CHRISTIE'S

THE
Diamond
103
The Infanta Margarita Teresa
Las Meninas, by Diego Velazquez, 1656
104
THE WITTELSBAC H DI AMOND
t 1
The historic Wittelsbach weighs 35.56 carats,
making it one cif the largest recorded fa 11 cy blue
diamo11ds.
The first record of the Wittelsbach dates from 1664.
Before the discovery of the Jagersfontein and Premier
mines in South Mrica, India remained the sole source
of dark blue diamonds. This raises an interesting
question. It has always been assumed that the Kollur
mines in the vicinity of Golconda, in the State of
Hyderabad was the only location in India to yield dark
blue diamonds, the most famoLls being the Hope
diamond, discovered in the middle of the 17th century.
But there was another area in which they were found.
The fourth Mughal Emperor, Jahangir (1569-1627)
was a somewhat different character from his father,
Akbar the Great; he loved ladies and jewels. The
Imperial Chronicles recorded the acquisition or gift of
diamond mines by Jahangir, in the State of Bihar,
north east India. The Emperor stated in his memoirs
that "diamonds from this place are of a variety and
beauty above all other kinds of diamonds and are
greatly appreciated by jewellers". And special mention
was made of a large dark blue piece of diamond which,
unlike today, was not considered to be of great value in
comparison with a colourless gem. Could this be the
rough which yielded the Wittelsbach?
Mughal Emperor Jahangir (1569-1627)
Side view
Pavilion
Some authorities have suggested that a diamond of such
a rare colour must have once formed part of the famous
"French Blue" diamond, weighing 112'12 old carats
which Tavernier bought in India and later sold to Louis
XIV of France. The principal gem cut from it is now
recognised as being the Hope, which weighs 45.52
carats, so that technical reasons alone preclude the
possibility of the Wittelsbach being fashioned from the
same piece of rough. The sole possibility of a
connection between the Wittelsbach and the Hope lies
in Tavernier's "French Blue" having been merely a piece
of a much larger piece of rough that at some time had
been split into two - a most unlikely event.
The Wittelsbach's history has for the most part been
uneventful, passing from one royal owner to another,
some of whose fortunes alternated behveen prosperity
and penury. The gem was given by Philip IV of Spain
to his daughter, the Infanta Margarita Teresa upon the
Crown
occasion of her betrothal to the Emperor Leopold I of
Austria in 1664. (Any chance of tracing the earlier
history of the Wittelsbach was lost when the Madrid
archives were destroyed during the Spanish Civil War of
1936-
1
939.)
In common with many marriages at the time there was
a strong political element involved. Leopold I was
Margarita Teresa's maternal uncle & paternal cousin.
Despite a difference in age they were very happy and she
bore him four children.
Margarita Teresa is depicted in the Spanish painter
Diego VeIazquez' masterpiece 'Las Meninas' (The Maids
of Honour, 1656). As court painter he was
commissioned to paint several portraits of the Infanta,
these paintings of her were sent to Leopold I to keep
him appraised of how his fiancee looked in her teenage
years.
105
Her j ewels passed on to her husband, and are listed in a
document, dated 23 March 1673 , which reads:
"Diamond ornament .... consisting of ..... a brooch with
a large blue diamond in the centre, to which belongs a
bow-shaped jewel set with rubies".
Leopold gave all the j ewellery he had inherited from the
Infanta to his third wife, the Empress Eleonore
Magdalena, daughter of the Elector Palatine. The
Empress outli ved her husband, dying in 1720. Before
then she had arranged to bequeath the blue diamond to
her grand-daughter, the Archduchess Mari a Amali a,
daughter of the Emperor Joseph I.
In 1722 the Archduchess married the Bavarian Crown
Prince Charles Albert. Henceforth the blue diamond
became the "family di amond" of the ruling house of
Bavaria, the Wittelsbachs. It remained so until the
abdication of Louis III , the last King of Bavaria, in 1918.
23 March
16
73
In the aftermath of the First World War, Bavaria became
a republic and the possessions of the former House of
Wittelsbach were placed under the control of an
equalization fund. The members of the Royal Famil y
received an indemniry which was to prove worthless in
the ensuing period of rampant inflation; they were soon
left impoveri shed.
Consequently the State agreed that certain Crown
Jewels of the House of Wittelsbach should be sold to
all eviate the hardship experienced by the descendants of
the last king.
The honour of auctioning the Bavarian Crown Jewels
fel l to Christie's in London who announced that the sale
would take place in December 1931 and that the
contents would include ' a famous Blue Diamond' .
Public interest was remarkable; the sale comprised
thirteen lots and lasted for over two hours.
"Diamond ornament .. .. consisting of . .. .. a brooch
with a large blue diamond in the centre) to which belongs a
bow-shaped jewel set with rubies" .
107
OATALOGUE
OF THE
BAVARIAN CROWN JEWELS
THE PROPERTY OF
THE ROYAL HOUSE OF WITTELSBACH
COMPRISING
Magnificent Brilliants and
Emeralds
ALSO
FINE JEWELS
THE PROPERTY OF
MRS. R. G. GOLDBERG
Deceased; Late of Grosvenol' House, Park Lane
(Sold InJ Order of the E'zecutIWB)
,
MRS. ROPER-LUMLEY-HOLLAND
Of Lynsted Park, Kent
AND OTHERS
WlHCH
'l!Ul!l! be SoIl) b12 nnctioll b12
MESSRS. CHRISTIE. MANSON & WOODS
CL. HANNRN, C.RE., COROON HANNRN, T. M. M'Kl!.NNA,
CAP'!'. SIR HENRY FLOVO, BART. , ALEC MARTIN AND c. BROCKLEHVRST)
AT THEIR GREAT ROOMS
8 KING STREET, ST. JAlI1ES'S SQUARE
LONDON
On MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1931
AT ONE O' CLOCK PRECISELY
May be viewed Thursday and Friday preceding, and Catalognes
had, at Messrs. CnRIsTIE, M,,""80:>' AND WOODS' Offices, 8 King
Street, St. Jallwis Sq"""', LDndon, S. W.l
TELEPHONB: 'WHITEHALL 5056 (pnry A.TE EXCHANGE).
'I"ELEGRAM6: CURISTIABT, P1CCY, LONDON.
Joseph Komkommer examining the Wittelsbach in 1962
In January 1962 Mr Komkommer received a telephone
call asking him to look at an old-mine cut diamond
with a view to its re-cutting. When he opened the
envelope he received a shock, a dark blue diamond is
among the rarest and most precious gems.
He at once recognised that the diamond was one of
historical significance and that it would be sacrilegious
to re-cut it. With the assistance of his son Jacques, he
identified the gem as the 'lost' blue diamond formally
owned by the House ofWittelsbach. Mr Komkommer
thereupon formed a consortium of diamond buyers
from Belgium and the USA which purchased the
diamond, then valued at 180,000. The vendors were
the trustees of an estate whose identity remained
undisclosed. Finally, the Wittelsbach was acquired by
the present owner in 1964.
Collectors worldwide now have the unique opportunity
to acquire a truly amazing diamond which apart from
its captivating colour and size has an unparalleled
history of over 300 years.
Loyd Balfouy read Modern Languages at Magdalen College
OxJoyd bifoye beginning a thirty year careeY in the diamond
industyy, during which he worked Jor De Beeys. He is the
authoy oJ "Famous Diamonds" the standard riference Jor
impoytant diamonds, which was fiyst published in 1987-
109
THf
WITNESS TO THREE HUNDRED YEARS OF HISTORY (1664-1964)
King Philip IV of Spain
(1605-1665)
The Infanta Margarita Teresa
(1651-1673)
Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I Holy Roman Empress Eleonore
of Austria (1640-1705) Magdalena (1655-1720)
1660
1664
Phil ,p IV ordered hi s
treasurer to form a
collection of the finest
gems for the dowry of
his daughter, the Infanta
Margarita Teresa, upon
her betrothal to
Emperor Leopold I of
Aust ria, including the 35
carat blue diamond
1680
1673
Upon the Infanta's
death, her jewels
passed to her
husband as recorded
in an invent ory dated
13 March 1673
1700
1705
The blue diamond is
bequeathed to Leopold I's
third wife, Empress
Eleonore Magdalena.
"Diamond ornament consisting of a brooch with a large blue
Diamond in the centre, to which belongs a bow-shaped lewel
set with ruble','
Archduchess Maria
Amalia (1701-1756)
1720
Archduchess Maria
Amalia inherits the
blue diamond from
her grandmother, the
Empress Eleonore
Magdalena.
Holy Roman Emperor Charles
Albert (1697-1745)
Elector Maximil ian III
(1727-1777)
Elector Charles Theodore
(1 724-1799)
17 2 2
The diamond enters the
House of Wittelsbach after
the marriage of Maria Amalia
to the Bavarian Crown Prince,
Charles Albert. From t his t ime
the diamond becomes known
as 'Der Blaue Witlelsbacher'
A contemporary inventory
reads
1750
1745
At the funeral procession of
Charles Albert, t he Witlelsbach
diamond is displayed mounted
wi thin t he insignia of the Golden
Fleece. From this t ime onwards
t he d iamond is handed down
through successive Bavarian ru lers
'No. 1 a large blue diamond adorned with sfY1all brillidnt
price 240000 Florins
King Maximilian I Joseph
(1756-1825)
King Ludwig I (1786-1868)
"The big blue diamond, which is of such
extraordinary beauty, clarity and colour that no
comparison can be found It has a weight of 36
carats, 300,000 Florins"
King Maximilian 11
(1811-1864)
lellJ'
'Yesterday I attended the State Open ng of
Parliament t he Sovereign wore the crowr it was
covered with diamond' and t he blue diamond was
removed from the Golden FleecE for th,o occasion
King Ludwig 11 (1845- 1886) King Otto I (1848-1916) Prince Regent Luitpold
(1821-1912)
King Ludwig III
(1845-1921)
1800
1806
The Wi ttelsbach heir Maxlmilian IV
J oseph becomes t he f irst King of
Bavaria and commissions a royal
crown prominently d isplaYing t he blue
diamond. From t his date onwards
t he Wltlelsbach is alternat ively worn
within the Order of t he Golden Fleece
or t he Bavarian Royal Crown
1900
1918
The last king of Bavaria,
Ludwig Ill, abdicates as
Germany becomes a
Republi c.
The di3mond W"J' displayed It the funer31 of
Maximrlldn I1
The hor<;e drawn carriage adorned wit h Royal
nSlgnias, the crown With the family diamond and
the other attributes of t he Royal House were
carned In procession'
VATALOOU.c:
BAVARIAN CROWN JEWELS
THE ROYAL HOUSE OP WrrrELSBACH
Magnificent Brilliams aod
Emeralds
FINE JEWELS
..
tWII t>c1l<>lOb!:lI,-.:I"ti
m"S]e<. l Woo"S
.....
......... _r ... ..
... "'I<'UI
0 ... If.ONDAY. Ill. 11131
1920
1923
Dlnmont brr
.......... ... _ c..
.. _1":0 .... ... 1 .... , ..
"... .. ...... _ :... _
_ .... ".'JfAflt OiIa."',.,'."' ..
" .... w,., , .....
.... J"I kJ UCtI<iHd,,' .
'_.U. o.n-Ut ........ Ut.
b"t/til.h" .... W
.... ... "_ " ... "'" "1_ ........... , _
"'..... ;) .... ,
Munich newspaper 28 November 1931,
announcing the sale of the Bavarian Crown Jewels
at Christie's London
1931
Christie's is given the honour of
offering for sale various items of
t he Bavarian Crown Jewels, t he
State having granted permission
due to financial hardship of the
Wittelsbach heirs. The thirteen lots
included the Wittelsbach blue
1951-55
1960
An equalization fund IS
establi shed for the
Bavarian Royal House
The stone is sold in Belgi um and
subsequently is purchased by an
anonymous buyer in 1955.
1921
The Wiltelsbach makes its
last state appearance
during t he funeral
procession of Ludwig Ill.
1958
An unident ified bl ue diamond of
35 carats IS displayed dUring
the Brussels World Exhibition by
Romi Goldmuntz, an important
diamond dealer. Today it is
widely accepted to have been
the Wittelsbach
1964
The jeweller Renatus Wilm
in Hamburg is apPointed to
sell t he Wittelsbach and the
diamond is acquired by the
current owner
1961
A blue diamond IS presented
to Joseph Komkommer who
recognises the stone as the
missing Wiltelsbach. He later
est ablishes a syndicate in order
to purchase the stone and
prevent it from being re-cut.
116
ROYAL REGALIA
The Order of the Golden Fleece was founded by
Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy in 1430 to
celebrate his lTlarriage to the Portuguese princess Isabel
of Aviz. It was nlOdeled on the English Order of the
Garter to which Philip had been elected, but he
refused to take his place, not wanting to offend the
King of France.
Initially the Order was restricted to 24 knights but
increased to 30 in 1433 and 50 in 1516. There were
numerous privileges associated with being a member
of this Catholic Order, such as only being tried by
fellow knights on charges of rebellion, heresy or
treason.
Until the Burgundian lands were absorbed into the
Habsburg Empire the sovereignty of the Order passed
to the Habsburg Kings of Spain, where it remained
until the death of Charles II in 1700. As he was
succeeded by Philip of Anjou, a Bourbon, a dispute
arose between the Austrians and Spanish over who had
the right to appoint knights. The result was a division
of the Order with a Spanish and an Austrian branch.
When the Wittelsbach entered the Bavarian Princely
family in 1722, Charles Albert regarded the diamond
with its powerful blue colour, impressive size and
clarity as a token of good fortune. He admired the blue
diamond and had it mounted in his Order of the
Golden Fleece. He changed the setting of the Order
several times during his reign just like his successor
Maximilian III who, on one occasion, adorned a new
design with 700 additional diamonds.
In 1806 a crown was commissioned by Maxim,ilian IV
Joseph prominently displaying the blue diamond. At the
time royal crowns had a symbolic meaning and precise
regulations governed their appearance and content.
Only certain gemstones could be used and had to be
mounted in a stipulated manner.
Both the Order of the Golden Fleece and the Royal
crown were important symbols of European nobility
and the Wittelsbach in these settings was an observer of
coronations, weddings, christenings, royal and imperial
funerals but most of all a witness of three hundred years
of history.
The Order of the Golden Fleece
K. DE SMET
DE GROTE BLA
DIAMANT
A book on the Wittelsbach blue diamond by K. de Smet, with foreword by Joseph Komkommer, 1963
117
Actual size
LOT 212
THE WITIELSBACH DIAMOND
An historic cushion-shaped fancy deep grayish blue diamond weighing
35.56 carats to the plain mount (illustrated unmounted)
Accompanied by report no 17794002 dated 24 Septelllber 2008 Jrolll the Cel11ological
Institute oJ America (CIA) stating that the diamond is Fancy Deep Crayish Blue
colour, VS2 clarity
Together l/lith a Diamond Type Classification Report stating that the dialllond is
Type IIb and a letter Jrom the Cemological b15titllte oJ America confirming the rarity
and importance oJ this exceptional stone
Estimate on Request
123
124
GIA
GEMOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF AMERI CA'
Laboratory
October 16, 2008
To Whom It May Concern:
New York Headqual1ers
580 Flll h Avenue Suite 200 I New Yor . NY 100364794
T: 2122215858 I F: 21 25753095
Carlsbad
5355 Armada Drive I Carlsbad. CA 920084699
T: 760603-4500 I F: 7606031814
www.gia.edu
Natural-color blue diamonds of any size are highly unusual. Polished blue diamonds--
particularly large, strongly colored stones--are among the rarest of all gems. Throughout GIA's
decades of grading and classifying fancy-colored diamonds, encountering a blue diamond of any
quality larger than 20 carats is extraordinary. Arguably, the most famolls colored diamond in the
world is the 45.52 carat Fancy Deep grayish blue Hope diamond, which is housed in the
Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. The 35.56 carat Wittelsbach diamond, described on
GlA report 11794002, rivals the Hope diamond in all attributes. Its well-documented history
confirms that this diamond, similar to the Hope, also originates from India-likely the famed
Golconda region.
Diamond historian Ian Balfour traces the diamond to Philip the IV of Spain in the early 1600's.
The diamond was given to his daughter Margaret Theresa when she was betrothed to Leopold 1,
the Holy Roman Emperor. After her death, the diamond ultimately ended up in Bavaria with the
Wittelsbach family, and it remained in Bavaria until the early 1900's. Records show that it was
sold at Christie' s in December of 1931. The famed diamond did not reappear until 1961.
Blue diamonds have fascinated gemologists and scientists because of their physical properties. J.
F. H. Custers and H. B. Dyers, two well-known scientists from the Diamond Research Laboratory
in Johannesburg, South Africa, characterized the unusual properties of these blue diamonds in the
mid-1950's. They recognized them as type 1I diamonds, but further distinguished them as type
lIb based on the fact that they are semi-conductive. They used this property in their collaboration
with researchers from GlA to develop a simple conductometer to separate natural-color blue
diamonds from artificially colored blue diamonds that were just reaching the marketplace. The
Wittelsbach has a moderate concentration of boron, the color-causing element in natural-color
blue diamonds, and also shares the bright and persistent red phosphorescence that is present in the
Hope diamond.
The rich history of the Wittelsbach Fancy Deep grayish blue diamond and its unusually large size
rank it among the finest in this category that GlA has examined. Strongly colored blue diamonds
of any size are highly sought-after, and demand has far outstripped supply.
GlA Research
GIA Laboratory
The World's Foremost Au thorit y in Gemology' I Ensuring the Publi c !r ust thr ough i'l onprofit Ser'l rce since 1931
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GIA
GEMOLOGI CAL I NSTITUTE OF AMERI CAs
(\n. GRADING REPORT
September 24, 2008
Shape and Cutting Style ............... Cushion Modified
Brilliant
Measurements ..................... 25.21 x 21.38 x 8.29 mm
Carat Weight ................................................ 35.56 carat
Color
Origin ......... ........................................... ....... NATURAL
Grade ..................................... ........... FANCY DEEP
..... ................ ... ............. ....... GRAYISH BLUE
Distribution ............................. .............. ................ Even
Clarity Grade .. .. .. ....... ......... ........................................ VS2
Finish
Polish ......................................................... ........ ... Good
Symmetry .......................................... ................... Good
Fluorescence .... ............................................ .... ........ None
Comments:
None
I "
extremel
thin
KEY TO SYMBOLS
'" Cavity
Chip
'\. Feather
, Bruise
" Extra Facet
Red symbols denote intemal characteristics (inclusions). Green or black symbols denote external
characteriStics (blemishes) Diagram Is an approximate representation 01 the diamond. and symbols
shown indicate type. posttion. and approximate size of clarity characteristiCs. All clarity characteristics
may 001 be shown. Details of finish are not shown.
very
thin
GIA
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5355 Armada Drive I Carlsbad. CA 920084602
T: 760-603-4500 I F: 760603-1814
GIA Laboratories
Bangkok Carlsbad
Johannesburg Mumbai
www.gia.edu
OARKER lONE
Gaborone
New York
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