Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond

Description and Characteristics

• The Wittelsbach Diamond is also known as Der Blaue Wittelsbacher.
• It is a 35.56-carat fancy, deep, greyish-blue diamond with VS2 clarity.
• The diamond had 82 facets arranged in an atypical pattern.
• It had been compared to the Hope Diamond.

History and Ownership

• The diamond originates from the Kollur mines of Guntur District in Andhra Pradesh, India.
• It was first mentioned about fifty years later when it was already in Vienna.
• The diamond came to Munich in 1722 when Maria Amalia married Karl of Bavaria.
• It was mounted on the Bavarian Electors Order of the Golden Fleece in 1745.
• The jewel remained on top of the Bavarian crown until 1918.
• The diamond was unsuccessfully put up for sale in 1931 during the Great Depression.
• It was eventually sold in 1951 and remained in a private collection since 1964.
• In 2008, the Wittelsbach Diamond was sold to Laurence Graff for £16.4 million.
• In 2011, Graff apparently sold the diamond to the former emir of Qatar for at least US$80 million.
• The sale in 2008 set a record as the highest price ever paid at auction for a diamond.

Alteration

• After the sale in 2008, Graff announced his intention to recut the gem.
• The diamond was recut in 2010 to enhance its color and clarity, losing over 4.45 carats in the process.
• The recutting was met with heavy criticism by some experts.
• The alteration of the historical stone has been compared to the overpainting of a painting by Rembrandt.
• The gem was re-evaluated and its color grade revised to the more desirable fancy deep blue.

Royal Lineage and Exhibitions

• The Wittelsbach Diamond has a royal lineage, passing through different rulers and families.
• It was exhibited at the World Expo in Brussels in 1958.
• The diamond was last seen in public at Ludwig III of Bavaria's funeral in 1921.

Additional Information

• There are further reading materials available on the Wittelsbach Diamond.
• A list of famous diamonds and individual gemstones can be explored for more information.

Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond Data Sources