Editor’s Note
A rare piece of India’s royal heritage, the 23.24-carat ‘Golconda Blue’ diamond, will be offered at Christie’s Geneva on May 14. Once owned by the Maharajas of Indore and Baroda, this magnificent gem is a highlight of the upcoming ‘Magnificent Jewels’ auction.
NEW DELHI: A magnificent gem from India’s royal history is set to be auctioned soon. This diamond is named ‘The Golconda Blue’. It is a rare blue diamond. It was previously owned by the Maharajas of Indore and Baroda. Now, this diamond will be auctioned on May 14th in Geneva at Christie’s ‘Magnificent Jewels’ auction.
This blue diamond weighs 23.24 carats. It has been set into a beautiful ring by the famous Parisian jeweler JAR. It is estimated that the price of this diamond will range from 35 million to 50 million US dollars. In Indian rupees, this is approximately 300 to 430 crore rupees. This means the diamond could be auctioned for 300 to 430 crore rupees. Christie’s company is 259 years old. This company has previously auctioned several famous Golconda diamonds, including the Archduke Joseph, the Princie, and the Wittelsbach diamonds.
Rahul Kadakia, International Head of Christie’s Jewelry Department, said in a statement:
The diamond is named after the Golconda mines, located in Telangana. In ancient times, the world’s most precious diamonds were found here. According to Christie’s, this diamond once belonged to Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Holkar II of Indore, a forward-thinking ruler of the 1920s and 30s.
In 1923, the Maharaja’s father had the diamond set into a bracelet made by the French jeweler Chaumet. The Maharaja also purchased two other Golconda diamonds known as the ‘Indore Pears’. In the 1930s, the Maharaja appointed Moussain as his royal jeweler. Moussain redesigned several pieces of jewelry.
He set ‘The Golconda Blue’ into a necklace along with the Indore Pears. This famous necklace was later depicted in a photograph of the Maharani of Indore by French artist Bernard Boutet de Monvel, showcasing a blend of Indian royalty and European fashion.
After India’s independence in 1947, this blue diamond was sold to the famous American jeweler Harry Winston. He set it into a brooch that also contained a white diamond. Later, this brooch came into the possession of the Maharaja of Baroda, continuing the diamond’s royal journey. Since then, the diamond has been sold privately several times. This is the first time it is being publicly auctioned.
(With PTI inputs)