Editor’s Note
A piece of India’s royal heritage, the historic 3.24-carat ‘Golconda Blue’ diamond, is set to be auctioned for the first time in Geneva on May 14. With an estimated value of 300 to 430 crore rupees, this rare gem offers a glimpse into a storied past.
The historic 3.24-carat ‘Golconda Blue’ diamond, linked to India’s royal heritage, will be put up for auction for the first time in Geneva on May 14, with an estimated price of 300 to 430 crore rupees.
The historic diamond of India’s royal heritage, the Golconda Blue, will be put up for auction for the first time on May 14 in Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva. The auction will be held live at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva. The famous Parisian designer JAR has set this brilliant 23.24-carat historic blue diamond into a stunning modern ring. This diamond, discovered from the Golconda mines, was once owned by the Maharajas of Indore and Baroda.
He stated that in its 259-year history, Christie’s has had the honor of presenting the world’s most important Golconda diamonds, including the Archduke Joseph, the Princie, and the Wittelsbach.
The Golconda Blue was once owned by the modernist emperor Maharaja Yashwant Rao Holkar II of Indore. Maharaja Holkar was famous for his modern thinking and international lifestyle in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1923, the Maharaja’s father had a bracelet made from this diamond by the French house Chaumet. Prior to this, he had also purchased two Golconda Indore Pears diamonds from the same jeweler.
A decade later, he appointed Mauboussin as his official jeweler, who redesigned the royal collection and incorporated the Golconda Blue along with the Indore Pears diamonds into an attractive necklace. In 1947, the diamond was purchased by New York jeweler Harry Winston, who set it into a brooch alongside a white diamond of similar size. This brooch later reached the Maharaja of Baroda, continuing its journey through India’s royal lineage before passing into private hands.