Archduke Joseph Diamond from Golconda Mines Sold for $21.5 m at Geneva
London: A diamond from Golconda mines was sold for a record price at an auction Geneva. The 76 car gold diamond fetched a sum of 16.9 million Euros. Guardian magazine announced that the diamond from Golconda mines can be compared to Blue Hope diamond and in Indian currency, it was sold for Rs. 1123.6 crores.
The diamond which was sold for a record price at an auction in Geneva is named ‘Archduke Joseph’. It is a cushion-shaped diamond. It is colorless and pure. Such diamonds were generally found in Golconda mines, according to Christie’s Jewelry expert. The diamond is said to be bought by an unknown bidder.
Golconda mines produced not only the Archduke Joseph diamond but also the Koh-i-Noor diamond which is presently in the crown of British Queen. At the Christie’s sale in Geneva, the diamond fetched the highest price for any gem per carat and also a record price for a Golconda diamond. Weight of the diamond was 76.02 carat. It is one of the rarest and special varieties of clear and colorless diamonds found in Golconda. Golconda mines were famous for such diamonds.
The diamond was named ‘Archduke Joseph’ since it was with Habsburgs, who rules Austrian empire. Archduke Joseph was the Hungarian head during 1872-1962. Archduke Joseph was first sold in the year 1936. During the Second World War, it was kept hidden from the Nazis. Its next appearance was in 1961 in a sale in London. It was again sold in an auction in Geneva in 1990 and at that time it was sold for a price of$6.5 millions.
The previous record for highest auction price was hold by ‘Beau Sancy’ diamond that weighed 34.98 carats in a sale in May, 2011. Archduke Joseph diamond is sold by a person who wanted his identity to be secret did the bidding through telephone. It is expected that the diamond will be displayed in a museum.
The initial bidding for Archduke Joseph was just 8 million francs but the price rose to 20.355 million Swiss Francs. This was almost double the amount which was paid for it in an auction twenty years ago. American Jeweler Black, Starr and Frost are those who sold the diamond in the auction. A total of 290 lots were sold including Archduke Joseph in the sale out of 248 lots. Blue Hope Diamond and Koh-i-Noor are the other famous diamonds that originated from Golconda mines.
