Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond On Display In New York

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Oct 30th 2010 at 1:01AM

If you didn't get a chance to check out the rare 31.06-carat flawless deep blue Wittelsbach-Graff diamond while it was hanging out with its blue cousin the Hope Diamond at the Smithsonian you have another chance. The famous stone is now on display at the American Museum of Natural History until early next year.

The Wittelsbach-Graff bears the names of two of its owners. It was just the Wittelsbach, a 35.56 carat stone purchased in 2008 for $24.3 million by famed diamantaire Laurence Graff. The stone, now known as the Wittelsbach-Graff diamond has been recut to 31.06 carats to showcase the color and up the rating to internally flawless. type IIb, deep blue.

The stone has a long history dating back to 1664 when it was given by Philip IV of Spain to his daughter, the Infanta Margarita Teresa, upon her engagement to Emperor Leopold I of Austria. The stone was later passed to the Wittelsbach family, part of the ruling house of Bavaria and takes its name from them. The crown jewels of the House of Wittelsbach were sold at Christie's in 1931 but the blue diamond was not among them. It resurfaced in Belgium in 1951.

The Wittelsbach-Graff diamond will be on display at the American Museum of Natural History through January 2nd, 2011. Check out a video of the unveiling after the jump.

[via DNA Info]