'The Golconda Blue': Rare Indian royal diamond to go on auction for first time

A rare piece of Indias royal heritage The Golconda Blue a historic diamond once owned by the Maharajas of Indore and Baroda is set to make its auction debut at the Christies Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva on May 14The 2324carat vivid blue diamond mounted in a striking modern ring by celebrated Parisian designer JAR is expected to fetch an estimated value between USD 35 and USD 50 million Rs 300 Rs 430 croreExceptional noble gems of this caliber come to market once in a lifetime Over the course of its 259year history Christies has had the honour of offering some of the worlds most important Golconda diamonds including the Archduke Joseph the Princie and the WittelsbachWith its Royal heritage extraordinary color and exceptional size The Golconda Blue is truly one of the rarest blue diamonds in the world Rahul GKadakia Christies International head of Jewelry said in a statementHailed as one of the most important and rarest blue diamonds ever discovered what makes the auction more significant for Indian audiences is its direct lineage to Indian royalty and its origins in the legendary Golconda mines of presentday Telangana renowned for producing the worlds most iconic diamondsAccording to Christies The Golconda Blue once belonged to Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Holkar II of Indore a modernist monarch celebrated for his refined taste and cosmopolitan lifestyle during the 1920s and 30sIn 1923 the Maharajas father commissioned a bracelet featuring this extraordinary blue diamond from the French house Chaumet after he had earlier acquired the famed Indore Pears the two significant Golconda diamonds from the same jeweller they informedA decade later the Maharaja appointed Mauboussin as his official jeweler who redesigned the royal collection and incorporated The Golconda Blue into a striking necklace alongside the famed Indore Pear diamondsThe piece was immortalised in a portrait of the Maharani of Indore by French painter Bernard Boutet de Monvel capturing a moment of IndoEuropean elegance at its peakIn 1947 the diamond was acquired by famed New York jeweler Harry Winston who set it in a brooch with a matching white diamond of equal size That brooch later found its way to the Maharaja of Baroda continuing its journey through Indias royal lineage before passing into private handsThe live auction will take place at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in GenevaThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoeveratOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params