During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the United States in June 2023, one particular gift to President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden stood out—a 7.5-carat synthetic diamond, valued at an impressive $20,000. This extraordinary diamond, crafted and polished in Surat, India, not only showcased India’s advanced capabilities in the production of lab-grown gemstones but also emerged as the single most expensive gift received by the US First Family in 2023, as revealed in the US State Department’s annual report on foreign gifts.
Despite its value and symbolic significance, the diamond cannot be retained by Jill Biden for personal use due to strict US laws regulating gifts from foreign dignitaries. The gem has instead been placed under official custody for use in the White House’s East Wing. Once the Biden administration’s tenure concludes, the diamond will be transferred to the National Archives, where it will be preserved alongside other historical artifacts. The First Lady has the theoretical option to purchase the diamond from the government at its assessed market value after the family leaves office, though such instances are rare, especially for items of significant monetary worth.
US laws mandate that any gift from a foreign official exceeding $480 in value must be publicly declared. While the recipients can retain modest items for personal use, higher-value gifts are typically transferred to official collections, used for display, or archived. This ensures transparency and avoids any potential conflicts of interest. Jill Biden’s second-most expensive gift in 2023 was a $14,063 brooch from Ukraine’s ambassador to the US. She also received a $4,510 set that included a bracelet, brooch, and photograph album from Egypt’s president and first lady.
President Joe Biden himself was the recipient of a range of high-value items in 2023. Among them was a $7,100 commemorative photo album gifted by South Korea's former president, Yoon Suk Yeol, as well as a $3,495 statue from Mongolia’s Prime Minister. Additional notable gifts included a $3,300 silver bowl from the Sultan of Brunei, a $3,160 sterling silver tray from Israel’s president, and a $2,400 artistic collage from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Beyond the First Family, the report also detailed significant gifts received by officials from the US intelligence community. For instance, CIA Director William Burns disclosed receiving an $18,000 astrograph, a sophisticated combination of a telescope and an astrological camera, from an undisclosed foreign source. Following protocol, Burns also destroyed an $11,000 Omega watch that he had been presented with, highlighting the agency’s strict adherence to rules governing the management of foreign gifts.
This annual report sheds light on the opulent and often symbolic nature of diplomatic gift exchanges while underscoring the rigorous ethical standards the US maintains in handling such gestures. Gifts like the synthetic diamond not only strengthen bilateral ties but also serve as tangible symbols of goodwill and cultural exchange, showcasing the intricate diplomacy underpinning international relations.
