On May 14, Christie's will present its "Magnificent Jewels" auction at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva, featuring breathtaking creations from leading and coveted jewelers such as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Harry Winston. Of particular note are the 21 precious pieces from one of the largest and most important private collections of pieces from the mysterious Parisian jeweler JAR.
See also: JAR: The Most Mysterious Jewellery Brand in the World
As a special highlight of the sale, Christie's has the honor of offering one of the world's rarest blue diamonds, which is also the largest "Fancy Blue Vivid" diamond in auction history. The multifaceted pear-cut stone, dubbed the Golconda Blue, weighs an impressive 23.24 carats.
The name is derived from the colour and the location where the stone was found. Golconda, the first capital of the sultanate of the same name in South India, was known for centuries for its rich diamond mines, which produced such important stones as the Great Mughal, the Regent, and the Wittelsbach Blue. The latter, a historic deep greyish blue diamond weighing (at the time) 35.56 carats, was auctioned at Christie's in London in 2008 for £16.4 million.
See also: 10 Historical Diamonds You Should Know
The Golconda Blue is now expected to fetch 30-50 million CHF – an estimate based on the rarity and size of the stone, but also on its special history.
The Golconda Blue was once owned by the Maharajas of Indore. In 1923, Maharaja Tukojirao Holkar III had it set into a bracelet at Chaumet in Paris. Ten years later, Tukojirao Holkar's son and successor, Yeshwant Rao Holkar II, appointed Maison Mauboussin, also based in Paris, as his court jeweller. Yeshwant Rao Holkar II and his wife, Maharani Sanyogitabai Devi of Indore, were part of European high society in the 1920s and 1930s and were particularly known for their elegant appearance. Yeshwant Rao Holkar II had many pieces of jewellery from his collection reworked by Mauboussin. The Golconda Blue was set into an impressive necklace along with the famous pear-shaped Indore diamonds that his father had acquired from Chaumet in 1913. This is the very piece of jewellery that Maharani Sanyogitabai Devi wears in a portrait by Bernard Boutet de Monvel.
Later, Harry Winston was among the jewellers with whom Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Holkar II collaborated. In 1946, Harry Winston first acquired the Indore Pears, followed by the Golconda Blue the following year. He set it in a brooch with a white diamond of the same size and sold it to the Maharaja of Baroda. It was later repurchased and after further reworking acquired by the current owner. The Golconda Blue is now being offered at auction for the first time at Christie's—in a ring setting by JAR.
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Rahul Kadakia, Christie's International Head of Jewellery, commented: "Exceptional gems of this caliber come to market only once in a lifetime. Over its 259-year history, Christie's has had the honour of offering some of the world's most significant Golconda diamonds, including the Archduke Joseph, the Princie, and the Wittelsbach. With its royal heritage, exceptional colour, and exceptional size, the Golconda Blue is truly one of the world's rarest blue diamonds."
