Samarian spinel

The Samarian Spinel is a 500-carat (100 g) spinel gemstone that is the largest of its kind in the world. It is part of the Iranian Crown Jewels.^[1]

Origins

It and a smaller 270-carat (54 g) spinel were captured by the Persian King Nadir Shah during his 18th-century conquest of India.

The Samarian spinel has a hole in it. According to a diary entry of the court physician to the Iranian Shah Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar, the King told the physician that the stone once adorned the neck of the biblical golden calf, which the Israelites are said to have made while Moses was receiving the Ten Commandments. A diamond was added later to conceal the hole.^[2]

References

^ Grande, Lance; Augustyn, Allison (2009). Gems and Gemstones: Timeless Natural Beauty of the Mineral World. University of Chicago Press. p. 83. ISBN 9780226305110. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
^ "The Samarian Spinel". famousdiamonds.tripod.com. Retrieved 23 June 2013.

Meen & Tushingham, 1968: Bank Markazi Iran, 1971

External links

A gemstone account
Samarian Spinel [picture]

Tehran Province, Iran

Capital

Tehran

Counties
and cities

Baharestan County	Nasim Shahr Golestan Salehieh
Damavand County	Damavand Abali Absard Kilan Rudehen
Eslamshahr County	Ahmadabad-e Mostowfi Eslamshahr Chahardangeh
Firuzkuh County	Firuzkuh Arjomand
Malard County	Malard Safadasht
Pakdasht County	Pakdasht Sharifabad
Pardis County	Pardis Bumehen
Pishva County	Pishva
Qarchak County	Qarchak
Qods County	Qods
Ray County	Rey^* Baqershahr Hasanabad Kahrizak
Robat Karim County	Robat Karim Parand Nasirabad
Shahriar County	Shahriar Andisheh Baghestan Ferdowsieh Sabashahr Shahedshahr Vahidieh
Shemiranat County	Shemiran^* Fasham Lavasan Tajrish^*
Tehran County	Tehran
Varamin County	Varamin Javadabad