Most beautiful gemstones mined in Kollur mines of Golconda kingdom (Andhra,S.India) were well reserved for emperors, Nawabs and Maharajahs."It was a widely regarded belief that God's gift to India became India's gift to mankind and the Princie is undoubtedly one of the greatest gifts of Golconda."
The Daria-i-Noor (Sea of Light), weighing approximately 182 carats, mined from the ancient Golconda mines is the largest known pink diamond of Indian origin. Another historic pink diamond is "The Grand Table" (over 200 carats, recorded in 1642). At an auction held New York by Christie in April 2013 was sold for a record $39 million at an auction, Once owned by the world’s richest people), it had set a new record at Christie’s New York selling for $39,323,750 with premium, or $1,135,000 per carat. An anonymous collector was a successful bidder of Fancy Intense Pink cushion-cut sparkler.
According to Christie's, world's top best four and big pink diamonds were found at Golconda mines that produced most valuable diamonds in the world. The earliest known diamond mines in the world- Golconda produced quality diamonds as far back as 800 BC. The Princie Diamond, Christie says, is the third largest pink diamond in the world and was found 300 years ago in the Golconda mines. The other largest pink diamonds the Darya-I Nur, weighing 175 to 195 carats, and the Nur ul-Ain, weighing about 60 carats - were once part of Iranian crown jewels, most probably cut from a single big pink stone weighing 242 carats.
In the high-stakes world of international auctions, few items capture the global imagination like rare gemstones. Among these, the Princie Diamond—a 34.65-carat cushion-cut fancy intense pink stone—stands as a legendary symbol of Indian heritage, royal opulence, and geological rarity.
Origin and Discovery
The Princie Diamond traces its roots back over 300 years to the ancient Golconda mines in Southern India. These mines, famous since 800 BC, are the source of the world's most "limpid" and chemically pure (Type IIa) diamonds. Historically, the Princie is recognized as the world's third-largest pink diamond, following the Darya-i-Nur and the Nur-ul-Ain, both of which were once part of the Iranian Crown Jewels.
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Defunct Kollur Diamond mines Guntur Dist.,Andhra
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A Royal History
The diamond’s journey is intertwined with the lives of India’s most extravagant rulers. It was a prized possession of the
Nizams of Hyderabad, including
Mir Osman Ali Khan, who was famously declared the world’s richest man by Time magazine in 1937. In 1960, the London branch of
Van Cleef & Arpels purchased the stone for approximately £46,000. At a celebratory party in Paris attended by
Maharani Sita Devi of Baroda (Vadodara, Gujarat), the diamond was officially christened "Princie" in honor of her 14-year-old son,
Prince Sayajirao Gaekwad.
Features and Auction Brilliance
What sets the Princie apart, beyond its weight, is its "fancy intense" pink hue and its unique fluorescence. When exposed to ultraviolet light, the diamond emits a distinct orange glow, a characteristic rare even among pink stones. After disappearing from public view for decades, it resurfaced at Christie’s New York in 2013. It fetched a staggering $39.3 million, setting a record at the time for the most expensive Golconda diamond ever sold at auction.
Present Status
Currently, the Princie Diamond is held by an anonymous collector who placed the winning bid via telephone. While its physical location remains a private matter, its legacy continues to spark debate and fascination among historians and gemologists alike, serving as a shimmering reminder of India’s unmatched diamond-mining past.
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