When the Nizam of Hyderabad, Mahboob Ali Khan first noticed the Jacob diamond, it didn’t excite him as he anticipated it might. Unimpressed, he requested again the advance of two.2 million rupees he had given Alexander Malcolm Jacob for the stone. Jacob refused and out of this refusal was born a protracted and bitter struggle for the diamond which the succeeding Nizam used as a paperweight. However in India, males have at all times fought for pure diamonds, and the way. And whereas Marilyn Monroe would possibly suppose that ‘Diamonds are a woman’s greatest pal’, all we’ve to do is have a look at India, its males and the historical past of diamonds to know that also they are a ‘man’s greatest pal’. And have been for hundreds of years. 

From the mines of Golconda got here the world’s greatest and most healthful pure diamonds. Resembling celestial cubes of ice, they have been the love, need, envy and the insatiability of the Mughals and Maharajas alike. In spite of everything they weren’t simply mere accoutrements of energy however cyphers of pageantry and costume. Including worth and wielding sovereignty by their mere presence. It’s then no revelation {that a} potent ruler like Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who most popular to decorate merely, wore the Koh-i-Noor on his arm. Diamonds have been and are not any odd stones. A classy, highly effective and a critical assertion is an all too straightforward activity for a diamond. 

India has at all times related treasured stones with extra than simply eminence. Ciphers of astrological safety and planetary stability, shining brilliantly over their patron whereas providing ‘divine defend.’ Diamonds and gems have been extra than simply mates. They have been celestial troopers. 

The custom of sporting pure diamonds in India finds its roots in antiquity. For the splendidly wealthy, ropes of pearls, emeralds, rubies and sapphires together with dripping diamonds in gold was de rigueur.  And it was the lads who have been usually seen dazzling in most vital and the hanging items of jewelry. Not the ladies. For they have been true emblems of energy, prosperity and stateliness.

Thought-about the very best type of costume, the gems and the gents who wore it have been really iconic and extraordinary. From Yeshwant Rao II Holkar of Indore who wore two giant pure pear-shaped diamonds weighing round 47 carats every from the mines of Golconda to the exceedingly grand Maharaja of Patiala who wore ropes of platinum encrusted with pure diamonds. Egyptian Pharaohs to Roman emperors and Mughal monarchs to the fashionable Maharajas of the nineteenth century, the diamond has been embraced in lots of shapes and type. Inlaid in aigrettes which have been the envy of the gods, to rings, necklaces and big mukuts (crowns) for the divine and their earthly counterparts, to getting used as mere ornamental paper weights, these ethereal stones are spells which have beheld males. Shah Jahan was an authority on gem stones with out an equal. Proving but once more that males and jewelry will not be an oxymoron.  

On this planet of up to date design pure diamonds have made their presence felt with an equal and consummate aptitude. It’s subsequently no shock that when a fecund designer like Viren Bhagat touches a diamond, it turns into a slice of artwork. Bereft of the gender that owns and designs it, each piece is a stroke of coveted genius. Pure diamonds, pearls, rubies and emeralds – none can resist the allure of the person who just like the Mughal emperor.

From Karl Lagerfeld’s pure diamond brooches by the enduring design maverick Suzanne Belperron, which have been solely trumped by Liberace’s coin rings studded with diamonds, males and these superb gems have been inseparable allies since one can bear in mind. The 2022 Grammys noticed the likes of Nas pairing a bunch of diamonds together with his double breasted swimsuit and Giveon sporting a number of diamond necklaces together with a basic Chanel diamond pendant on a pearl and diamond chain. However who stole the shine (together with 5 Grammys), was Jon Batiste in a Jack de Boucheron diamond wrap choker over his Dolce Gabbana swimsuit. Nearer to dwelling, on Koffee with Karan Season 7, Bollywood tzar Ranveer Singh was seen in bulb sized pure diamond solitaire earrings. When requested if he believed diamonds are “solely a woman’s greatest pal,” Ranveer pointed at his earrings and stated, “In no way!” He went on to disclose, “Although I whacked these off my mummy. However like a great son, I purchased her larger ones.” All trendy maharajas in their very own proper. 

From east to the west and past, the good gems of earth have been chronicles of their occasions. No matter who wore them, nice jewels have at all times accentuated the ability, presence and character of its muse. Giving start to an heirloom is not any straightforward activity, nonetheless it’s wonderful how tranquil all of it appears with a diamond. The brightest shining brilliance within the firmament of perpetually.