Latest news with #IndorePears
Indian Express
28-04-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
The Golconda Blue Diamond withdrawn from auction
Days before it was to come under the hammer at a Christie's sale in Geneva on May 14, the Golconda Blue — the largest known vivid blue diamond, with Indian origins — has been withdrawn from the auction. Its owner has, reportedly, decided to sell it within the family. The highlight of the Christie's Magnificent Jewels sale, the 23.24 carat pear-shaped diamond, once belonged to Yeshwant Rao Holkar, the Maharaja of Indore. In 1923, his father had commissioned the French luxury jewellery house Chaumet to set it in a diamond bracelet. In the '30s, Yeshwant Rao appointed jewellery company Mauboussin to put it in a necklace with Indore Pears, a piece that was also worn by the Maharani of Indore for a portrait by French artist Bernard Boutet. Sanyogitabai Devi of Indore (1914-1937), H.H. The Maharani of Indore painted by Bernard Boutet de Monvel in 1934 (courtesy: Christie's) In the 1940s, American luxury jeweller Harry Winston purchased the diamond and reportedly set it with another 23-carat white diamond in a brooch and sold it to the then Maharaja of Baroda, from whom he bought it back and resold it to its current owner, who has now set it in a ring by jewellery designer Joel Arthur Rosenthal (known as 'JAR'). According to a release issued by Christie's, 'The legacy of Golconda diamonds begins 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. By 1292 AD, Marco Polo famously chronicled the captivating beauty of Indian diamonds in his travel writings. The Golgonda Blue, a Fancy vivid blue pear shaped diamond of 23.24 carats, setting by JAR, estimate $35- 50 million (courtesy: Christie's) In the release, Rahul Kadakia, Christie's International Head of Jewellery, states: 'Exceptional noble gems of this calibre come to market once in a lifetime. Throughout its 259-year history, Christie's has offered some of the world's most important Golconda diamonds, including the Archduke Joseph, the Princie, and the Wittelsbach. With its royal heritage, extraordinary colour, and exceptional size, The Golconda Blue is truly one of the rarest blue diamonds in the world.'
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
14-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The 23.45-Carat ‘Golconda Blue' Diamond Could Fetch $50 Million
Christie's will present the largest fancy vivid blue diamond to be offered at auction. Named 'The Golconda Blue,' it weighs 23.24 carats and has an estimate of $35 - 50 million. It will be the headline lot at Christie's Magnificent Jewels sale on May 14 at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva. The Golconda Blue is mounted in a contemporary ring by esteemed high jewelry artist, JAR, and ranks among the rarest and most important diamonds ever discovered throughout history, according to Christie's. The auction house did not immediately provide a laboratory report of the gem with details of its color and clarity grades. The pear-shaped diamond boasts a provenance rooted in Indian royalty. Yeshwant Rao Holkar, the Maharaja of Indore and a member of the Holkar dynasty, was known—alongside his wife—for a lifestyle defined by elegance and cosmopolitan sophistication in the 1920s and '30s, Christie's said in a statement. 'The Golgonda Blue' mounted on a ring by JAR Christie's 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 own 23-carat pear-shaped Golconda blue diamond. Yeshwant Rao Holkar appointed Mauboussin as his official jeweler in 1933. Afterward, Mauboussin reimagined much of the Maharaja's collection and created a long flowing necklace that included both the Golconda Blue and the Indore Pears. It was worn by the Maharani of Indore memorialized in a portrait by Bernard Boutet de Monvel. Yeshwant Rao Holkar also collaborated with other iconic jewelers, including Harry Winston. In 1946, Winston purchased the Indore Pears 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. More than a century later, this same blue diamond will appear at auction for the first time. 'Exceptional noble gems of this caliber come to market once in a lifetime," said Rahul Kadakia, Christie's international head of Jewelry. "With its Royal heritage, extraordinary color, and exceptional size, The Golconda Blue is truly one of the rarest blue diamonds in the world.' The legacy of Golconda diamonds begins 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. While The Golconda Blue is the largest diamond offered at auction, the largest known fancy blue diamond is the Hope Diamond at 45.52 carats. It is the property of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., donated to the museum by Harry Winston. Even at its high estimate the Golconda Blue will fall short of the most expensive diamonds sold at auction even though it is much bigger than the largest fancy blue diamonds sold at auction. The 14.62-carat 'Oppenheimer Blue,' is currently the most expensive fancy vivid blue diamond sold at auction and for a short time was the most expensive gem ever sold at auction. It fetched more than $57.5 million at Christie's Geneva auction in May 2016. Currently, the largest fancy vivid blue diamond sold at auction is the 15.10-carat 'De Beers Blue,' which sold for $57.4 million at Sotheby's Hong Kong in April 2022.
