and the Valley of the Diamonds, illustrated by
Maxfield Parrish (1870–1966) Mediaeval records from Europe and the Middle East show
India's importance as a source of high-quality diamonds. According to
jewellery historian Jack Ogden, these records include those of
Pliny the Elder,
Marco Polo,
Muhammed al-Idrisi,
Ahmad al-Tifashi, and others from before the 12th century. The records state India produced diamonds with "which the gems were engraved". Ancient texts of
Buddhists,
Hindus, and
Jains such as the
Arthashastra (2nd century BCE – 4th century CE), the
Ratna Pariksha, and the
Puranas refer to cities and regions of India that produced diamonds.
Roman historian Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE) in his
encyclopedia described the demand and fondness of Roman imperial women for the diamonds of South India. These names are difficult to link to modern geographic names. According to the records of 18th-and-19th-century
geologists,
researchers, and traders, the region south of the
Kurnool district near the
Krishna River valley in and around
NTR district,
Palnadu, and
Guntur; the
Godavari delta in Rampachodavaram and Bhadrachalam; north-eastern
Madhya Pradesh; eastern
Chhattisgarh; western
Jharkhand; and north-western
Odisha are possible historical sources of diamond. The best-known region among these was historically known as
Telingana or
Tilling, and was renamed Golconda during the
Deccan sultanates period and generally known as the Godavari delta. As European travellers and traders increasingly engaged in
trading with producers of this region, the region's diamonds came to be referred to as "Golconda diamonds". —a Dutch publisher known for preparing maps and atlases.
Mining The peak period of Golconda diamond mining was the 16th-to-18th centuries, when the region was controlled by the
Golconda Sultanate and the
Nizams of Hyderabad. The mines were leased under the supervision of regional governors, of whom prominent 17th-century diamond trader
Mir Jumla became the
Grand vizier (Prime Minister) of the Golconda Sultanate. He established a network of diamond merchants in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia—up to China and the
Malay Archipelago.
Shantidas Jhaveri was another 17th-century diamond trader. Golconda diamonds were mined from
alluvial soils alongside river beds. Mines were usually up to deep. When mining reached
groundwater, digging was halted. Stony substances were then collected for assortment and examined for diamonds. Raw diamonds from the mines were typically transported to Golconda—now the western part of
Hyderabad— for skilled lapidary, enhancement, further evaluation, and sale. Of the 38 diamond mines in India at the time, 23 were located in the Golconda Sultanate, of which
Kollur Mine was prominent and employed 60,000 workers at one time. In 2015, the Centre of Exploration Geophysics of
Osmania University and the
Geological Survey of India (GSI) conducted research that identified three zones that contain 21 potential new diamond-mining sites near the delta of the Krishna and
Bhima rivers, and in the beds of the Krishna,
Tungabhadra and
Penna rivers. According to the research, the sites contain
volcanic pipes that probably bear kimberlite and possibly diamonds. According to
Outlook India, in 2022, some companies applied for mining rights in the region of Andhra Pradesh, soon after the
National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) discovered diamond deposits in the seven districts of the state. It has been estimated the Golconda region traded around 10 million
carats of diamonds. A unit of measurement for Golconda diamonds was the
Ratti ( of a
carat), and the most-common currency was the Golconda
Pagoda, which was also called Hun. port in 1676 AD, it was a prime seaport of Golconda Sultanate Golconda had been trading diamonds with European kingdoms since at least the days of
Marco Polo (1254–1324). In the 17th century, under the Golconda Sultanate, when new mines were discovered and leased to the miners, an agreement called "Qaul" would be signed under the supervision of regional governors, according to which, for employing 100 workers, miners would pay four pagodas per day, and monthly rent was based on the strength of the workers on the mining site. Provisions were supplied only by the governor with 50 percent extra excise duty. Large diamonds from the site were exclusively reserved for the rulers and to be sold with concessions. The 17th-century French explorer
Jean-Baptiste Tavernier reported he was "permitted to examine" the egg-shaped Great Moghul diamond, which is now lost and said to have been cut into smaller diamonds. He reported having seen a flat diamond called the
Great Table diamond in Golconda.
Jean de Thévenot,
François Bernier or Antoine Destremau were French traders in Golconda diamonds. In 1621 and 1622, when the Golconda rulers learned about the demand for Golconda diamonds in Europe, they seized all of the mines and temporarily halted mining to increase the price, which then doubled. In 1627, high prices led Dutch traders to stop purchasing, and the British
East India Company brought investments and purchased the diamonds.
Paradesi Jews of
Madras (now
Chennai) traded in Golconda diamonds, precious stones, and corals. They had very good relations with the rulers of
Golkonda because they maintained trade connections to some foreign countries (e.g.
Ottoman Empire, Europe), and their language skills were useful. Although the Sephardim spoke
Ladino (i.e. Judeo-Spanish), in India they learned
Tamil and
Konkani as well as
Judeo-Malayalam from the Cochin Jews, also known as
Malabar Jews.
Jacques de Paiva (Jaime Paiva)
Paradesi Jews, established good relations with
East India Company (EIC) and those in power, which enabled him to buy several mines to source Golconda diamonds. Through his efforts, Jews were permitted to live and trade Golconda diamonds and corals within Fort St. George. De Paiva died in 1687 after a visit to his mines of Golconda diamonds and was buried in the
Jewish cemetery which he had established in Peddanaickenpet, which later became the north Mint Street, == Popularity ==