Amazing journey of the Nassak diamond

Colonel John Briggs, an officer of the East India Company (EIC), dusted his red-coloured long coat and adjusted his cravat. In his hand was an enormous diamond, the likes of which he had never seen before. The gem sparkled and dazzled with a faint bluish white glow. He clutched it and carefully transferred the diamond into a velvet purse as if his life depended on it. He had acquired the gem only days ago from the last Peshwa — Bajirao the Second. Among the other spoils of war, the EIC had received this dazzling gem. He remembered it being referred to as the Nassak diamond.

“I cannot even imagine the high price this diamond will fetch,” Col Briggs mumbled to himself, unable to resist the temptation to remove it from the bag and gaze at it once more. What indeed was this precious stone? It was a large diamond, about 90 carats, which initially adorned the Shiva idol in the Trimbakeshwar temple at Nashik from at least 1500 AD. Later, it was with Peshwa Bajirao II for safe-keeping during the Anglo-Maratha wars. 

As luck would have it, he had to part with this treasure after losing to the British in 1818; and from here starts the diamond’s very interesting journey. Unlike the Kohinoor, which went straight to the British Crown jewels and has stayed there ever since, the Nassak has been quite a traveller. It, as is evident, derives its name from Nashik, a city about 300 km north of Mumbai.

Col Briggs handed it over to Lord Rawdon-Hastings, the then Governor General of India, who had played a crucial role in the British victory during the third Anglo-Maratha War. He enabled it to be sent to England. The EIC then sold it to the London-based jewellery firm Rundell and Bridge, for a sum of £3,000. That is about £2 lakh in today’s valuation. Rundell and Bridge, who were the Principal Royal Goldsmiths and Jewellers to the British crown, cut and polished the gem. 

It was later purchased by the Marquis of Westminister for double the initial price! It would adorn his sword and stay within the house for the next 80 years.

In 1926, the diamond began what can only be described as a whirlwind tour! It was sold to the famous jeweller Georges Mauboussin of Paris, who was at the time based in the US and got the diamond imported. He even tried, unsuccessfully, to circumvent the custom duties on it by labelling the diamond worth millions as a 100-year-old ‘antique piece’. Seven years later, it was sold to the famous jeweller Cartier. And here, amazingly, it once again found an Indian connection! 

The Gaekwads of Baroda had requested Cartier for designing a rich and exquisite turban. The Nassak would have formed a part of it. Unfortunately, the project did not go through, and eventually the diamond formed part of a necklace. Cartier also exhibited the diamond in the tiny country of Monaco. 

In 1937, the Nassak found its way to the world-famous American jeweller Harry Winston. By the 1940s, it had been purchased by Trabert and Hoeffer to be, in turn, sold to one Mrs Leeds. 

Another generation passed before the diamond was once again picked up for over $5 lakh at an auction by Edward Hand of Connecticut. In a span of just fifty years, it had seen at least five different American owners! But its journey was not done yet. It subsequently found its way to the jewellers named Bulgari in Rome, thus making Italy another country the diamond travelled to. 

In 1977, Bulgari sold it to the King of Saudi Arabia. How can this tale be complete without a rich Arab in it? The Saudi king sold it to the Lebanese jeweller Robert Maouwad. It continues to be in his private collection. In a span of about 150 years, it had travelled from the Trimbakeshwar temple at Nashik to being in the personal possession of over a dozen people spread across three continents and at least six countries! From Nashik to Mumbai to England to France to the US, Monaco, Italy, and finally to the Gulf states of Saudi Arabia and Lebanon!

The writer is the author of Brahmaputra — The Story of Lachit Barphukan and Sahyadris to Hindukush — The Maratha conquest of Lahore and Attock