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Jewels of the crown

M. Somasekhar

Would you believe that a diamond which is now estimated to be worth around Rs 400 crore at international prices, once found its place in the toe portion of a royal slipper. If that is not enough, the now famed stone was also used as a paper weight by a r oyal member.

This is not a believe it or not story, but the true journey of the Jacob diamond 184.75 carats, sparkling marvel that was mined in the legendary African diamond countryside and brought to the land of the Kohinoor diamond, Hyderabad, more than a 100 year s ago.

Ali Mohammed Yacoub, the Italian-born diamond dealer, immortalised by Indophile author, Rudyard Kipling, in his novel, Kim as Lurgan Sahib, reportedly sold the diamond to Mehboob Ali Pasha, the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad in 1891.

After this seemingly simple transaction, the story of Jacob diamond, the prominent piece among what now is historically famous as the Nizams jewellery got entangled in controversy, suspense and high stakes. The purchase led to a criminal suit forcing the Nizam, Mehboob Ali Pasha, to do the unthinkable during those times appear before a commission. This unsavoury event made the Nizam averse to jewels. No wonder, the Jacobs diamond, despite its unique size and worth, was confined as an ordinary stone and soon forgotten.

A few decades later, the last Nizam of Hyderabad, Osman Ali Khan, accidentally stumbled onto the masterpiece in the toe portion of a slipper worn by his grandfather, Mehboob Ali Pasha in Chowmahalla Palace, one of the numerous royal structures in the old city of Hyderabad. He too treated it as a simple stone and used it as a paperweight.

What perhaps could have been lost and just found a mention in the history pages, has today emerged as the jewel in the crown of a collection of 173 precious jewels and jewellery items of exquisite craftsmanship from the Nizams of Hyderabad, one of the ri chest rulers in this part of the world between the 18th and 20th centuries.

After a history of protracted legal battles, which saw the diverse range of precious stones being flown to bank vaults in Hong Kong and then to the safety of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Mumbai, after the Government of India purchased them at a whopp ing cost of Rs 218 crore in 1995, the fabulous collection of the Nizams jewels are finally back in their home, Hyderabad.

And aptly, the 173 exhibits, which the public could not see due to legal battles for nearly half a century, would be on display for the next three months at the Salar Jung Museum, another great legacy left behind by the Salar Jung family.

In addition to the great draw that these jewellery themselves provide, the Museum and the city of Hyderabad are expected to provide the right ambience and historical perspective to the show.

The rare pictures shot by Raja Deen Dayal, the well-known court photographer of the Nizams of Hyderabad, that provide valuable insights into the Nizams palaces, the royalty and old Hyderabad, which have been used by the Salar Jung Museum for the exhibiti on, would definitely make the visit of a tourist an exhilarating experience.

To brighten and lure the visitor to the range of jewellery that comprises of diamonds from the famed mines of Golconda, emeralds from Colombia, rubies from Burma and pearls and spinels from Basra and the Gulf of Mannar, the Salar Jung museum has used an innovative lighting system. It has deployed a fibre optic network of lenses imported from the US along with conventional lights. There are twin advantages to this system, it helps in enhancing the visual effect of the jewels and also does not generate he at, which can harm the stone. All the 27 glass showcases housing the jewellery have been lit up with optic fibre.

The centre of attraction, Jacobs diamond, has been strategically positioned on a revolving table with focussed lights that bring out the sparkle in the king-sized precious stone. The piece known as imperial diamond is almost double the size of the Kohino or diamond, now in the collection of the British Museum.

A seven-stringed pearl necklace, a 55-carat belt buckle, rings that change colours in artificial light carved out of Alexandrites, the worlds largest gemstones from the Russian Ural mountains, a pair of anklets cut from Golconda diamonds, a 225-carat eme rald pendant and turban ornaments are among the rich fare waiting to be feasted by the visitors eye.

A common feature of most of the jewellery is the heavy weight of the ornaments, be it the necklaces or the bracelets or the belt buckles. Perhaps, the royal members with a large entourage of attendants in waiting could easily afford to get decked up with such heavy jewellery.

Another must for the visitor is a collection of 22 unset emerald pieces. Estimated to be collectively the most expensive in the Nizams jewellery, they would weigh a couple of thousand carats and are presented in various shapes for ornamental use. The dom inance of green or emerald stone is conspicious.

The Nizams jewellery is currently on a road show in the country. After a two-month display at the National Museum in New Delhi, they are now being exhibited in Hyderabad.

Several cities in the country have reportedly staked claim to house the rare collection, while Hyderabad justifiably is lobbying hard to find a permanent place for its residence in the near future.

Picture: The Jacob Diamond, a star attraction at the exhibition of the Nizams jewellery collection.

Picture by A. Roy Chowdhury