Nizam kin hunt for lost diamond

The descendants of the last Nizam who are jostling to get a share of his frozen funds are also trying to trace his “missing diamond”.

It is estimated that the missing diamond of Mir Osman Ali Khan would command a price of Rs 1,000 crore in the international market, if it is recovered.

Simply called the Nizam’s diamond, it was last seen some 60 years ago in the state treasury of the then Hyderabad State. The diamond went missing in mysterious circumstances just before the Indian Army annexed the Nizam’s state in 1948.

Experts say the Nizam’s diamond weighs 277 carats. It has been listed a “missing precious stone” of historical importance by the World Diamond Council.

Historical records say that it was mined at Kolluru village on the banks of the river Krishna in 1830. Several European historians including Tavernier have referred to it as a prized possession of the Nizam.

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