Diamond mining
AI-drafted · awaiting admin review
Was India the world's first and, for centuries, only source of diamonds?
India first (well documented)Technology & engineering
Indian claim
Diamonds were first known, mined, traded and valued in India, mainly from river gravels along the Krishna and Godavari (the 'Golconda' diamonds), and India was the only major source until the 18th century.
Evidence for the Indian claim
- The Arthashastra (composed between c. 3rd century BCE and 3rd century CE) describes diamonds and their grading.
- Famous stones such as the Koh-i-Noor, the Hope and the Regent came from Golconda mines such as Kollur.
- Auction houses and gem historians note that diamonds traded before about 1725 came from India.
Commonly credited to
Diamonds were found in Borneo in small numbers, and in Brazil from about 1725; South African mines opened in the 1860s.
Evidence for the other claim
- Borneo produced some diamonds in early times, but on a small scale.
What historians and scientists say
India was the world's first known source of diamonds and dominated their supply for about two thousand years, until Brazilian finds in the 1720s.