ARCHDUKE JOSEPH DIAMOND

One of the world’s most famous diamonds, it is over 400 years old and was once owned by Archduke Joseph will be in a series of displays in Geneva, Hong Kong and New York in the lead up to a much anticipated auction being held on November13. Christies in Switzerland has been chosen to conduct the auction and are expecting to sell the stone well in excess of USD$15 million (AUD$14.68 million). The stunning diamond weights 76.02cts, cushion shaped and D colour. This stone was mined from the Golconda Mines in India which rank among the world’s very best when on the subject of diamond mining. The diamond is about the size a domino and is 1.5cm thick.

This particular piece is not only incredibly beautiful and rare but also comes with a rich history. It was owned by Archduke Joseph of Austria (1872 – 1962) and was put in a safe by his son in 1933 at the Hungarian General Credit Bank. The stone was then sold three years later to an anonymous buyer who left it in a safe in WWII escaping the attention of the Nazis. It has since then had unknown owners until finally resurfacing in 1961 at auction in London.