First Lady gets $20,000 diamond from foreign leaders


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First Lady Jill Biden received several lavish gifts from foreign dignitaries in 2023, including a lab-created diamond worth $20,000 and an artistic brooch valued at over $14,000, according to a recently released State Department report.

The extensive document, which spans 11 pages in the Federal Register, details gifts presented to both the President and First Lady throughout the year. While many items were modest in value, such as books and artwork, two presents given to Dr. Biden particularly stood out for their significant worth.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the First Lady with a 7.5-carat laboratory-created diamond in June 2023. The precious stone, estimated at $20,000, currently remains in the East Wing for official use. Earlier that year, in February, Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova gifted Dr. Biden a distinctive steel fragment forget-me-not flower brooch, valued at $14,063, which is also being kept in the East Wing.

A spokesperson for the First Lady, Vanessa Valdivia, confirmed that the diamond will eventually be transferred to the National Archives when the Biden administration concludes, though she provided no details about its present usage.

President Biden also received notable gifts from world leaders. South Korean President Suk Yeol Yoon presented him with a photo album worth $7,100, while Mongolia’s prime minister gave him a statue of Mongolian warriors valued at $3,495. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy contributed a collage estimated at $2,400.

Analysis by CNN revealed that the lab-created diamond tops the list as the most valuable gift received by the Bidens in 2023. The report also disclosed that the CIA destroyed approximately $132,000 worth of gifts, including expensive timepieces and jewelry.

Under federal regulations, executive branch officials must report any gifts from foreign leaders that exceed $480 in value.

 

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