The Cursed Jewel in the Crown

At the height of Britain's colonial powers it was often said that India was the jewel in the crown of the British Empire. India's raw materials, its cotton, spices and tea, certainly went a long way in helping to make Britain one of the richest countries in the world. There were also many other treasures which somehow ended up being transferred to British ownership during the days of the British Raj.

One of those treasure was the real jewel in the real British Crown - the Kohinoor diamond. The Kohinoor is one of the largest cut diamonds in the world and has been worn in the crowns of a succession of female members of the royal family. It has only been worn by women of the royal family as they believe the diamond brings bad luck to all men who wear it. The myth of the diamond's curse on men has developed because of the troubled lives of many of its previous owners.

You can read all about the cursed lives of the Kohinoor diamond's many owners on a wonderful story map called Taming the Mountain of Light. The map traces the history of the diamond from the 14th century right up to the modern day. A history which is certainly studded with a number of unfortunate and untimely deaths for many of those in possession of the diamond.

The Taming of the Mountain of Light was created with the Mapbox Storymap template by Sumil Desai. The map is beautifully illustrated throughout using a series of wonderful drawings by Nirja Desai.