The Le Vian family began making jewelry in the 1500s, and their fame grew through Persia in the ensuing centuries. By the 1700s, the family had become a trusted jeweler to royalty and began to work with gems the conquering Persians could now obtain. In 1746, the infamous Nadir Shah asked the Le Vians to guard his richest plunder, the Kooh-i-noor Diamond, which he found hidden in the turban of the Mogul emperor. The gem weighed a cool 186 carats at the time. After being plundered again by the English a century later, the Kooh-i-noor was presented to Queen Victoria, who had it cut down to 108 carats; it now resides in the Tower of London among the Crown Jewels. After 100 years of persecution, the family emerged in the 20th century to produce jewels in historic styles.
