Orlov (diamond)

Orlov (diamond)

The Orlov (sometimes spelled Orloff) is a large diamond that is part of the collection of the Diamond Fund of the Moscow Kremlin. Its origin – described as having the shape and proportions of half a chicken's egg – can be traced back to the second century Sri Ranganathaswamy Hindu temple, in Srirangam, Tamil Nadu, India where it once served as the eye of the presiding deity, before being stolen and sold by a French soldier and Hindu convert in 1747. The diamond was mined at the Kollur Mine in Andhra Pradesh, India.

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