Nizam jewels to go on display from Aug 29

new delhi: 'operation polo' established the indian union's authority over hyderabad, turning the nizam's princely kingdom into a democratic state. next week an exhibition in new delhi will liberate the nizam's jewels — rarely worn, rarely glimpsed — turning them into public property, national heritage that can be glimpsed by the public, albeit at a cost of rs 50 for indians and rs 500 for foreigners.incredibly, this enormous treasure, whose estimates range between rs 300 crore to rs 10,000 crore, will not be insured. since they will be in government custody forever, the question of insurance does not arise,'' union minister for tourism and culture ananth kumar says. announcing the final dates for the launch, the minister said the exhibition, mounted at a cost of rs 2.5 crore, would be on display in delhi's national museum from august 29-october 15 after which it would travel to hyderabad. a decision on future exhibitions or a permanent display would be taken later. the jewellery, which represents a collection of two centuries, was acquired by the government after a protracted legal battle. though the government acquired it at a cost of rs 218 crores in 1995, its real value has not been accurately estimated yet. each piece of the 173-set jewellery collection tells its own tale. most have the famed golconda diamonds, while others have colombian emeralds, basra pearls, rubies and spinels from burma. the most famous piece, the jacob diamond, for example,was a south african diamond purchased by the nizam from a dealer alexander malcom jacob, whose subsequent suit against the nizam reduced him to penury, and death in bankruptcy. the jewellery also tells the tale of the style of the nizam rulers, their adoption of the mughal style of court in the deccan, reflected in the fusion of the craftsmanship of the north and south, while subsequently crafted pieces show a european style, reflecting the staunch support provided by the nizams to the british empire. the collection, which began with the appointment of mir qamaruddin as the prime minister of the mughal empire in the 18th century goes on display in the 21st century, with the exhibition inaugurated by a democratically-elected prime minister.