Spoonmaker's Diamond

Here is one of the most famous treasures of Topkapı Palace: the Spoonmaker’s Diamond.

Its story sounds almost like a fairy tale. People say it was once found in a rubbish heap. The person who found it did not know its true value. So, the story says, it was exchanged with a spoonmaker for only three wooden spoons.

Later, people understood what it really was. It was a diamond of 86 carats. A carat is a way to measure the weight of precious stones.

The diamond was made even more bright in the 18th century. At that time, two rows of smaller diamonds were added around it. There are 49 of these old mine-cut diamonds.

No one knows for sure if the spoonmaker story is true. But it has stayed with the diamond for many years. It makes this shining stone feel even more mysterious.