The 7.5-carat diamond was retained for official use in the White House East Wing, the State Department document showed.
The diamond gifted by PM Modi will be transferred to the US National Archives once Joe Biden leaves office. (AFP/File)
Among the countless gifts US President Joe Biden and his family received from foreign leaders in 2023, the single most expensive present that First Lady Jill Biden received from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a whopping $20,000 diamond.
According to the annual accounting report recently published by the State Department, the 7.5-carat diamond was the most expensive item gifted to any member of the first family in 2023, The Associated Press reported.
While the big stone stood out, it wasn’t the only gift Jill received. The Ukrainian ambassador to the United States gave her a brooch worth $14,063, and the president and first lady of Egypt gave her a bracelet, brooch, and photo album worth $4,510.
In fact, President Biden himself received several costly gifts, including a commemorative photo album worth $7,100 from South Korea’s recently impeached president, Suk Yeol Yoon.
He has also presented a $3,495 statue of Mongolian warriors from the prime minister of Mongolia, a silver bowl worth $3,300 from the Sultan of Brunei, a $3,160 sterling silver tray from the Israeli president and a collage worth $2,400 from the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
According to US federal laws, executive branch officials must declare gifts received from foreign leaders and counterparts with an estimated value higher than $480.
Diamond to be handed over to archives
The AP reported that while most gifts that exceed this value ceiling are comparatively modest, the most expensive ones are sometimes transferred to the National Archives or displayed on official grounds.
The State Department document showed that the $20,000 diamond presented by the Indian PM was retained for official use in the White House East Wing, while the other gifts were sent to the archives.
Vanessa Valdivia, a spokesperson for Jill Biden, was cited as saying the diamond will be turned over to the archives once Biden leaves the office later this month, Vanessa Valdivia, a spokesperson for Jill Biden, was cited as saying. However, she did not specify what the diamond was used for.
Though rarely used, gift recipients can also purchase the gifts from the US government at their market value.
Several CIA officials also reported receiving lavish presents, including watches, perfume, and jewelry. The news agency reported, citing the State Department’s Office of Protocol, that almost all of these gifts were destroyed. The destroyed gifts were worth more than $132,000 combined.
A foreign source, whose identity is classified, gifted CIA director William Burns a $18,000 astrograph, a telescope and astrological camera. The gift will be transferred to the General Services Administration. Additionally, Burns reported receiving and destroying an Omega watch worth $11,000, an act several others performed with their expensive timepieces.
Other CIA employees who reported receiving gifts below the director’s rank are not identified. However, the AP reported that these included an Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra watch, a ladies’ Omega Constellation watch, a diamond necklace, an earring bracelet, and a ring that together were worth $65,100.
According to the Office of Protocol report, all these gifts were destroyed along with a $30,000 women’s jewelry set a CIA employee received from a Libyan jeweler, AI Grew. The set consisted of a necklace, bracelet, ring and earrings.
Another federal agency employee was gifted a men’s Yacht-Master II Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch valued at $18,700, while a separate record reported receiving a women’s Rolex Oyster Datejust watch worth $12,500. Another person received a Rolex Air King timepiece worth $7,450. The State Department’s list said that all three watches were destroyed.
A collection of luxury products, Amouage Perfume, worth $10,670, was also received by an employee. But that gift is yet to be destroyed, AP reported, citing the State Department’s list.
