Jewels of The Nizams
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Jewels of the Nizams of Hyderabad State are the largest and richest collection of jewels in India.[1] The jewels belonged to the Nizams.
Once part of Nizams’ state regalia and personal heritage, the ornaments date from the early 18th century to the early 20th century. Crafted in gold and silver and embellished with enameling, the jewels are set with Colombian emeralds, diamonds from the Golconda mines, Burmese rubies and spinels, and pearls from Basra and the Gulf of Mannar.
There are 173 jewels, which includes over 25 thousand diamonds, weighing over 12,000 carats (2.4 kg). There are also 2000 emeralds, some of them Colombian, which weigh over 10 thousand carats, and pearls exceeding 40 thousand chows. The collection includes gemstones, turban ornaments, necklaces and pendants, belts and buckles, earrings, armbands, bangles and bracelets, anklets, cufflinks and buttons, watch chains, and rings, toe rings, and nose rings. Among them is the seven-stringed Basrah pearl necklace, known as Satlada, which has 465 pearls embedded in it.
Salar Jung Museum held exhibitions of the collection in 2005 and 2007, and New Delhi's National Museum exhibited them in September and October 2007.
Contents |
[edit] Value
The Indian government bought the jewels for 218 crore (about US$70 million), after the death of Mir Osman Ali Khan in 1967. In 1991, Sotheby's estimated the collection to be worth US$162 million. The jewels were originally vaulted with HSBC, but they are currently kept at the Reserve Bank of India in Bombay.
[edit] Jacob Diamond
The Jacob Diamond, formerly known as the Imperial Diamond, weighing 184.79 carats (36.96 g), is ranked seventh in the world at almost double the size of the Kohinoor diamond.[2]. It is believed to have been found in an African mine.
[edit] References
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2007) |
[edit] Notes
- ^ http://www.nationalmuseumindia.gov.in/press_release.html
- ^ BBC News | SOUTH ASIA | Indian jewels set to dazzle
[edit] Further reading
Jewels of the Nizams (Hardcover) by Usha R. Krishnan (Author)ISBN 81-85832-15-3 [1]
