THE LEGACY OF JACOB VICTORIA DIAMOND :BY PARVEZ HUSSAIN, HUNTSVILLE, ON CANADA

THE LEGACY OF JACOB [ VICTORIA ] DIAMOND

Mir Mehboob Ali Khan [Pasha] The Jacob Diamond Falaknuma Palace

Asif Jah V1 1869-1911

 

The "Jacob Diamond"" also known as "Victoria ", and "Great White" owned by Mir Mehboob Ali Khan [Pasha]

The V1 Nizam of Hyderabad remains the sixth largest diamond worth about 400 crore rupees. It is believed to have been found as a rough stone in Africa, as the exact location and time of discovery are uncertain. It has been Reported that it was found at a Dutchman's farm in Orange Free State, along with several other names of leading diamond mine companies of South Africa. Its weight from various reports is estimated from 100-250 carats uncut. Mr. George F. Kunz, Mineralogist and diamond expert gave his account of Jacob's whereabouts in New YorkTimes published in 1897. He states that it was found in June or July of 1884 by a security officer of Kimberley Mines, South Africa. His job was to search the mining crew, but not himself--- so it got through the mine andwas sold to a diamond dealer in Cape Town for £19000. Thereupon, it was shipped to London to a syndicate by mail on passenger steamer to avoid customs with a price of £ 45,000.

 

Mir Mehboob Ali Pasha purchased this rare gem in the fall of 1891 through Alexander Jacob, a diamond dealer for a sum of £200,000-- twice the sum for which anyone could have purchased for. [Alexander Jacob, was an Armenian gem dealer who had settled in Simla in 1871].

 

Mr. Kunz further went on to add that it was finally decided to cut it into the largest possible piece, rather than into small stones, and Amsterdam was selected as the place to for its shiny cuts. The Jacob was sent to a company of Jacques Metz where a special workshop was constructed for its cutting. First, a piece was shaved off that formed a 19 carats. The stone was later bought by the King of Portugal and its location is unknown today, but it may be on display in the Ajuda Palace in Lisbon.The cutting of the largest piece of Jacob began on April 9, 1887 and the operation took about a year because the regular procedures for cutting a diamond were by-passed and it was polished on the scaife (cast iron polishing wheel) among

other engineering and milling designs to reduce wastage-- restore color and shine. A great deal of time was taken by the cooling of the stone as it over heated after hours on the running wheel.

 

The cutter was Mr. M.B. Barends.

 

The finished diamond was a slightly rectangular, measured 1.3/8" long 5/16" wide, and weighed 184.5 carats.

 

The diamond's cut is not entirely even and one side is flat.It is blueish white in color and it is believed that Mir Mehboob Ali Khan had bought the Jacob to bring good luck. It was several years after his death that Mir Osman Ali Khan, Asif Jah V11 found the Jacob in the toe of his fathers shoe at Chowmahalla Palace. He was not too keen on this gem and had used it as a paper weight. At that time his jewellery collectionestimated worth was between £13 -£15 million under trust, dividing them into two groups; the first was made up of forty pieces which the trustees could sell; the second and slightly larger group Jacob was included in the second category which were not for sale.

Nizam's collection consisting 173 priceless jewels, including the Jacob diamond that is almost double the size of the Kohinoor diamond,

on exhibition in an especially constructed safe room with tight security--- New Delhi 2007

After the death of the Nizam V11 in 1967 his jewels were again in the media. The trustees hoped to sell some of them to help pay his estates mounting taxes. Many super rich rushed to Hyderabad for the sale and certain conditions were set forth for would-be buyers who wanted to examine, pay a non-refundable fee and no one could bid without a security deposit. The auction was put off because of public outrage of many Indians who felt the jewels that belonged to the Nizam must be declared as a national heritage and therefore be kept in India.

In 1995 after much court litigation and Supreme Court's intervention and directions; the Indian Government purchased the 173 pieces of collection (37 pieces are said to be priceless) for 218 crore rupees ($44.5 million)  The Nizam's Jewellery Trust Which includes over several diamonds weighing over 12,000 carats (2.4 kg) There are also emeralds, some of them Colombian, which weigh over 10,000 carats (2.0 kg), and pearls

exceeding thousands of chows. The collection includes gemstones, turban ornaments, necklaces and pendants, belts and buckles, earrings, armbands, bangles and bracelets, anklets, cuff links andbuttons, watch chains,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.

 

At present Southeby's and Christie's Auctions estimate the present value of his entire collection well over $ 500 million. The collection is kept at the Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai. The Jacob was also part of Nizam's Jewellery Collection exhibition held at Hyderabad in 2002 &2007.

 

References:
1. The Nizam V1: History and Relations with the British (1861) by Henry George Briggs
2. Jewels of the Nizams [ illustrated hardcover] by Usha R. Bala Krishnan
3. Rediff India: First Look The Nizam's Jewels
4. The Story of the Imperial diamond: New York Times May 30, 1897
5. National Museum of New Delhi

 

Parvez Hussain

Huntsville, ON Canada