However, under US ethics rules, gifts received by the president and first lady during official engagements belong to the federal government.
Former US first lady Jill Biden has revealed that she considered buying a synthetic diamond gifted to her by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 2023 state visit to Washington, but abandoned the idea after US officials valued the stone at eight times its stated price.
In her recently released memoir, View from the East Wing: A Memoir, Biden recounts receiving a 7.5-carat lab-grown diamond from Modi, who presented it as a symbol of India’s ambition to become a global leader in the synthetic diamond industry.
Under US ethics rules, gifts received by the president and first lady during official engagements belong to the federal government. However, recipients may purchase such gifts by paying their fair market value as determined by government appraisals.
“In the case of Modi’s diamond, the prime minister said that it had been handmade in his hometown for $2,500. He even had the bill of sale. I thought, Maybe I’ll buy it. Then the State Department appraised it at $20,000, so I did not,” Biden wrote.
“The diamond was gorgeous,” she added.
The former first lady noted that government officials routinely took possession of gifts she received if they were deemed to have more than nominal value.
Although she chose not to purchase the diamond, Biden had it mounted in a ring that she wore during official occasions while serving as first lady. The ring was later returned to government custody. “When we left office, I gave it back. The ring went into a warehouse along with an infinitude of other presidential gifts, many of which are simply destroyed,” she wrote.
India has similar rules for gifts
The account offers a glimpse into the protocols surrounding diplomatic gift exchanges between world leaders. In India, too, gifts received by ministers and government officials are governed by strict rules.
Official gifts are deposited in the Toshakhana, maintained by the Ministry of External Affairs. If a gift is valued at less than ₹5,000, it may be retained by the recipient. If its assessed value exceeds ₹5,000, the recipient can acquire it by paying the difference between the assessed value and ₹5,000.
Elsewhere in the memoir, Biden recalled some of the logistical and cultural considerations involved in hosting Modi’s state visit in June 2023, including the challenges of planning the White House state dinner.