One of the most important and valuable pieces of Mughal jewellery ever seen on the market is being offered for private sale at Bonhams. The jewel in question is a 17th century Mughal mirror diamond and emerald necklace on a silk cord.

 The necklace is made up of five mirror or portrait or tablet diamonds and the largest diamond at the centre of the necklace measures 24.3 mm across and weighs 28 carats. The five diamonds are documented by Bonhams as the largest known matching set of flat diamonds from the Mughal 17th century. All five are Golconda diamonds from the Deccan plateau in India and as well as their symbolic and historical value the early diamond cutting techniques seen on the stones is rare.  Few of these historic diamonds survive as many were re-cut in the C19th and early 20th century when more complex diamond cutting techniques such as the brilliant cut were available. To have one such clear and large mirror diamond is rare enough,...See more...