Was the Koh-i-Noor Diamond stolen?

An illustration of the Koh-i-Noor diamond (center), as it was worn before being signed over to the British and recut. Wikimedia Commons

Without a doubt the Koh-i-Noor Diamond has been stolen, seized, pillaged, and plundered countless times as this jewel meandered through history. This special stone has traveled across the Eurasian continent during its time with humankind and has temporarily rested in the hands of many of empires that, unlike a Diamond, could not stand the true test of time. Also unlike Diamonds, colonialism has aged poorly leaving many to wonder if the most recent owners of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond, the British Crown, are the rightful owners. After the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II many people across the globe have openly (and loudly) questioned the British Crown’s claim to the Koh-i-Noor Diamond and feel that now may be the right time to return what many see as stolen property. Let’s dig in and check some facts.

The Koh-i-Noor Diamond is one of the worlds largest cut colorless diamonds and weighs approximately 105cts. It is undeniably an extraordinary treasure of immeasurable rarity and immense monetary value. The Koh-i-Noor Diamond was sourced from the ancient Golconda Diamond mines in eastern India along with several other large and famous Diamonds, including the Hope Diamond and Iran’s Darya-i-Noor Diamond. India’s famed Golconda Diamond Mines are depleted meaning everything is now gone but this region once produced what most gemologists consider to be the finest Diamonds ever discovered. India was the original source for Diamonds and believed to be the only source for millennia until Diamonds were eventually discovered in Brazil in the 1700’s making this extraordinary Diamond even more valuable throughout time.

In addition to having a rich gemological and political history, the Koh-i-Noor Diamond is possibly an important religious artifact. The Hindu scriptures Vishnu Purana and Bhagavata Purana describe a legendary stone that is believed by some to be the modern day Koh-i-Noor Diamond. In the scriptures a solar deity known as Surya is believed to be the first in possession of a magnificent gem known as the Syamantaka which was believed to bring abundance, wealth, safety from natural hazards, and sunshine to the land where this stone resided. The Syamantaka was said to glow like the sun and gave those who wore it the aura of a god. Surya eventually chose to gift the stone to one of his devoted followers, Satrajita, who eventually gifted the stone to Krishna along with the hand of his daughter bringing the two families together. There is no record of what happens to the mythical gem after Krishna was said to leave this world but some believe this timeline matches with the appearance and significance of the very real Koh-i-Noor Diamond. One inconsistency with this theory is that the scripture referenced mentions a red stone or Ruby but this could be due to an issue with the translation from Sanskrit to living languages or be a poetic way to remind the reader that treasures like the Koh-i-Noor Diamond often have a trail of blood behind them. Regardless of a direct written connection, it is impossible to deny the historical and spiritual importance of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond as it is no less fantastical than the Syamantaka.

Before being cut in ancient times, the Koh-i-Noor Diamond is estimated to have weighed anywhere from 700-1000cts in size which places it among the largest raw Diamonds ever found. The stone was likely cut down a few times over history as its temporary owners saw fit but we have no true way of knowing. The Koh-i-Noor Diamond has been worn in many pieces of jewelry, opulent beyond imagination, enshrined on golden thrones worth more than the entire Taj Mahal, and used in elaborate bejeweled artwork to celebrate cherished gods. If any stone deserves to be called “The King of Stones” it is certainly the Koh-i-Noor Diamond because no other gemstone can boast such a colorfully long history of desire, spirituality, and provenance.

‘No country but India produces diamonds. Those which are brought to our part of the world are only the refuse, as it were, of the finer and larger stones. For the flower of the diamonds are all carried to the Great Khan and other kings and princes of the region. In truth they possess all the treasures of the world.’ Marco Polo (1254–1324)

The British Crown acquired the stone relatively recently in 1849 and it has been in their care ever since. The family had the stone recut to improve its brilliance soon after acquiring it losing about half of its weight in the process. While this seems wasteful and unnecessary, the amount of weight loss was likely expected and worth it to produce a modern (in its time) gem.

The Koh-i-Noor Diamond currently resides in the British Crown Jewels and sits atop the Crown of the Queen Mother. This relic is rarely used in modern day but was worn with affection by several Queens that came before Queen Elizabeth II. The Crown of the Queen Mother made notable appearances at the funerals of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 and her mother in 2002. The Diamond’s next big appearance is set to be the coronation of Queen Consort Camilla sometime in 2023 although there is much contention to whether or not she will wear it.

The Queen Mother's Crown, with the Koh-i-Noor diamond at the center. Wikimedia Commons

Also known as The Mountain of Light, the Koh-i-Noor Diamond has caused centuries of envy and war throughout Asia and beyond. After a long and bloody journey through the hands of many military leaders and royal rulers, the Koh-i-Noor was inherited by a 5 year old Maharaja named Duleep Singh in the mid 1840’s. This is the point where things get questionable and history becomes less clear. This young child lost ownership of the stone when he was 10 years old when the British imprisoned him in 1949 (some say kidnapped, others insinuate that it was more of a consensual trip) and had the boy sign over vast amounts of his wealth, including the Koh-i-Noor Diamond. Was this a benevolent gift as some say or was this a foreign power taking advantage of a child? After signing away his future, Duleep Singh officially became the last ruler of the Sikh Empire in what is now the Punjabi region of northern India.

Some variations in history recall this transfer of ownership as a peaceful gesture of good will towards the British which goes along with the narrative that the British monarchy rightfully owns the stone without question. This would make sense if the young Maharaja was in danger and needed protection but we could not find evidence to support this.

On the other hand of history, some say that the 10 year old Maharaja was forced to sign away his riches after the British saw a weak moment in the line of inheritance and took advantage of the situation to get a jewel they had long had their eye on. Either way, the Koh-i-Noor Diamond was presented as a gift to the British Crown soon after and celebrated as such throughout history.

Today the Koh-i-Noor Diamond rests safely among the British Crown Jewels in London and is widely seen by the British people as a gift and a fond memory of the shared connection to India. However, time has not softened the opinions of many who believe that this is a stolen artifact and must be repatriated to one of the several nations who lay claim to the gem. To those who share that sentiment, continued British ownership of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond is a vivid reminder of the violence, racism, and suppression experienced under colonial rule. We continue to see the demand to return the Ko-i-Noor Diamond grow louder with time, especially after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

So who would the Koh-i-Noor be retuned to if it were to be repatriated? Who is the rightful owner if not the British Crown? A government? A city? A temple? A family? An individual? Many questions remain on this front and in our research we found that this is not only hotly contested but nearly impossible to answer. This steady uncertainty in ownership brings many logistical, legal, and moral questions to the forefront of this discussion, many of which we have no answer to. Something else to consider is what would have happened if the British did not take/receive the stone, would someone else have come for it? It is not hard to imagine that this young boy had a target on him the moment he inherited such a spectacular treasure and to further speculate that this may have influenced the situation regardless of the intentions behind the transaction. We are not sure that makes any of this right or just because we cannot say what exactly happened. However, we can speculate how horrifying this must have been for that young boy and to image he had little power that day.

With a long history of being seized in conquests and wars, it is rumored that the Koh-i-Noor Diamond is cursed and while we cannot say whether or not that is true, we do know that the privilege of owning this Diamond was a liability and often deadly. Maybe this is why the British monarchy prefers to leave this one in the vault?

So was the Koh-i-Noor Diamond stolen or are the most recent conquerors, the British, the rightful owners? Well, that is for you to decide.