The ‘Cursed’ Crown Jewel That The Royal Family Refuses To Give Back

Of the most precious and storied gems in the UK's Crown Jewel collection, the Koh-i-Noor, is also the most infamous. Not only is it beautiful, but this massive diamond is worth over $1 billion. As the royal family would have us believe, the diamond was given to them as a gift. But that's not the whole story — the Koh-i-Noor is supposedly cursed. And if its bloody history is any indicator, the curse might well be true.

Mountain of light

It goes by Koh-i-Noor, Kohinoor, and "Mountain of Light," but it's also fair to just call it a big ol' diamond. This royal treasure has a tumultuous history — and may even hold a deadly curse for those who own it.

A Rare sight

The piece would never have been seen glittering on Queen Elizabeth's neck like a massive disco ball. Instead, the sought after jewel continues to lie dormant, heavily guarded, taken out only for special occasions. So, by royal standards, you're more likely to set eyes on a unicorn than see one of the royals sporting the contentious jewel.

Safely guarded

The Royals keep the massive jewel stowed away in bombproof cases along with all their other most precious valuables. It's kept next to the Tudor Crown and St. Edward's Crown in the Tower of London's vault dubbed the Jewel House.

Complicated past

But the famed diamond wasn't always in the clutches of the British Royal family. In fact, it has a complicated and bloody past that paints a grim portrait of the Royals...