The Wittelbach Diamond is a rare blue diamond that has been handed down over generations of German royalty. This diamond now on display in London has been bought by Laurence Graff of the Graff Diamonds for a whopping 16.4 million pounds ($ 24.3 million). The price; it was sold for has surpassed all pre sale estimates and has overtaken even the 100 carat diamond sold at a Swiss auction in 1995.
The celebrated blue diamond is a 35.56 carat gem shaped in the form of a cushion. It has been compared to the Hope Diamond on the basis of its color and clarity. The stone has a rich history and heritage that makes it all the more awesome and incredible to own.
In 1664 the diamond, purchased by King Philip IV of Spain, was a part of his teenage daughter’s (Infanta Margarita Teresa) dowry. After her untimely death at a very young age the diamond was in the possession of her husband, Leopold I of Austria. The gem was handed down through generations and when his granddaughter got married to Charles of Bavaria, who was a member of the Wittelsbach family; in 1772 it inherited the Wittelsbach name.
The diamond was known as Der Blaue Wittlesbacher and was passed down by many Bavarian rulers like the first ruler of Bavaria, Maximilian IV Joseph von Wittelsbach who mounted the gem in his crown. It made its last state appearance in 1918 after the First World War. The diamond thereafter vanished from public eye after 1931 where it was put up for being auctioned but could not be sold, to resurface in 1962. It is said that it was recognized by a jeweler who refused to re cut it and hence saved its significance.
The period from 1931 to 1962 when the diamond was not reported to be seen anywhere is a mystery in its history. Many speculations have been doing the rounds but there is no specific story that can explain its absence from the public eye. The exact events pertaining to the period is still unknown. The mystery around this diamond seems to have escalated its price.
Colored diamonds are a rarity and usually fetch very high prices in auctions. A smaller diamond of 13.39 carat, blue in color was sold at $8.9 million. Auctioneer Francois Curiel and Christie’s are the auctioneers who hit gold with this diamond. They claim that it was “an historic price for an historic diamond.”