Great Diamonds of India

Synopsis

This bewitching book is a definitive account of the history, legends and myths that are associated with the exceptional diamonds that well discovered in India. It unfurls the drama that accompanied the passage of these gems from one owner to the next, across continents, and over great expanses of time.

My Memories of this Book

This book took me the most time in research - a few years in fact. I got to work with some of the finest institutions of the world - the Louvre in Paris, the Smithsonian in Washington DC and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and of course the chance to spend time with the world's fanciest jewels. I remember taking my son (then aged 6) to the De Beers office in Bombay to look at models of 100 of the world's most famous diamonds. Both of us gawked and gaped at the model of the Koh-I-Noor. "Where is the diamond, mum? This is just a rock!" he said as the crystal gem filled his palm.