Spoonmaker’s Diamond not stolen, missing or replaced: Official
ISTANBUL
İlhan Kocaman, an official from the Directorate of National Palaces in charge of Topkapı Palace, has refuted claims about the Spoonmaker’s Diamond circulating on social media that it was missing, with a press conference held in front of the priceless jewelry.
“We believe these baseless claims aim to undermine tourism, at a time the number of visitors are returning to pre-pandemic levels,” Kocaman said while speaking to reporters in front of the display of the diamond on May 12.
Recently, allegations that “the priceless diamond had disappeared or replaced by a false one” stormed social media.
“We preserve it under all kinds of security measures required by the museum. This issue has been speculated about before. There is never a case of forgery. The diamond has been on display in this hall for 32 months,” he added.
The 86-carat Spoonmaker’s Diamond, also known as “Kaşıkçı Diamond,” adorned with 49 diamonds in double rows, is considered the fourth largest diamond of its kind in the world.
The surrounding separate brilliants give it “the appearance of a full moon lighting a bright and shining sky amidst the stars.”
It is not known with any certainty how the diamond came to Istanbul’s Topkapı Palace. It hangs in a glass case on the wall of the Imperial Treasury section of Topkapı’s “Conqueror’s Pavilion.”
