Former US First Lady, Jill Biden, revealed her interest in keeping the diamond given to her by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but she eventually returned it to the federal government after learning that US officials valued it much higher than its stated price.In her memoir, “A View from the East Wing: A Memoir,” Biden provides a behind-the-scenes account of life in the White House and the strict rules governing gifts received by America’s first family. Among the gifts she remembers most vividly was the 7.5-carat synthetic diamond given by Prime Minister Modi during his state visit to Washington in June 2023.“Sometimes small things — flowers and wine — but sometimes big things, like the 7.5-carat synthetic diamond that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave me on his state visit — a symbol of his country’s attempt to become a leader in lab-grown gemstones,” Biden writes.She says the diamond caught her attention immediately. “The diamonds were gorgeous,” she writes.
White House rules
But under US ethics rules, the gift does not belong to her personally. “But technically, it wasn’t given to me. It was given to the First Lady, which means it’s owned by the federal government,” she wrote.Biden explains that gifts above a certain value are reviewed and cataloged by government officials. Recipients are permitted to purchase such gifts if they pay the estimated fair market value.
In the case of Prime Minister Modi, I initially thought it might be possible. “The Prime Minister said this piece was handmade in his hometown for $2,500 (about $2,37,000). He even had the bill of sale,” Biden wrote. “I thought, ‘Maybe I’ll buy it.’That plan changed after the gift was formally evaluated. “Then the State Department assessed it at $20,000 (about $19,000), so I didn’t do it,” she wrote.Instead, Biden was allowed to borrow the diamond and wear it on official occasions.
“I was told I could display it in my office or borrow it to wear. So I framed it for a ring and wore it to formal occasions,” she wrote.This arrangement only lasted as long as she worked in the White House. “When we left office, I brought it back,” Biden writes. She says the ring was eventually returned to the government warehouse. He added: “The ring went into a warehouse with countless other presidential gifts, many of which were simply destroyed.”