The Challenge of Diamonds Ahead of the British King's Coronation Ceremony; From 'Koh-i-Noor' to 'Cullinan'

After Buckingham Palace announced that the controversial diamond 'Koh-i-Noor' would not be used in the coronation ceremony of the British king, South Africans also demanded the return of the famous 'Cullinan' diamond to their country. Buckingham Palace announced on Wednesday that King Charles and Queen Camilla would use crowns worn by previous British monarchs during the coronation ceremony on May 6, but would not place the 'Koh-i-Noor' on any of the crowns to avoid repeating disputes. According to a statement from the British court, the king and queen will use crowns adorned with various jewels, including the 'Cullinan' diamond, which was transferred from South Africa to Britain during the colonial period. Following this announcement, a group of South Africans called on Britain to return the 'Cullinan', the largest diamond in the world, known as the Star of Africa, which is now part of the British royal jewels, to its original homeland. This diamond, weighing 530 carats, was discovered in South Africa in 1905 and was gifted to the British crown by the colonial government of the country, which was then under London’s rule. Although the 'Koh-i-Noor' diamond is not as large as the 'Cullinan', there have always been significant disputes over its ownership among India, Iran, Britain, and even Pakistan and Afghanistan since Nader Shah Afshar brought it to Iran after conquering India until it found its way to the British court. The 'Darya-ye Noor' diamond, a counterpart to the 'Koh-i-Noor', which was on the crown of the Queen of Iran before the revolution, is currently kept in the National Jewelry Museum of the Central Bank, a museum that has been closed to visitors for the past four years.