A 7.5-carat diamond worth $20,000 (₹17.15 lakh), gifted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to US First Lady Jill Biden, was the most expensive gift received by the Biden family from any foreign leader in 2023, according to a report by the US State Department.
The eco-friendly, lab-grown diamond, presented during a private dinner at the White House in June 2023 as part of Modi’s state visit, symbolized India’s 75 years of independence. At the exchange rate at the time, the diamond was valued at approximately ₹16 lakh.
Along with the diamond, Modi gifted other items to the Bidens, including a carved sandalwood box, a book titled The Ten Principal Upanishads, a statue, and an oil lamp, with a combined estimated value of $6,232 (₹5.34 lakh).
While President Biden’s gifts were transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration, Jill Biden’s diamond was retained for official use in the East Wing, as stated in the State Department’s annual report.
The diamond was crafted in Surat, Gujarat, using advanced technology that replicates the natural process of diamond formation.
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In November 2022, Modi had also gifted Biden a painting worth $1,000 (₹85,755), according to State Department records.
During his US visit, Modi presented gifts to others as well. Kurt Campbell, Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs, received a wall hanging valued at $850 (₹72,893), while US Senator Charles Schumer received a camel bone box worth $125 (₹10,719).
Jill Biden’s second-most expensive gift came from Ukraine’s Ambassador to the US, Oksana Markarova, who presented a steel fragment forget-me-not flower brooch valued at $14,063 (₹12.06 lakh).
Meanwhile, President Biden received several luxurious gifts, including a $7,100 (₹6.08 lakh) commemorative photo album from South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol and a $3,495 (₹2.99 lakh) statue from Mongolia’s Prime Minister.
Under federal law, officials must declare gifts exceeding $480 (₹41,163) from foreign leaders. The report also noted that CIA employees received luxury items such as watches and jewelry, but most were destroyed. For instance, CIA Director William Burns declared an $18,000 (₹15.43 lakh) astrograph and reported the destruction of an $11,000 (₹9.43 lakh) Omega watch.
Despite the extravagant nature of these exchanges, Jill Biden’s diamond remains a significant symbol of India-US diplomatic ties.