Koh-i-Noor: The History of the World's Most Infamous Diamond Koh-i-Noor: The History of the World's Most Infamous Diamond Koh-i-Noor: The History of the World's Most Infamous Diamond is a 2017 book on the Koh-i-Noor diamond written by William Dalrymple and Anita Anand. The gem is one of the largest cut diamonds in the world, weighing , and part of the British Crown Jewels. Koh-i-Noor is Persian for "Mountain of Light"; it has been known by this name since the 18th century. It changed hands between various factions in modern-day India, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan, until being ceded to Queen Victoria after the British conquest of the Punjab in 1849.
Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom State Crown of George I. In 1953, the crown was resized to fit Elizabeth II, and the arches were lowered by to give it a more feminine appearance. The gold, silver and platinum crown is decorated with 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 5 rubies. Among the largest stones are the Cullinan II diamond, also known as the Second Star of Africa, added to the crown in 1909. The Black Prince's Ruby, set in the front cross, is a large spinel given to Edward the Black Prince by a Spanish king in 1367 and worn by Henry