All About The Shah Diamond

The world is full of mysteries and secrets. We are attracted by everything unknown and unexplored. One of these secrets is the world-famous Shah precious diamond. This stone has not a simple, but very interesting history. Some parts of it are known to the general public, but other details are hidden under the locks of time, even the most dedicated ones are not aware of them.

It is worth considering what the Shah diamond is known for, where the gem came from and how it got to Russia, what the mysterious inscriptions on its surface mean, what secrets he keeps in himself, who was the first owner of the diamond. In our article, the veil of secrecy will be opened.

Despite the fact that “Shah” is a stone that has extraordinary beauty and value, the history of the stone deserves special interest. So, the stone takes its origins from the Indian mines. It was in them that a diamond was discovered in the distant 16th century. It is well documented and known that the first person who became the sole possessor of the Shah was Burkhan, the famous Sultan from Persia. It was by his order that the first inscription was applied to the stone.

However, in the possession of Burkhan the stone stayed for a very short time. It is widely known that a characteristic feature of ancient times was the frequent bloody war for land, power and people. So it happened with the state of Burkhan. It was conquered by the forces of the Mongol Shah Akbar. After conquering a country that once belonged to Burkhan, the new ruler appropriated numerous values. It turned out in his possession and "Shah."

But Akbar, unlike Burkhan, had no attachment to jewelry gemstones, so he could not appreciate the beauty and value of “Shah”.By order of the lord, the diamond was sent to the vault, where it took its place among a huge number of other countless treasures. In this state, the stone lay for many decades.

After a long time of rest in the treasures of the Mongol shah, the gem fell into the hands of the grandson of Akbar Cihan. He became the person thanks to whom the second inscription appeared on the stone.

As the story goes, since that time the gem has become a real Mongolian relic that has been passed down from generation to generation. "Shah" took pride of place - it was hung in the center of the canopy, which was the decoration of the throne. One after another, the rulers of Mongolia sat on it.

Later, the stone was again subjected to mechanical stress. So, at one of its ends (which was thinner), a small furrow was drilled, which made it possible to thread a rope into stone. Thus, the “Shah” could be enjoyed not only from the side, but also worn around the neck. Historically similar details today are known to the general public thanks to the documentary records of a merchant from France, who entered this information in his travel diary in the distant XVII century. In addition, it was this merchant who became the first European person to see a precious diamond.

But the Mongol rulers did not become the last owners of the Shah. After their empire collapsed, and bloody wars began on its territory. They forgot about the stone for many years - as if it had disappeared. "Shah" appeared only after 100 years - in the XVIII century. This time he became an honorary stone in the treasury of Shah Fath Ali, who applied the third final inscription to him.

After that, they forgot about the stone again. Historical sources and documents begin to mention it only in the 19th century. However, the appearance of "Shah" this time was associated with the tragic events that affected our country. So, in January 1829, in Tehran, a bloody riot occurred at the place where the embassy of the Russian Empire was at that time.

Thousands of religious worshipers attacked the embassy staff, killing 37 of our compatriots. Among the dead was also the poet and statesman A. S. Griboedov, known until today, the author of the famous work “Woe from Wit”. The bodies of Russian diplomats were mutilated and mutilated; it was rather difficult to identify them.

The reasons for this attack are not known for certain, but it is believed that the conflict was provoked by the treaty that was signed between Persia and the Russian Empire, proclaiming Turkmanchay peace. According to this agreement, Persia was supposed to pay quite a large indemnity to our country. The attack in Tehran became a real scandal and caused outrage among the general public.

Therefore, Khozrev-Mirzu (grandson of the Persian Shah) came to the Russian Empire to meet with Emperor Nikolai to settle the conflict. The Persian lord brought with him a huge number of various gifts: carpets, candelabra, manuscripts, weapons and numerous jewelry and jewelry, among which was the famous Shah diamond. Emperor Nicholas accepted the donated treasures and invited the representative of Persia to forget about the conflict.

Diamond “Shah”, despite all its splendor, is not a diamond. The fact is, the stone does not have a corresponding cut. However, the “Shah” is also not unprocessed - the edges of the stone are polished, 3 inscriptions are applied on them. If we talk about color and color shades, it is important to note that the stone is transparent, but has a slightly pronounced yellowish subton. The shape and size of the "Shah" is quite unusual and original, they are an octahedron. The weight of the diamond is about 89 carats.

According to the information of the jewelers, the form that the Shah possesses is not classical in its full understanding, it is far from jewelry ideals. But on the other hand, the transparency of the stone is high. The diamond is smooth and holistic - there are no spots or blotches on its surface, no cracks, cuts or any other defects.

As mentioned above, 3 inscriptions are applied on the surface of the gem. They are a mysterious mystery and attract many. However, not everyone knows what is engraved on the Shah. If we turn to historical documents, we will learn that the first inscription on the stone was applied by order of the Persian Sultan Burkhan.

The task of completing the inscription on the stone perplexed the jeweler, and for a long time he could not find a solution. The fact is that stone in its physical structure is quite strong and solid, rather poorly served by any external mechanical influences. However, over time, through trial and error, as well as difficult experiments, a solution was found.

The master jeweler inscribed on the “Shah” using the same diamond. The application technique looked approximately as follows: diamond chips obtained from whole diamond were collected on the tip of a needle, with the help of which a direct inscription was displayed.

Obviously, the phrase was written in Persian. If you translate it into Russian, we get the phrase "Lord of order." It was these words that were first written on the surface of one of the most famous, but at the same time mysterious gemstones “Shah”.

After applying the first inscription, many years passed before they remembered the stone. During this time, “Shah” was replaced by several owners. Having fallen into the hands of the Mongol ruler Cihan, the precious diamond was transformed, having received its second inscription.

This time it turned out to be more prosaic - on the orders of Vladyka Cihan, on the crystal, jewelers displayed a second inscription that contained the name of Cihan, as well as the years of his reign. Cihan did not become the last shah who managed to perpetuate his name on a precious diamond.

To date, historians do not know exactly how the “Shah” turned out to be part of the many treasures of the Tehran ruler. One way or another, but it was his name and years of rule that were engraved in stone third in a row. And this time, Shah Fatah-Ali chose a solemn and significant date for such manipulations - 30 years from the day the reign began.

Diamond “Shah” is a gem that keeps on its surface not only centuries-old inscriptions, but also centuries-old secrets. He belonged to the strongest and most powerful rulers of our world.

After the Tehran conflict and the visit of Khozrev-Mirza to the Russian Empire, “Shah” became the property of our country. The stone was examined and studied by the most highly qualified orientalists of that time. These scientists gave the diamond the name "Shah", which is now known throughout the world. From that moment, the stone did not leave Russia. At first, for a long time, it was stored in the Winter Palace. After the end of the Civil War, “Shah” ended up in the Kremlin’s Armory.

Although during the years of restoration the Soviet government sold a huge number of imperial treasures abroad, the Shah was never touched. Today, the gem remains in the possession of our country and belongs to the Kremlin Diamond Fund. It is often exhibited at various exhibitions, where you can admire the historical stone, which keeps centuries-old secrets.

Thus, the famous diamond, having an unusual history, made a huge journey in time and space. Starting his long life in India, he traveled to the East, and then arrived in Russia. This stone is a real treasure, but do not give in to its bright shine. As we were able to make sure, he is rather insidious.

You can find out what secrets the Shah diamond holds by watching the video below.