Golconda, the name of an ancient kingdom of India and its abandoned metropolis. It lay midway between Bombay and Madras. Golconda was an important center of the diamond cutting industry, and was consequently famous for these gems. It is a mistake to speak of the mines of Golconda, however, as the precious stones were brought to that city usually from some distance. The ruins of the old city are still remarkable for a vast number of mausoleums of its former sovereigns,--dome-crowned structures of gray stone, each with its own mosque and terraces. See DIAMOND; GEM.