Kohinoor – The Light of the World
The Kohinoor diamond lives somewhere in the world between fantasy, mythology, science, conquest and violence.
In this session, Navina Najat Haidar, Navtej Sarna and William Dalrymple, three historians who have strived to present a factually-accurate history of the world’s most famous diamond, share their research and findings with the JLF community.
The Kohinoor, in both its physical greatness and oral prominence, undeniably has a glamourous history. First mined in Golconda, India, the diamond weighed an estimated 190 carats and personified true human power and achievement. Always known to have mystical properties, it captured the imagination of travelers and miners who singularly pursued a similar diamond with mad dedication.
As the hardest substance known to man, it maintained a reputation of indestructibility, incorruptibility, strength, adventure, passion and mystical power. After leaving its home in and around the Indian subcontinent – it plagued its British owners with bad luck and negative energy. Today, it remains in public display at the Tower of London in England.
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