When You Don't Have to Ask the Price …
Gary Roskin, G.G., FGA, Senior Editor -- JCK Online, 2/1/2002 2:00:00 AM
Here's a diamond for you: Robb Report, a consumer magazine focused on the affluent lifestyle, showcased jewelry in its holiday 2001 "Ultimate Gift Guide." Featured on the cover was the Archduke Joseph, a 76.45-ct., D/Internally Flawless diamond.
Offered for sale by Al Molina of Molina Fine Jewelers in Phoenix, Ariz., the large cushion-cut was once owned by Archduke Joseph August Victor Clemence Maria, the Archduke of Austria and Hungarian prince of the Hapsburg dynasty, great-grandson of Emperor Leopold II and husband to Princess Auguste of Bavaria. Molina has the $25 million diamond pendant suspended from a $5 million Millennium diamond necklace. Total weight for the piece: 150.45 cts.
The Archduke diamond is said to be a Golconda stone, mined from the historically significant diamond district of Golconda, India, which is famous for producing magnificent, pure, colorless, and ultra-transparent diamonds. "There are only 50 diamonds in the world from the Golconda region that weigh more than 20 carats, and most of these stones can only be viewed behind enclosed glass museum cases," says Molina.
Molina also points out that the Archduke is the world's 12th largest perfect white diamond. "The Archduke Joseph diamond is truly the finest diamond in the world," he notes. "It has a transparency and brilliancy that exceeds all other diamonds. The purity of the stone is so magical, it looks as though you're looking right through water."
It originally weighed 78.54 cts. and was reportedly a gift from the Archduke to his son, Joseph Francis. It was deposited in the Hungarian General Credit Bank in 1933 and was sold three years later to a European banker, who kept the gem in a safe deposit box in France until it was offered for auction—unsuccessfully—at Sotheby's London gallery in 1961.
Edward D. Scherrer, Molina's assistant, notes that the Archduke Joseph diamond was recut in 1993 and was graded by GIA both before and after recutting. The grade after recutting was a round-cornered, rectangular, modified brilliant, D/Internally Flawless, weighing 76.45 carats. Molina purchased the diamond from a private European family unconnected with the European banker who tried to auction the diamond in 1961.
Collectors interested in viewing or purchasing the Archduke Joseph diamond may contact Molina Fine Jewelers at (602) 955-2055 for more information.
