Modi’s Diamond Gift To Jill Biden Most Expensive In 2023

India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON, DC – The 2023 state visit to the United States of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to make headlines.

This time it is about a standout gift to First Lady Jill Biden—a diamond worth an astounding $20,000. The 7.5-carat green lab-grown diamond, known for its eco-friendly qualities, mirrors the chemical and optical properties of earth-mined diamonds, making it a remarkable and environmentally conscious gesture.

The gift, placed in an intricately designed kar-e-kalamdani box made from paper pulp, drew attention as the most expensive among the several luxurious presents Jill Biden received in 2023. Under U.S. law, officials in the executive branch, including the President and First Lady, are required to declare any gifts exceeding $480 in value. The $20,000 diamond was retained for official use at the White House East Wing, while the other gifts were archived.

The United States’ Chief of Protocol’s report revealed that Jill Biden also received a brooch valued at over $14,000 from the Ukrainian ambassador, as well as a $4,500 photograph album along with a bracelet and brooch from the President and First Lady of Egypt.

As was widely reported at the time of Modi’s state visit, he also presented President Joe Biden with a handcrafted sandalwood box containing a silver idol of Lord Ganesha, and a first-edition print of the book The Ten Principal Upanishads.

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