Publisher's Synopsis
The Golconda diamonds, and the mines of that name, are the stuff of the "Thousand and One Arabian Nights". Some of the most famous (or infamous) diamonds such as the Koh-i-Noor, Hope and the Regent were found here. The chequered history of the Koh-i-Noor has been the favourite tramping ground for the historian and the popular writer. But the Koh-i-Noor was merely one of the many precious and lustrous diamonds mined there. Despite their fame, no comprehensive account of the Golconda diamonds and the mines has been available. The book appeals to an audience beyond a handful of historians or diamond buffs. For the scholar, there is a detailed identification of sources in Persian, Urdu and Telugu for Indian materials. The book is illustrated with a number of colour and black & white illustrations. These include rare photographs, maps, tables, drawings and sketches. The text is laced throughout with juicy anecdotes amply supplemented with humorous couplets and doggerels relating to the subject in order to make the book absorbing reading.
