The British Monarchy is well-known for its wealth of remarkable crowns and jewels - but one diamond in its collection is said to have a dark and cursed history. The Koh-i-Noor diamond, worth an estimated £350m, came from India's Alluvial mines before it fell through the intricacies of Indian Court and eventually came into the possession of British royal family in the mid-1800s.
Now, historians Anita Anand and William Dalrymple believe that the story set out by amateur geologists of the time is "built on a structure of myth", that relies heavily on the Last Treaty of Lahore. It states that the precious stone was handed over after a series of contracts were signed during the annexation of Punjab, with the cursed diamond only allowed to be worn by women and God.
However, Anand and Dalrymple believe the story of the jewel's acquisition actually involves a significant amount of 'looting'. As reported by the Daily Star, Dalrymple said: "We found what every historian longs for. A story which is incredibly important to people, an object known around the world, but which is all built on a structure of myth."
