Wittelsbach_diamond,_before_beeing_recut_by_Graff.png (385 × 349 pixels, taille du fichier : 157 Kio, type MIME : image/png). A portrait painted of the new Princess on her wedding day "is the oldest visual record of the diamond" {1}.Instead we have the report of a marriage contract, bearing a date of December 18, 1663, which makes no mention of a stone matching the characteristics of the large blue diamond which would later be known as the Wittelsbach Blue. "When I saw this stone, I knew it was a stone we had to have," Mr. Graff told Jane O'Brien of BBC News.Later, in 1692, Electress Maria Antonia's will stipulated that the stone was to remain in the Bavarian Crown Jewels. Her husband inherited all her jewels and in turn, left them to his third wife, Empress Eleanor Magdalena, who passed the Great Blue Diamond to her granddaughter, Archduchess Maria Amelia.In 1962, a Belgium diamond dealer Joseph Komkommer was asked to examine a stone and immediately recognized the Wittelsbach Diamond. However, very few knew of its true provenance. It remained a part of the family fortune until 1918 when Louis III abdicated the throne after Germany became a republic. He died in 1921 and that was the last time the Wittelsbach Diamond accompanied a royalty to his final resting place. In fact, Empress Eleonore's will, written sometime between 1711 and 1720, made no mention of bequests to her grandchildren. In an incident that has never fully been explained, the Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond disappeared before the auction and … In, 1675 at the young age of 21, Infanta died after being weakened by too many miscarriages. (It’s slightly smaller now after Graff had it recut to repair damage and intensify the color.) It’s best known for its Wittelsbach Diamond, a 31-carat blue diamond that rivals the Hope diamond and has been stolen and sold many times. And although three years later it was displayed in the Brussels World Exhibition, it appears no one realized it was the missing Wittelsbach Diamond.The last King of Bavaria to own the blue diamond was Louis III – who reigned until Germany became a republic in 1918. This is why the Wittelsbach Graff and Hope diamonds are so famous. However, by reason of a failing marriage and a series of wars, the jewel was actually returned to the House of Hapsburg in Vienna, where the Electress retreated during the Nine Years War (1688-1697). In 1964 it was bought by a private collector, and in 2008 the Wittelsbach Diamond was sold at a Christie’s auction to the famous jeweler Laurence Graff for $24.3 million.Maria Amelia married the Bavarian Crown Prince Charles Albert in 1722, which was a turning point in the pretty uneventful history of the Blue Diamond – it became the family diamond of the House of Bavaria, the Wittelsbachs. Having long wondered if the two stones hailed from the same rough stone, these scientists set out to discern the truth about these two remarkable stones.These researchers, Rudolf Dröschel, Jürgen Evers, and Hans Ottomeyer, were unable to find evidence that the treasurer of King Philip's court purchased any stones from India and Portugal in 1664, as Herr Schneider had claimed. Now an esteemed member of the growing collection of rare and important gems held by Graff Diamonds, the stunning blue stone will remain hidden from view for an untold number of years in the vault of one of the world's wealthiest diamantaires.In 2010, after recertifying it with the GIA, Mr. Graff, in a joint endeavor with the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, presented the inaugural debut of The Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond, now a 31.06-carat, Type IIb, Natural Fancy Deep Blue diamond, Internally Flawless diamond.At the time of its sale in 2008, the Wittelsbach Blue carried a certificate from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), which classified the diamond as a 35.36-carat Fancy Deep Greyish-Blue, VS2 clarity diamond.The first solid record of the stone comes in 1673, on the heels of tragedy.
In 1931, the Wittelsbach Diamond was put to a Christie’s Auction along with other crown Jewels to financially support the royal descendants during the tough economic climate that followed World War I. The newspaper of record was mourning the passing, not of a person, but of the “Wittelsbach Blue”, an azure 35-carat diamond that once graced the crown of the Bavarian royal family. Although the stone’s original heritage and unique cut were lost during the process, the stone’s value and ratings skyrocketed. In a stroke of fortune, they discovered that the legendary diamond was languishing in a vault near their home.In 1761, Elector Maximillian III Joseph (1727-1777), son of Emperor Charles Albert and Empress Maria Amalia, had the diamond mounted in a badge of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
At an estimated 80 million US dollars, Wittelsbach Diamond is one of the most expensive diamond in the world. It is almost certainly the original source of the Wittelsbach diamond, but there is no record of its true origin. The diamond was displayed without title, and it spent six months hidden in plain sight. Only 0.1% of all naturally occurring diamonds fall in this class. However, it disappeared from the public eyes and records after that. The Wittelsbach-Graff as the Stellar Brilliant Cut, which includes 82 facets with vertical, splits in the core facets. After it was altered, the Gemological Institute of America re-evaluated the Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond and upgraded its color grade of “fancy deep grayish-blue” to Fancy Deep Blue.