Mir Qamar-ud-din Khan, was the founder of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and the first Nizam of Hyderabad (ruled from 1724 to 1748). He gave himself the title of Asaf Jahi I and the reign of the Nizams, went on until until Asaf Jah VII. The Nizams ruled Hyderabad until 1948.
The turban ornaments worn by Asaf Jah I and later nizams were symbols of authority, wealth, and status. Also referred to as the ‘Sarpech’ or the crest of the turban, it was a jeweled ornament affixed to the front or side of the turban, often encrusted with fine diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and pearls. Should mention that the diamonds in most cases, were accent stones that highlighted the beauty of the turban ornament, and the precious gemstone set in the center.
The turban ornaments of the Asaf Jahs often featured Golconda diamonds and Basra pearls, and were handcrafted by Hyderabadi and Deccani jewelers, showcasing the richness of the region’s mines and artisan traditions.
While all Nizam turban ornaments were exquisitely valuable, a select few were exceptionally opulent, reserved specifically for grand ceremonial occasions and formal court events. These pieces weren’t just ornaments—they were political and cultural statements, projecting immense power, divine favor, and unmatched wealth.
Talking specifically about Asaf Jah 1 and his turban ornaments, recent rumors seem to suggest that – the first Nizam of Hyderabad, was extremely possessive of to specific diamond turban ornaments. Reference is to turban ornaments where a diamond formed the center stone. Some illustrations seem to show a blue colored diamond, surrounded by what look like emeralds. And if this image represents an existing turban ornament, it is expected that the blue diamond is no less than a vivid blue diamond, a weight of around 7 to 10 carats. These calculations are made based on the proportions, visible in the image.
The Nizams starting with Asaf Jah I took control of the famed Golconda diamond mines, no surprise that a significant portion of their wealth consisted of priceless diamonds from these mines. The other diamond turban ornament as rumored, included a pink diamond. Both rare colors and pink remained a very rare find, even in the highly resourceful Golconda diamond mines. The diamonds and the related turban ornaments remain elusive.
No mention is made of the pink diamond turban ornament that was, apparently worn on very special occasions by Asaf Jah 1. It is only in recent years that, some stories of a blue diamond referred to as the Seraphim Blue Diamond have surfaced.
Guessing, fantasizing and story telling are not uncommon when it comes to, rare Golconda diamonds that claim to have a connection with the Nizams. The story goes that, the Seraphim Blue Diamond had its origin in the Golconda diamond mines and was at one time, set in a turban ornament worn by the first Nizam of Hyderabad.
Some versions of this story claim that, the diamond was handed over to the French by Asaf Jah II the second Nizam. This was supposed to be a partial ‘payment’ for a military favor from the French. Believable records do claim that, the Nizams took military help from the British and French but, details beyond that are hard to find. Regarding the present location of the Seraphim Blue Diamond from the Golconda mines, reports seem to suggest that, the priceless blue diamond is part of a Russian collection. Other reports mention a European collection, no specific mention of Russia is made.
A few turban ornaments belonging to the Nizams, are now in the treasury of the Indian government, some have even made it to high profile museums across the globe. No secret that auction houses and professional diamond collectors are, excited about the possibility of the Seraphim Blue Diamond coming up for a public auction – but the story means little without proper certifications from a reputed diamond testing house like GIA or Gubelin.