PM Modi's Diamond to Jill Biden Most Expensive Gift to The US in 2023

US First Lady Jill Biden was the recipient of several luxurious gifts in 2023, including a $20,000 (Rs 17.15 lakh) diamond, which was the most expensive present given to a member of the Biden family that year.

The diamond, a 7.5-carat green lab-grown eco-friendly gem from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, mirrors earth-mined diamonds' chemical and optical properties. It was presented to Mrs Biden during PM Modi’s official state visit to the United States in June 2023.

The diamond was housed in a traditional paper pulp box, known as kar-e-kalamdani, a handcrafted piece symbolising Indian heritage. The diamond and other high-value gifts were retained for official use at the White House East Wing, according to a report from the US State Department.

In addition to the diamond, Jill Biden received other notable gifts in 2023, including a brooch valued at $14,063 from the Ukrainian ambassador to the US and a bracelet, brooch, and a $4,510 photograph album from the President and First Lady of Egypt.

Under US law, any official in the executive branch, including the President and First Lady, is required to declare gifts from foreign leaders valued at more than $480. The gifts given to the Bidens were either retained for official use or, in some cases, sent to the National Archives.

Prime Minister Modi’s state visit to the US, the first-ever of its kind, also saw the gifting of a handcrafted sandalwood box to President Joe Biden. The box contained a silver idol of Lord Ganesha, a diya (oil lamp), and the ancient text ‘Das Danam’. Additionally, Prime Minister Modi presented President Biden with a first edition print of The Ten Principal Upanishads. In return, the Bidens gifted Modi a handmade antique American book galley.