The Nizam's jewellery, one of the largest collections of jewels in India, is on display at the National Museum in New Delhi.
The collection comprising 173 precious jewels was in the custody of the Nizam Jewellery Trust and Nizam Supplemental Jewellery Trust formed by the last Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan in 1951 to safeguard the ancestral wealth of the family. The trustees kept this treasure of historical value in the vaults of Hong Kong Bank. When the government of India acquired this collection in 1995 after a prolonged legal battle, it was shifted to the RBI, Mumbai where it remained till 29 June 2001.
The collection comprising 173 jewels covers a period ranging from 18th century to the early 20th century. The collection includes sarpeches, necklaces, belts and buckles, pairs of bracelets and bangles, earrings, armlets, toe rings and watch chains. While the diamonds from the celebrated mines of Golconda and Colombian emeralds predominate the Burmese rubies and spinels and pearls from Basra and Gulf of Manor also form part of the exhibition.
Armband- Deccani workmanship can be seen in these armbands. This pair is made up of three hinged panels with openwork foliate design set with foiled table-cut diamonds.
Paizeb- Pair of anklets (Paizeb) in the form of interlocking vertical repeats hinged with each other set with old-cut Golcunda diamonds, with a crest of pearls along the upper edge. Such ornaments of Mughal design were made for all important women in the royal household.
Belt Buckle- The belt buckle made in three parts hinged together for a better fit has over 55 carats of diamonds, the central weighing approximately 30 carats
Sarpech (turban Ornament)- This is the proud ornament used to adorn turbans in all princely states in India. They appear quite often in the court of the Nizam and Sikh court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
The Jacob diamond- The Jacob diamond, believed to have been found as a rough stone in an African mine was brought over by a syndicate in Amsterdam where it was cut in a style that prevailed around 100 years ago. It was brought to India by a dealer by name Alexander Malcon Jacob. He then sold the diamond to the VI Nizam Mahboob ali Pasha in 1891.
Jacob Diamond is a large diamond, ranked seventh in the world, known earlier as the Imperial or Great White Diamond. It is believed to be the Victoria Diamond, owned by the Nizam of Hyderabad and currently owned by the Government of India.It is cut in a rectangular cushion-cut, with 58 facets, and measures 39.5 mm long, 29.25 mm wide and 22.5 mm deep. The diamond weighs 184.5 carats (36.90 g), It was several years after the death of his father that the last Nizam,Osman Ali Khan, found the Jacob Diamond in the toe of his father’s shoe at Chowmahalla Palace.
The Satlada- Seven stringed Basrah pearl necklace commonly known as the Satlada
Emeralds- This is the collection of 22 unset emeralds weighing around 412 carats, the kind which is not seen anywhere.
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