The Golconda Blue: A hidden treasure reemerges
May I introduce you to the Golconda Blue diamond, an extraordinary gem coming up at Christie’s in Geneva next month.
This isn’t just another rare stone hitting the auction block. It’s a 23.24-carat fancy vivid blue pear-shaped diamond of historic importance, quietly hiding in plain sight for a century. Yes, it was there, under our very eyes, featured in an ultra-famous portrait and yet: unmentioned, unnoticed, unrecognized. Until now.
A royal beginning
The first known appearance of the Golconda Blue dates back to 1923, when the Tukojirao Holkar III, the Maharajah of Indore, brought it to his trusted jeweller at the time: Chaumet. The Parisian house had already created the famous ‘Indore Pears’ necklace for him a decade earlier. In true haute joaillerie tradition, Chaumet presented various designs for the blue diamond, eventually crafting a bracelet to showcase the mesmerizing gem.
And how do we know this? Because Chaumet, ever meticulous, photographed the stone and archived it alongside other legendary gems that passed through their hands. A Century ago. Talk about behind ahead of your time…
A diamond's quiet journey
A few years later, the next Maharajah, Yeshwant Rao Holkar II, took the blue diamond, along with the ‘Indore Pears’ to Mauboussin, another great French house. Again, designs were proposed. One particularly stunning idea was a sarpech: the blue diamond elegantly dangling from the aigrette, with the ‘Indore pears’ on the bandeau. But in the end, the diamonds were all mounted, together with other stunning gemstones, into a spectacular necklace, immortalized in the now-famous portrait of the Maharani of Indore by Boutet de Monvel.
This portrait has been admired and studied by generations of scholars and jewellery historians… and yet, no one noticed the extraordinary blue diamond sitting right at the center, between the iconic ‘Indore Pears’.
The diamond vanishes… Then reappears
Time passed. Life happened. The necklace, like many royal jewels, was broken up. The stones were sold to Harry Winston, who reset the blue diamond into a brooch paired with a colorless diamond. That brooch ended up with the Maharajah of Baroda, then made its way back to Winston, and finally into the hands of a private collector.
And just when you think the journey ends there: nope! The collector entrusted it to none other than JAR, who gave the stone a new life in a bespoke setting.
Why this diamond matters
So let’s sum it up. This 23.24-carat fancy vivid blue pear-shaped diamond:
Was recorded at Chaumet in 1923, and has not been touched since.
Belonged to two Indian royal families: Indore and Baroda.
Was mounted by Chaumet, Mauboussin, Harry Winston, and JAR.
Was hiding in plain sight in one of the most famous portraits of Indian royalty.
It’s no exaggeration to say this could be one of the most important historic gems to appear at auction in our lifetime, on par with the Wittelsbach diamond or the Peregrina pearl.
And one last thing before I stop typing: it is breathtaking. Truly. Not all famous diamonds live up to the hype—but this one? This one is the blue diamond of all blue diamonds.
So if Christie’s puts it on display wherever you are, go. Run. Treat yourself. Stand before this slice of history and see the Golconda Blue with your own eyes.