The news of the Queen’s death caused a lot of grief around the world, but from South Africa and India, among the tears, calls were heard for the return of two diamonds with a total value of 455,910,000 dollars.
During the days of the British Empire, some jewels and artefacts were taken from several countries and some of them reached the British Museum. The death of Queen Elizabeth II last week caused an uproar around the most famous gems in the world: the Kohinoor and the Cullinan – the great star of Africa.
The history of the Kohinoor, also known as the 105-carat Mount of Light, began in 1628, when the Mughal ruler, Shah Jahan, ordered a throne encrusted with gems. The diamond was in Mughal ownership for over a century until Persian forces invaded India in 1739 and it was stolen. The precious item passed through the hands of many leaders throughout Asia, until it eventually arrived in India in the 1840s, in the hands of a five-year-old emperor named Maharaja Dulip Singh.
The British, whose presence was growing in the country, eventually forced Singh to hand over the gem and it was sent to England and exhibited at a major exhibition in 1851. Later, it was used as a brooch for Queen Victoria, and years later it was placed in the crown of Queen Alexandra in 1902 and the crown of Queen Mary in 1911. The last location of the diamond is in the crown of Queen Elizabeth II. Until recently, the gem – rumored to be cursed – was last seen in public in 2002. In September, an Indian businessman set up a petition calling for the diamond’s return and aiming to collect one million signatures.
Another diamond that needs to be returned is the great star of Africa – Cullinan – the largest diamond in the world weighing 3,106 carats. It was mined in South Africa in 1905 when the country was under British rule and was bought as a gift by the government of the South African Republic to King Edward VII of England. The massive gemstone now rests on the end of the scepter that once belonged to Queen Elizabeth II.
After her death last week, Wiyo Zongole, a member of parliament from the African Transformation Movement ATM, called for the return of the diamond and the separation of South Africa from the Commonwealth of Nations. He told Timeslive: “South Africa should now leave the Commonwealth, demand reparations for all the damage done by Britain and draw up a new constitution based on the will of the people. Demand the return of all the gold and diamonds stolen by Britain.”