The magnificent Golconda Blue, the largest Fancy Vivid Blue Diamond ever sold at auction, will headline Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels sale on May 14th. This extraordinary 23.24 carat gem, mounted in a ring by JAR, carries an impressive estimate of $35 million USD to $50 million USD.
“Exceptional noble gems of this caliber come to market once in a lifetime,” said Rahul Kadakia, Christie’s International Head of Jewelry.
The stone’s royal lineage begins with Yeshwant Rao Holkar, the Maharaja of Indore and a discerning collector known for his exceptional taste in art and jewelry. In 1923, the Maharaja commissioned Chaumet to set the pear-shaped Golconda Blue in a bracelet. A decade later, Mauboussin transformed it into a necklace worn by Maharani and captured in a portrait by Bernard Boutet de Monvel.
The diamond’s journey continued when Harry Winston acquired it in 1947 and sold it as a brooch to the Maharaja of Baroda. After changing hands several times, this remarkable stone now returns to the market for the first time in decades.
What makes The Golconda Blue particularly significant is that it is classified as a true “Golconda” diamond – a term reserved for the world’s most exceptional diamonds of remarkable brilliance, transparency and purity. This designation also indicates that the gem originates from the ancient diamond fields of Eastern India.
The Golconda Blue joins the ranks of other famous Golconda stones, including the Agra Diamond, the Hope Diamond in the Smithsonian, the Koh-i-Noor in the British Crown Jewels, the Darya-i-Nur in Iran and the Princie Diamond.
Christie’s has built an impressive legacy of exceptional Golconda diamonds over its 259-year history, including the Archduke Joseph, the Princie and the Wittelsbach.
