Latest news with #IndorePear
News18
28-04-2025
- Business
- News18
Rare 'Golconda Blue' Diamond, Once Owned By Ruler Of Indore, Set For Auction At Christie's In May
The 23.24-carat Golconda Blue diamond, once owned by Indore's Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Holkar, is set for auction at Christie's with an expected price of $35–$50 million. A rare Golconda vivid blue diamond is set to be auctioned at Christie's on May 14. The gem was once owned by the Maharaja of Indore, Yeshwant Rao Holkar. Various reports suggest the diamond, named 'Golconda Blue', weighs in at over 23-carats and its sale is expected to set a record at $35 to $50 million. According to Forbes, if the 23.24-carat diamond went to auction, it would be the largest fancy blue diamond to have been presented at a public sale. In a report, First Post quoted Christie's and stated Yeshwant Rao Holkar's father, Tukoji Rao Holkar III – the then ruler of Indore, obtained the popular Indore Pear diamonds from the French luxury jewellery and watch house, Chaumet, in 1913. Ten years later, Tukoji commissioned Chaumet to set his pear-shaped Golconda blue diamond into a bracelet, it stated. The Golconda Blue, the largest fancy vivid blue diamond ever to come to auction, is set to headline the Christie's Magnificent Jewels sale next month. The auction house estimates it will sell for $35 million to $50 million — Reuters (@Reuters) April 14, 2025 In 1933, Holkar appointed the Parisian jewellery house Mauboussin as his official jeweller. The French company redesigned the Indore king's royal collection and created a long flowing necklace for both the Golconda Blue and the Indore Pears, the report claimed. He acquired the diamond in January 1947 and then set it in a brooch alongside a similar white diamond weighing 23 carats. The famed jeweller later sold the brooch to the Maharaja of Baroda, the report quoted Phillips Auction House. Winston then reacquired the brooch and resold it as a newly designed jewel, ending the blue diamond's journey with the Indian royalty, according to the report. The Forbes said Christie's provided a brief statement saying the unidentified owners of the rare gem decided to sell it within the family. The statement reads: 'The Golconda Blue's historic provenance, uncovered by Christie's research, has generated considerable market interest and much excitement globally. At this time, the owners have made the decision to pursue a sale of the diamond to a family member." A spokesperson for the auction house further reinforced that it was a personal decision by the diamond's owner to sell it within the family. 'We can confirm that neither tariffs nor any financial market movement was responsible for the change," the spokesperson told Forbes.
Irish Examiner
26-04-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Iconic 23-carat blue diamond could be yours for €44m
The largest fancy vivid blue diamond ever at auction, The Golconda Blue comes up at Christie's in Geneva on May 14. Mounted in a ring by JAR and weighing 23.24 carats, the pear-shaped stone's provenance is rooted in Indian royalty. It was owned by the Maharajah of Indore, known for a lifestyle of cosmopolitan sophistication in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1913, his father had acquired the Indore Pear diamonds from Chaumet in Paris. In 1923, he commissioned a diamond bracelet set with the Golconda Blue. In 1946, iconic jeweller Harry Winston purchased the Indore Pears from the Maharajah and acquired the Golconda Blue in 1947. He set it in a brooch with a matching 23-carat white diamond and sold it to the Maharajah of Baroda. The brooch was subsequently reacquired by Mr Winston and resold to the current owner. At auction for the first time and in a ring setting by JAR, it is estimated at $35m-$50m (€30.78m-€43.97m).
Forbes
25-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The 23.24-Carat ‘Golconda Blue' Diamond Pulled From Christie's Auction
The 23.24-carat 'Golconda Blue' fancy vivid blue diamond has been pulled from the May 14 Christie's Magnificent Jewels sale. If it went to auction it would have been the largest fancy blue diamond to have been presented at a public sale. Its estimate was $35 - $50 million. Christie's provided a brief statement saying the unidentified owner of the sale decided to sell it within the family. The statement reads: 'The Golconda Blue's historic provenance, uncovered by Christie's research, has generated considerable market interest and much excitement globally. At this time, the owners have made the decision to pursue a sale of the diamond to a family member.' A spokesperson for the auction house further reinforced that it was a personal decision by the diamond's owner to sell it within the family. 'We can confirm that neither tariffs nor any financial market movement was responsible for the change,' the spokesperson said. Christie's, in a previous statement, said The Golconda Blue ranks among the rarest and most important diamonds ever discovered throughout history. The diamond was on a world tour and was on view in Hong Kong when the decision was made to pull it. The massive pear-shaped gem has additional star power as it is mounted in a contemporary ring by esteemed high jewelry artist, JAR. The diamond also has Indian royal provenance. Yeshwant Rao Holkar, the Maharaja of Indore and a member of the Holkar dynasty. In 1913, his father acquired the famed Indore Pear diamonds from Chaumet, marking the beginning of a long-standing relationship with the historic Parisian Maison, Christie's said. In 1923, during another visit to Chaumet, he commissioned a diamond bracelet set with his 23-carat pear-shaped Golconda blue diamond. Yeshwant Rao Holkar appointed Mauboussin as his official jeweler in 1933. The French jewelry house created a long flowing necklace that included both the Golconda Blue and the Indore Pear diamonds. It was worn by the Maharani of Indore memorialized in a portrait by Bernard Boutet de Monvel. In 1946, Winston purchased the Indore Pear diamonds from the Maharaja, and the following year, in January 1947, he acquired this 23-carat blue diamond. Winston later set it in a brooch alongside a matching 23-carat white diamond, which he sold to the Maharaja of Baroda. The brooch was subsequently reacquired by Winston and resold as a newly designed jewel to its current owner. 'Exceptional noble gems of this caliber come to market once in a lifetime," said Rahul Kadakia, Christie's international head of Jewelry, in a previous statement. "With its Royal heritage, extraordinary color and exceptional size, The Golconda Blue is truly one of the rarest blue diamonds in the world.' Golconda diamonds are among the oldest and most after diamonds in the world, prized for their purity. The first known mention of these diamonds is with a reference found in a 4th-century Sanskrit manuscript. In 327 BC, Alexander the Great brought diamonds from India to Europe, sparking the West's enduring fascination with these rare gems, Christie's said. By 1292 AD, Marco Polo chronicled the beauty of Indian diamonds in his travel writings. 'Today, The Golconda Blue stands not only as a natural marvel but also as a storied jewel, with a provenance bridging continents, dynasties, and centuries,' Christie's said.
