: Associated with Trimbakeshwar temple → seized during Anglo-Maratha conflict (1818) → auctioned in London → UK/US collectors → recut by Harry Winston → private ownership in 20th century.Source: Wikipedia.
Agra
Weight: ~28.15 ct (current). Color/Type: Fancy Intense Pink (reported). Cut/Facets: Cut-cornered rectangular mixed cut; recut history in 19th/20th c. Clarity: Not publicly posted in museum notes.
Ownership: Traditionally linked to Babur (1526) → passed through private European collections → cataloged in the Al Thani Collection; shown in museum exhibitions.Sources: Met Museum · Wikipedia.
Arcot I & Arcot II
Weight: Pair of pear-shaped stones; Arcot II now 17.21 ct (post-polish). Color/Type: Colorless; Type IIa reported for Arcot II. Cut/Facets: Pear brilliants. Clarity: Arcot II graded by GIA for auction (details on lot page).
Ownership: Gift from Nawab of Arcot to Queen Charlotte (1777) → later mounted in the Westminster Tiara → sold from tiara; Arcot II sold at Christie’s (2019); present owners private.Sources: Christie’s lot · Rapaport.
Sancy
Weight: 55.23 ct. Color/Type: Pale yellow; Type not published. Cut/Facets: Shield shape with double-crown heritage; minimal pavilion. Clarity: Not publicly graded.
Ownership: Circulated among French and English nobility; 19th–20th c. in Astor family; acquired by France (1978); displayed at the Louvre.Source: Wikipedia.
Beau Sancy
Weight: 34.98 ct. Color/Type: Faint brown (reported). Cut/Facets: Modified pear double-rose. Clarity: Not publicly graded.
Ownership: In collections of Medici, House of Orange, Hohenzollerns; sold at Sotheby’s Geneva (2012); private owner.Sources: Wikipedia · AP preview.
Wittelsbach-Graff
Weight: 31.06 ct (after modern recut). Color/Type: Fancy Deep Blue, Type IIb. Cut/Facets: Cushion modified brilliant (post-recut). Clarity: IF after recut.
Ownership: Historically in Bavarian regalia; acquired by Laurence Graff, recut; private ownership thereafter; studied in comparison with the Hope.Source: GIA comparative study.
Polar Star
Weight: 41.28 ct. Color/Type: D/E reported; Type IIa reported in references. Cut/Facets: Brilliant cushion. Clarity: Not publicly graded.
Ownership: Associated with Joseph Bonaparte and Russian collectors; private ownership in modern times.Source: Wikipedia.
Grand Condé (Condé Pink)
Weight: 9.01 ct. Color/Type: Fancy pink. Cut/Facets: Pear. Clarity: Not publicly graded.
Ownership: Gifted to Prince of Condé; retained with Musée Condé (Chantilly).Source: Wikipedia.
Hortensia
Weight: ~20 ct. Color/Type: Pale orange-pink; Type not published. Cut/Facets: Pentagonal outline; old-style faceting. Clarity: Visible feather noted historically.
Ownership: French Crown Jewel surviving into modern state collection; on view at the Louvre.Sources: Wikipedia · Louvre page.
Princie
Weight: 34.65 ct. Color/Type: Fancy Intense Pink; Golconda attribution by tradition. Cut/Facets: Cushion. Clarity: VS2 (GIA at sale).
Ownership: Named for the Prince of Baroda; sold Christie’s New York (2013) for US$39.3M; private ownership.Sources: Christie’s · The Jewellery Editor.
Star of the East
Weight: 94.78 ct. Color/Type: D reported; Type not published. Cut/Facets: Pear brilliant. Clarity: VS2 reported in some references.
Ownership: Ottoman treasury (Sultan Abdülhamid II) → Evalyn Walsh McLean → Harry Winston → private hands; origin often attributed to India but unconfirmed.Sources: Wikipedia · Smithsonian context.
Tereshchenko (Mouawad Blue)
Weight: 42.92 ct. Color/Type: Fancy blue, Type IIb. Cut/Facets: Pear brilliant; Cartier necklace c.1913–16. Clarity: Not publicly graded.
Ownership: Associated with Tereshchenko family; sold at Christie’s Geneva (1984); later owned by Mouawad; origin often stated as India but debated.Sources: Langerman · Mouawad.
Briolette of India
Weight: 90.38 ct (current). Color/Type: D, Type IIa (reported). Cut/Facets: Briolette (early 20th-century recut). Clarity: Not publicly graded.
Ownership: Attributed to India in older accounts; modern scholarship questions medieval provenance; mounted/sold across 20th century; appeared in 2023 sale from the Heidi Horten collection.Sources: Wikipedia · Forbes sale report.
Shah Diamond
Weight: 88.7 ct. Color/Type: Light yellow; Type not published. Cut/Facets: Elongated table/lasque with three Persian inscriptions (1591, 1641, 1824). Clarity: Not applicable in modern sense due to engravings.
Ownership: Persian royal jewel; presented to Tsar Nicholas I (1829); retained in Kremlin Diamond Fund.Sources: Britannica · GIA (Mughal era).
Akbar Shah (“Lustre of the Peacock Throne”)
Weight: ~73.6 ct after later reworking. Color/Type: Pale green described historically; Type not published. Cut/Facets: Irregular pear; earlier inscriptions later removed in recutting. Clarity: Not published.
Ownership: Mughal imperial jewel with inscriptions of Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan; later altered and traded; present whereabouts unclear.Source: Wikipedia.
Black Orlov (“Eye of Brahma”)
Weight: ~67.5 ct (current). Color/Type: Black (polycrystalline/graphitic features typical of carbonado not confirmed in public lab notes). Cut/Facets: Cushion in pendant/brooch settings. Clarity: Not applicable in standard D-Z grading.
Ownership: Folkloric “temple idol” story is unverified; 20th-century owners included American and European dealers; frequent exhibition loans; private ownership.Source: Wikipedia.
Moon of Baroda
Weight: 24.04 ct. Color/Type: Yellow; Type not published. Cut/Facets: Pear brilliant. Clarity: Not publicly graded.
Ownership: Traditionally linked to discovery near Vadodara; associated with Gaekwad rulers of Baroda; traveled for exhibitions and private loans; reappeared in late 20th/early 21st-century displays.Source: Wikipedia.
“Curse” note: A long-standing superstition claims the Moon of Baroda brings misfortune if carried overseas, sometimes linked in stories to Empress Maria Theresa and, later, Marilyn Monroe. Historians and auction records treat this as legend, not fact; the stone has been publicly exhibited and sold (Christie’s, 2018) with no credible evidence of a real curse. Sources: Wikipedia (myth noted); Natural Diamond Council (rumor overview); Christie’s press release (Monroe provenance); National Jeweler (2018 sale).
Archduke Joseph
Weight: 76.02 ct. Color/Type: D, Type IIa, IF (reported at sale). Cut/Facets: Cushion brilliant. Clarity: IF per auction report.
Ownership: Associated with the Habsburg Archduke Joseph; private custody; sold Christie’s Geneva (2012) for US$21.5M; private owner.Sources: Wikipedia · Christie’s.
Pigot (Pigott) Diamond
Weight: ~47–48 ct (historic). Color/Type: Colorless; Type not known. Cut/Facets: Oval brilliant (historic make). Clarity: Not recorded in modern terms.
Ownership: Brought to England by Sir George Pigot (18th c.); sold to Ali Pasha; later history uncertain; presumed lost or recut.Source: Wikipedia.
Gruosi Diamond
Note: Not Indian origin (treated black diamond; modern).
Weight: ~115.34 ct finished (heart). Color/Type: Black. Cut/Facets: Heart shape. Clarity: Not applicable.
Ownership: Associated with de Grisogono; later Chopard context; private collections.General: Black diamonds overview.
Fortuna Diamond
Note: Not a classical India-origin historic stone; modern auction usage of the name varies. Where a specific stone is intended, please provide the catalog reference to add exact specs and chain of custody.