All about the Shah diamond

The world is full of mysteries and secrets. We are seduced by all the unknown and unexplored. One of these secrets is the world famous Shah diamond. This stone has not a simple, but very interesting story. Some of its parts are known to the general public, but other details are hidden under the castles of time, even the most dedicated do not realize them.

It is worth considering what the diamond “Shah” is known for, where the gem came from and how it came to Russia, what the mysterious inscriptions on its surface mean, what secrets it holds in itself, 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 found in the distant XVI century. It is for certain documented and known that the first person to become 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, the stone was in possession of Burkhan for a very short time. It is widely known that the characteristic feature of ancient times was the frequent bloody wars for land, power and people. 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. He was in his possession and "Shah".

But Akbar, unlike Burkhan, did not have an attachment to jewelry gems, therefore he failed to appreciate the beauty and value of the “Shah”. By order of Vladyka, the diamond was sent to the storehouse, where he took his 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 Akbar's grandson Jihan. He became the man by whom the second inscription appeared on the stone.

As the story goes, from this time the gem became a true Mongolian relic, which was passed down from generation to generation. "Shah" took the place of honor - it was hung in the center of the canopy, which was the ornament of the throne. One by one, the rulers of Mongolia sat on it.

Later, the stone was again subjected to mechanical stress. So, at one of its ends (which was more subtle), a small furrow was drilled, which allowed a rope to be passed through the stone. Thus, the “Shah” could be enjoyed not only from the outside, but also worn around his neck. Historically similar details today are known to the general public due to the documentary records of a merchant from France who contributed this information to his travel diary back in the 17th century. In addition, it was this merchant who became the first European man who saw the 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. The stone was forgotten for many years - it seemed to have 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 put a third final inscription on it.

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

Thousands of religious worshipers attacked the embassy staff, killing 37 of our compatriots. A poet and statesman A. S. Griboedov, the author of the famous work “Woe from Wit”, was also among the dead. The bodies of Russian diplomats were mutilated and mutilated, they were quite hard to identify.

The reasons for such an attack are not known for certain, but it is believed that the conflict was provoked by a treaty signed between Persia and the Russian Empire proclaiming the Turkmanchay world. According to this agreement, Persia had to pay a rather large contribution to our country. The terrorist act in Tehran became a scandal and caused outrage among the general public.

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

Diamond "Shah", despite all its magnificence, is not a diamond. The fact is, the stone does not have a corresponding cut. However, the “Shah” is also not untreated - the faces of the stone are polished, they are marked with 3 inscriptions. If we talk about color and color shades, it is important to note that the stone is transparent, but it has a slightly yellowish undertone. The shape and dimensions of the "Shah" are quite unusual and original, they represent an octahedron. The weight of the diamond is about 89 carats.

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

As mentioned above, on the surface of the gemstone there are 3 inscriptions. 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 learn that the first inscription on the stone was inscribed on the orders of the Persian Sultan Burkhan.

The task to execute the inscription on the stone confused the jeweler, and for a long time he could not find a solution. The fact is that in its physical structure, the stone is rather strong and hard, rather poorly supplied by any external mechanical stress. 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 deposition technique looked something like this: diamond grit obtained from a single diamond was collected on the tip of a needle, with the help of which a direct inscription was derived.

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 written first on the surface of one of the most famous, but at the same time mysterious gem stones Shah.

After putting the first inscription many years passed before they remembered the stone. During this time, "Shah" changed several owners. Once in the hands of the Mongol ruler Jihan, the precious diamond was transformed, having received its second inscription.

This time it turned out to be more prosaic - by order of Vladyka Cihan, the forces of the jewelers on a crystal brought out a second inscription, which contained the name of Cihan, as well as the years of his rule. Jihan did not become the last check who was able to perpetuate his name on a precious diamond.

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

The diamond “Shah” is a precious stone 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 to the whole world. Since then, the stone has not left Russia. First, for a long time, it was kept in the Winter Palace. After the end of the Civil War, "Shah" got into the Kremlin Armory.

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

Thus, the famous diamond, having an unusual history, made a great journey in time and space. Having begun his long life in India, he traveled around the East, and then arrived in Russia. This stone is a real treasure but do not give in to its brilliance. As we could see, he is quite cunning.

You can find out what secrets the Shah diamond keeps by looking at the video below.