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221:. The diamond had measured 24.40 millimetres (0.961 in) in diameter and 8.29 millimetres (0.326 in) in depth. It had 82 facets arranged in an atypical pattern. The star facets on the crown were vertically split, and the pavilion had sixteen needle-like facets arranged in pairs, pointing outward from the
686:
for his daughter, the
Infanta Margarita Teresa (1651–1673). She had become engaged to Leopold I of Austria (1640–1705), who later became Holy Roman Emperor. When she died in 1673, her husband retained the diamond, which was passed on to his heirs. In 1722, the diamond entered the Wittelsbach family
178:
16.4 million. In 2010, Graff revealed he had had the diamond cut by three diamond cutters to remove flaws. The diamond was now more than 4 carats (800 mg) lighter and was renamed the
Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond. There is controversy, as critics claim the recutting has so altered the diamond
390:
called it "the end of culture." Shortly after the auction of the diamond, American gem cutter and replicator of famous diamonds Scott Sucher stated, "In the case of the
Wittelsbach, what's at stake is at minimum over 350 years of history, as every nick, chip, and scratch has a story to tell. Just
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of Berlin, to the overpainting of a painting by
Rembrandt. It is opined that the recutting was done to increase its market value and, by extension, that of other "fancy diamonds". As a result of the recut, which removed some chips and reduced the size of the culet by 40%, the gem has been
385:
On 7 January 2010, it was reported that the diamond had been recut to enhance the stone's colour and clarity, losing over 4.45 carats (890 mg) in the process. The resulting stone has been renamed the
Wittelsbach-Graff. The move was met with heavy criticism by some experts:
332:. In the 1960s, the Goldmuntz family asked Joseph Komkommer, a jeweller, to re-cut the diamond, but Komkommer recognised its historical significance and refused. Instead, he joined a group of dealers that bought it. The diamond had been in a private collection since 1964;
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and its colour grade revised from "fancy deep grayish-blue", the same grade given by GIA to The Hope, to the more desirable "fancy deep blue". The diamond's clarity had also been revised upward from "very slightly included" (VS1) to "internally flawless" (IF).
343:
for £16.4 million sterling, or US$ 23.4 million, at the time the highest price ever paid at auction for a diamond. (The previous record had been held by a pear-shaped 100-carat (20 g) stone named the
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when the
Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria (1701–1756) married Bavarian Crown Prince Charles Albert (1697–1745). It was worn by successive rulers until the abdication of King Ludwig III (1845–1921) in 1918.
316:
became the first King of
Bavaria in 1806, he commissioned a royal crown that prominently displayed the diamond. Until 1918, the jewel remained on top of the Bavarian crown. It was seen last in public at
780:
391:
because we can't decipher these stories doesn't mean they don't exist." The alteration of the historical stone has been compared by
Professor Hans Ottomeyer, director of the
348:.) The record was eclipsed on 16 November 2010, when a 24.78 carat pink diamond was sold for £29 million Sterling, or US$ 46 million, again to Mr. Graff.
345:
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with a tear in it and covered in mud, you would want to repair it. We have similarly cleaned up the diamond and repaired damage caused over the years.
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The diamond has a royal lineage. Christie's traces it thus: King Philip IV of Spain (1605–1665) selected the diamond in 1664 as part of a
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Maria Amalia of
Austria's bridal portrait shows the large blue diamond as the centerpiece in her hair ornament. Detail from a painting by
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17:
45:
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281:, in 1664 is apocryphal. The first time the diamond was mentioned is about fifty years later when it was already in
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Immediately following the sale in 2008, Graff announced his intention to recut the gem to remove damage to the
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On 10 December 2008, the 35.56-carat (7.112 g) Wittelsbach
Diamond was sold to London-based jeweller
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but found no buyers. It eventually sold the jewel in 1951. In 1958, the stone was exhibited at the
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781:"Earth Times: show/245562,historic-diamond-fetches-16-million-pounds-at-london-auction.html"
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In June 2011, Graff apparently sold the diamond to the former emir of Qatar,
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In 1745, the Wittelsbach Diamond was first mounted on the Bavarian Elector's
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39:
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purchased the jewel and included it in the dowry of his teenage daughter,
199:, was a 35.56-carat (7.112 g) fancy, deep, greyish-blue diamond with
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159:
98:
75:
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Secrets of the Gem Trade, The Connoisseur's Guide To Precious gemstones
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as to make it unrecognisable, compromising its historical integrity.
709:"Bavaria considers bid to bring mysterious Wittelsbach diamond home"
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The Wittelsbach family tried to sell the diamond in 1931 during the
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803:"Museum Diamonds – Scott Sucher – Wittelsbach – Museum Diamonds"
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493:"Recut and Renamed Wittels Diamond to Face Public and Critics"
735:"BBC News – Rare pink diamond sells for record-breaking 拢29m"
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is a 31.06-carat (6.212 g) deep-blue diamond with
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Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Father Emir of Qatar
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had presented it to his wife Heidi at their wedding.
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The Wittelsbach diamond, before being recut by Graff.
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217:Its colour and clarity had been compared to the
195:The original Wittelsbach Diamond, also known as
427:Rudolf Dröschel, Jürgen Evers, Hans Ottomeyer:
664:"Diamond sells for recession-busting $ 24.3 M"
445:Jürgen Evers, Leonhard Möckl, Heinrich Nöth:
44:Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond, on display at the
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763:"New Dope: Who Cut the Hope ...Diamond?"
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524:"World's most famous 'unseen' diamond"
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447:Der Wittelsbacher und der Hope-Diamant
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475:Fancy Blue Diamonds, p. 235–236
355:, for at least US$ 80 million.
314:Maximilian IV Joseph von Wittelsbach
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558:. hauteliving.com. 4 November 2008
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285:. It was in the possession of the
46:National Museum of Natural History
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398:Gemological Institute of America
257:The diamond originates from the
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767:gemwiseblogspotcom.blogspot.com
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751:Evers/Möckl/Nöth (Lit.), P. 363
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698:Dröschel/Evers/Ottomeyer (Lit.)
249:The Wittelsbach Diamond in the
203:that had been part of both the
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80:Antique oval stellar brilliant
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1:
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393:Deutsches Historisches Museum
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633:Schulz M (25 January 2010).
460:, 46 (2012), P. 356–364
442:, 44 (2008), P. 348–363
416:List of individual gemstones
7:
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156:internally flawless clarity
144:80 million (June 2011)
10:
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635:"Schleifstein der Schande"
581:"Christie's Press Release"
310:Order of the Golden Fleece
228:
832:Wittelsbach Graff Diamond
607:"The Wittelsbach Diamond"
552:"Der Blaue Wittelsbacher"
275:King Felipe IV of Castile
253:, just beneath the cross.
152:Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond
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33:Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond
637:(in German). Der Spiegel
382:and enhance the colour.
411:List of famous diamonds
197:Der Blaue Wittelsbacher
605:enter your name here.
451:Chemie in Unserer Zeit
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330:World Expo in Brussels
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834:at Wikimedia Commons
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319:Ludwig III of Bavaria
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158:, originating in the
850:House of Wittelsbach
429:The Wittelsbach Blue
396:re-evaluated by the
364:If you discovered a
321:'s funeral in 1921.
855:Individual diamonds
813:on 3 February 2012.
791:on 22 October 2012.
741:. 16 November 2010.
289:family and came to
183:Wittelsbach Diamond
172:Wittelsbach Diamond
89:Indian subcontinent
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18:Wittelsbach Diamond
807:museumdiamonds.com
672:. 11 December 2008
498:The New York Times
463:Wise, Richard W.,
346:Star of the Season
303:Wittelsbach family
301:, a member of the
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239:Frans van Stampart
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114:Golconda Sultanate
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865:Golconda diamonds
830:Media related to
761:Richard W. Wise.
715:. 7 November 2008
586:. 3 November 2008
556:Haute Living blog
532:. 30 January 2010
433:Gems and Gemology
388:Gabriel Tolkowsky
366:Leonardo da Vinci
353:Hamad bin Khalifa
273:. The story that
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85:Country of origin
16:(Redirected from
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809:. Archived from
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501:. 6 January 2010
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326:Great Depression
251:Crown of Bavaria
123:Nawabs of Punjab
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299:Karl of Bavaria
293:when, in 1722,
279:Margaret Teresa
263:Guntur District
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138:Estimated value
103:Guntur District
70:Fancy Deep Blue
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341:Laurence Graff
267:Andhra Pradesh
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170:purchased the
168:Laurence Graff
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120:Original owner
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60:(6.212 g)
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295:Maria Amalia
259:Kollur mines
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219:Hope Diamond
216:
212:Crown jewels
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174:in 2008 for
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151:
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27:Blue diamond
676:11 December
590:11 December
201:VS2 clarity
160:Kollur Mine
99:Kollur Mine
844:Categories
719:8 December
641:30 January
611:tripod.com
562:30 January
536:30 January
505:22 January
480:References
359:Alteration
109:Discovered
713:The Times
458:0009-2851
440:0016-626X
739:BBC News
529:BBC News
405:See also
371:—
297:married
287:Habsburg
209:Bavarian
207:and the
205:Austrian
312:. When
241:, 1722.
229:History
225:facet.
471:
456:
449:, in:
438:
431:, in:
380:girdle
291:Munich
283:Vienna
58:carats
56:31.06
53:Weight
684:dowry
584:(PDF)
271:India
223:culet
164:India
128:Owner
66:Color
721:2008
678:2008
643:2010
592:2008
564:2010
538:2010
507:2010
469:ISBN
454:ISSN
436:ISSN
150:The
142:US$
669:CNN
265:in
261:of
76:Cut
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176:£
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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