Why is India the “jewel of the British crown”?

This enthusiastic epithet entered the international political and journalistic lexicon after 1858, when India was officially declared a colony of great Britain, and the British Queen Victoria-the Empress of India.

Among the numerous British colonies, India was the most populous and had the largest natural resources, besides, India has since ancient times secured the reputation of the world’s “supplier” of precious stones and jewelry.

Hence the figurative expression “pearl of the British crown”, the author of which is unknown. By the way, there are 273 pearls in the crown of the British Empire, but none specifically dedicated to India are among them.

After India gained independence in 1947, the expression “pearl of the British crown” lost its original meaning, and is used mainly in historical materials.