Regent Diamond's Storied Past: From Golconda Mines to Louvre Museum

The Regent Diamond, one of the world's most famous gems, has a storied past that spans centuries and continents. According to legend and recorded history, the diamond was unearthed by a slave miner during the 1687 Golconda siege by Emperor Aurangzeb in India. The slave's attempt to conceal the gem in a pretended wound was ultimately betrayed, leading to his death and the diamond's sale to an Indian merchant.

The diamond's journey continued, with it eventually being purchased by Thomas Pitt, the Governor of Fort St. George in Madras, in 1701. Pitt had the diamond secretly shipped to England, where it was expertly cut into a 141-carat cushion brilliant. The diamond's reputation, however, was tainted by allegations of colonial greed and moral complexity.

After failing to sell in England, Pitt sold the diamond in 1717 to Philippe II, the Duke of Orléans and Regent of France, for £135,000 (approximately £26 million today). The diamond was renamed the Regent and joined the French Crown Jewels, adorning the crowns of several French monarchs, including Louis XV, Louis XVI, and Charles X. It even sat on Marie Antoinette's hat.

The Regent Diamond weathered the French Revolution, being hidden in a Paris attic before being pledged by the revolutionary state to fund its wars. It was later purchased by Napoleon Bonaparte, who had it set in the blade of his ceremonial sword. The diamond's journey continued, with it being taken to Vienna by Napoleon's wife, Marie Louise of Austria, before being returned to France.

Since 1887, the Regent Diamond has been on display at the Louvre Museum, mounted in a Greek-type diadem created for Empress Eugénie. Today, the diamond is considered one of the purest and most historically significant royal gems, with a value exceeding US$60 million.