Thursday March 28th, 2024
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Egypt Saves 3rd Largest Diamond from Auction

Egyptian police have recovered more than 200 items of precious jewellery which once belonged to the Mohamed Ali family, including one of the world's biggest diamonds.

Staff Writer

It was great news for Egypt, and bad news for the Mohamed Ali family when the Tourism and Antiquities Police recovered a rare collection of 246 pieces of jewellery belonging to the royal dynasty.

The discovery was made a few months ago when police noticed that the Bank Misr was preparing to put the collection up for auction. Fearing the loss of the stunning jewellery, the police quickly got approval from the prime ministers and ministers of interior and antiquities and, after an 18 month investigation, were able to halt the auction.

After being examined by an archaeological committee, the Ministry of Antiquities confirmed their authenticity. The objects recovered include a variety of diamond encrusted accessories including a brooch with a 40 carat diamond, considered the third largest diamond in the world.

“It is a very important and distinguished collection of jewellery from Mohamed Ali’s family,” Mamdouh El-Damaty, the Minister of Antiquities told Ahram Online.

Every item on the collection bears the name of the family and the year of its production, proving that they were exclusively made for members of Mohamed Ali. Thankfully the retrieved historical items will be displayed at their original location in the Jewellery Museum in Alexandria, so all Egyptians can get a chance to further appreciate its ever-lasting legacy.