Britain | Carbon capture

Indians want the Koh-i-Noor diamond back

The stone is seen as a symbol of British colonial brutality

Vintage illustration of the State Crown of Queen Mary, Consort of George V, part of the Crown Jewels of England (chromolithograph), 1919. The crown contains 2,200 diamonds, including the famous Koh-i-Noor, Cullinan III and Cullinan IV gems. (Photo by GraphicaArtis/Getty Images)

The maggots didn’t help matters. Most myths about the Koh-i-Noor diamond are easy to dispel. The 106-carat stone, which currently sits in the Tower of London, was not, as some suggested, found by the god Krishna; nor was it stolen by a lion that was then slain by a bear. Nor is it the world’s largest: in international gem league tables it currently sits in 90th position. But the idea that it curses unworthy males lingers—persistent enough that only British queens, not kings, have worn it.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Carbon capture”

A house-price horror show

From the October 22nd 2022 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition
Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomes French President Emmanuel Macron

Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron are forging a tight link

As Donald Trump threatens to leave Europe on its own

An illustration depicting a politician, represented by a person wearing a suit, red tie, and a red rosette, laying bricks as if constructing a wall.

Britain’s government may be about to waste its best chance of success 

A bill to unblock house building and boost growth looks far too timid 



Paying teenagers to go to school was a bad idea

At least in Britain

Britain’s capital markets are waging a war on paper

Calls are growing to modernise the country’s shareholding system