The gem will go under the hammer for the first time ever at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction on May 14. It is expected to fetch an estimated price of $ 35-50 million (approximately Rs 300-430 crore)
Geneva: A rare and extraordinary 23.24-carat vivid blue diamond, known as ‘The Golconda Blue’, is set to make its first-ever appearance at an auction this May. Once part of India’s royal treasure, the gem will go under the hammer at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction on May 14, with an estimated price ranging from $ 35-50 million (approximately Rs 300-430 crore), according to news reports.
Originating from the legendary Golconda mines in present-day Telangana, India, the diamond boasts an illustrious history and exceptional provenance. Mounted in a sleek modern ring by acclaimed Parisian designer JAR, it has passed through generations of Indian royalty.
“This is one of the rarest blue diamonds in the world,” said Rahul Kadakia, International Head of Jewellery at Christie’s. “Its noble provenance, intense colour, and exceptional size place it among the most important gemstones ever to appear at an auction.”
In 1923, the father of the Maharaja of Indore commissioned French jeweller Chaumet to set the diamond in a bracelet. It was later redesigned by Mauboussin—the official jeweller to the Indore royal family—into a necklace featuring the renowned Indore Pear diamonds. The necklace gained international fame after being featured in a portrait of the Maharani of Indore, painted by celebrated French artist Bernard Boutet de Monvel.
Following India’s Independence, the diamond exchanged hands among several notable figures, including legendary New York jeweller Harry Winston and the Maharaja of Baroda, before entering private collections. Its reappearance at an auction marks a rare opportunity for collectors and connoisseurs.
The live auction will take place at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva, continuing Christie’s legacy of showcasing world-renowned Golconda diamonds and historically significant jewels.
According to reports, The Golconda Blue may be the largest diamond featured in an auction this year, but it is not the largest fancy blue diamond ever known. That distinction belongs to the legendary Hope Diamond, a 45.52-carat deep blue gem housed at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. The diamond was gifted to the museum by iconic jeweller Harry Winston.
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