For many years the only source of supply of diamonds was the East, and there the stone was not valued for its usefulness, but for its magnificence as a gem and ornament. Each of the great historic diamonds of the East has its own romance.
The ” Great Mogul” and the ” Koh-i-nur ” were the most treasured gems of the great Mogul conquerors of India. The first was lost during the sack of Delhi by Nadir Shah of Persia, and has never been found.

The second was hidden by the Emperor Muhammad in his turban when Delhi was taken. A woman was the only observer of the Emperor’s act, and she betrayed the secret to Nadir. That conqueror in the reconcilia¬tion between the two monarchs a few days afterwards suddenly asked the Emperor in front of the Durbar to exchange turbans as a token of the friendship and reconciliation which had just been sworn, and Muhammad could not refuse or even extricate the diamond before the whole court. Nadir’s son, however, was afterwards overthrown by Aga Muhammad, and tortured in vain to reveal the hiding-place of this diamond. The maimed monarch gave the gem to the Afghan Prince Ahmed for his help, and one of his successors passed it to Runjit Singh of the Punjab. Here it was captured in 1840 by the English, and sent to Queen Victoria. It is now among the royal jewels at Windsor.