Editor’s Note
This article highlights the upcoming auction of the historic ‘Golconda Blue,’ a 23.24-carat diamond of exceptional rarity. It will be the leading lot at Christie’s Geneva sale on May 14, 2025.
The Golconda Blue, the largest Fancy Vivid Blue diamond ever offered at auction, is one of the rarest and most important diamonds ever discovered in history. It will be featured at Christie’s on May 14th.
With an extraordinary weight of 23.24 carats, this magnificent historical jewel will be the star lot of Christie’s “Magnificent Jewels” auction, to be held live on May 14, 2025, at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva, with an estimate of $35-50 million.
The Golconda Blue, perfectly set in a JAR ring, is a true masterpiece thanks to its recently discovered royal provenance, its hypnotic color, and its sensational size.
This exceptional pear-shaped Golconda diamond boasts a provenance rooted in Indian royalty.
Yeshwant Rao Holkar, Maharaja of Indore and a member of the Holkar dynasty, was known, along with his wife, for living a life of elegance and cosmopolitan sophistication in the 1920s and 30s. A Knight of the Order of the Indian Empire, the Maharaja spent much of his time abroad, cultivating a strong affinity for Western art, design, and jewelry. In 1913, his father purchased the famous Indore Pear diamonds from Chaumet, marking the beginning of a lasting relationship with the historic Parisian Maison. In 1923, during another visit to Chaumet, he commissioned a diamond bracelet set with his 23-carat pear-shaped Golconda blue diamond.
Yeshwant Rao Holkar also collaborated with other iconic jewelers, including Harry Winston.
In 1946, Mr. Winston purchased the Indore Pears from the Maharaja, and the following year, in January 1947, he bought this 23-carat blue diamond. Winston set it in a brooch alongside a matching 23-carat white diamond, which he sold to the Maharaja of Baroda. The brooch was subsequently repurchased by Mr. Winston and resold as a newly designed piece of jewelry to its current owner. Now, more than a century later, this legendary blue diamond is being auctioned for the first time, set in a stunning contemporary ring by the celebrated Parisian designer JAR.
The legacy of Golconda diamonds begins with a reference found in a 4th-century Sanskrit manuscript. In 327 BC, Alexander the Great brought diamonds from India to Europe, sparking the West’s enduring fascination with these rare gems. In 1292 AD, Marco Polo described the captivating beauty of Indian diamonds in his travel writings. Today, the Golconda Blue is not only a natural wonder but also a historical jewel, its provenance spanning continents, dynasties, and centuries.