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| The Archduke Joseph Diamond ©Tony Falcone |
It has royal origins and was owned by royalty and now the
legendary Archduke Joseph Diamond will be offered at Christie’s auction in
Geneva on November 13. The auction house says it is one of the rarest and most
famous diamonds in the world that combines an impressive size of 76.02 carats,
perfect color, and internally flawless clarity.
Christie’s says the estimate is available on request but it
is expected to achieve $15 million in the upcoming auction.
Its origin is traced to the ancient Golconda mines in
Central India, the source of the world’s most coveted historical diamonds,
including the Koh-i-noor, in the Royal Collection at the Tower of London; the
Regent, considered the finest diamond in the French Crown Jewels, at the Musée
du Louvre in Paris; and the Hope, gifted by Harry Winston to the Smithsonian
Institution in Washington
D.C.
This same diamond “created a sensation when Christie’s
Geneva offered it for sale the first time in November 1993 where it realized
CHF 9.7 million (US$ 6.5 million)—the equivalent of $10.5 million today,” said
François Curiel, International
Head of Christie’s Jewellery Department. “The magic of auction sometimes brings
back great gems to our salerooms more than once.”
Although it is not known exactly when the diamond entered
the House of Habsburg, it has been officially recorded as the property of the
Archduke Joseph August of Austria, Palatine of Hungary (1872-1962), and was
subsequently named after him.
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