Category Archives: Wittelsbach Diamond

The Wittelsbach; Old Stone New Myths

The Wittelsbach, the second most famous diamond on earth, newly recut and renamed The Wittelsbach-Graff went on view at The Smithsonian Institution last week.   The unveiling of the diamond was attended by several luminaries including its billionaire owner Lawrence Graff accompanied by what Graff called “new stories” among them the newly minted  story that the diamond was originally found and brought to Europe by the famous French diamond dealer Jean Baptiste Tavernier.

The 116 carat Great Blue diamond that French gem merchant sold to Louis XIV of France in 1669, from a drawing by Tavernier published in the 1st French edition of Le Six Voyages in 1689.

The 116 carat Great Blue diamond that French gem merchant sold to Louis XIV of France in 1669, from a drawing by Tavernier published in the 1st French edition of Le Six Voyages in 1689.

Tavernier’s relationship to The Wittelsbach is tenuous at best.  The French gem merchant, the man who brought the great blue diamond that subsequently became the Hope to France and sold it to Louis XIV, wrote a 17th Century bestseller called The Six Voyages of jean Baptiste Tavernier that I have just released in novel form called; The French Blue, never mentions the stone.  To be fair he never mentions the Great Blue either but he does include an invoice which pictures the blue in his book.   The first mention I have seen of Tavernier’s possible relationship to The Wittelsbach appeared in a recent New York Times article.   The Times writer, Guy Trebay, admits that the relationship is little more than a possibility.

CroppedRoskin
The recut Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond. The recut preserved the original double stellate facet pattern and resulted in a upgraded GIA color grade of Fancy Deep Blue. Photo: Courtesy Gary Roskin

Though The Smithsonian is hosting the exhibition, Graff’s myth making marketing machine appears to be controlling every aspect of the exhibit.   Access to the gem have been carefully controlled. Only a few select gemologists/experts have been even allowed to see it.  One of the few journalists allowed access, Gary Roskin of The Roskin Report describes the evening:

"We were there from 5 pm until 11:30 pm, examining, and photographing. The
atmosphere was both giddy and serious. And why not? We were handling the
Hope Diamond, the world's most important deep blue, and the"
Wittelsbach-Graff, a stone that until recently was mysteriously gone from
public view. And now, here they were, possible relatives, sitting side by
side. It was quite magical."

Graff spokesman Henri Barguirdjian in an interview with Financial reporter Maria Bartiroma attempted to ah—refashion the debate over the re-cutting of the historically important  gem that resulted in a loss of 4.45 carats as merely a “re-polishing”.   Despite the fact that the stone is currently on view in a public institution, Graff is doing his best to control information about the gem.  This writer was told that even requests for images of the newly refashioned gem must be approved by the Graff organization.

Well, as I reported previously, this particular “repolishing” resulted in a loss of 4.45 carats and the upgrading of the stone from a GIA grade of Fancy Deep Grayish Blue to Fancy Deep Blue and from VS to Flawless clarity.  In the world of blue diamonds this upgrade would add a minimum of $500,000 per carat to the value of a smaller blue gem.   To give Graff his due, he did not make the same mistake as the buyers of the Agra Pink, the recut followed the original  facet pattern.

Though some experts have said that re-cutting the diamond was a travesty that would destroy its historical provenance,  it is hardly without precedent.   The gem’s big brother, the 45.52 carat Hope Diamond, originally 116 metric carats when Jean Baptiste Tavernier brought it from India, has been entirely refashioned not once but twice.  The first recut, the gem that came to be known as The French Blue was ordered by Louis XIV and supervised by his court jeweler Jean Pitau.  This reduced the stone into a shield shaped gem of 68 metric carats.  The second recut occurred sometime after The French Blue, then set in the Medal of The Golden Fleece, was stolen from a French warehouse in 1792.

Update on Oyo Valley Red Tourmaline:

A range of hues in red tourmaline from Nigeria's Oyo Valley.  Note the exceptional transparency (crystal) in these gemstones
A range of hues in red tourmaline from Nigeria’s Oyo Valley. Note the exceptional transparency (crystal) in these gemstones Photo: Robert Weldon

You’ll recall I mentioned the new Oyo Reds from Nigeria in my last post.  Here is an image.  There has been little red tourmaline in the market in the past few years and much of what was previously available was also from Nigeria.  This material occurs in very large crystals that are sawn then cut.  Very large eye-flawless gems are available, with stones up to 50 carats not uncommon.

Prices of this new material are very competitive and suites of matched stones, a rare occurrence in tourmaline, are available.

The Wittelsbach; All tarted up and ready to sell

The Wittelsbach; All tarted up and ready to sell

by Richard W. Wise
©2010

Wittelsbach-Graff Graff Does It again.

Few believed Lawrence Graff would have the chutzpa to recut the Wittelsbach Blue diamond, but we were all wrong.   At a cost of only 4.45 carats the recut and renamed Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond has been raised from a GIA graded of  Fancy Deep Grayish Blue to a Fancy Deep Blue.  Its clarity grade been likewise elevated from VS2 to Internally Flawless (IF).    Though I have yet to see the stone’s pavilion, based on the Smithsonian’s press statement, “Throughout the very delicate process of re-polishing this famous stone, great care and attention was taken to retain its original features”, I suspect that Graff recut retained the original double stellate brilliant facet pattern thus retaining the overall look of the original stone. For those of you who don’t know the story of Graff’s acquisition of the Wittelsbach let me refer you back to my previous GemWise Really The Blues.
Wittelsbach facet pattern.  Note the star like pattern on the pavilion.

Wittelsbach facet pattern. Note the star like pattern on the pavilion.
 
In its original form, The Wittelsbach-Graff had a distinct window (see image above left) through the culet of the gem.
In an official biography, the claim is made that Graff is the 20th Century successor to Jean Baptiste Tavernier.   Readers will recall that my new historical novel, The French Blue, chronicles the life and adventures of Tavernier, the 17th Century gem merchant who sold Louis XIV the blue diamond that would eventually become the Hope Diamond.
Though the identification with Tavernier is debatable, there is no question that Graff has shown himself to be a master of diamond recutting as well as a  premier sales tactician.   The newly recut  Wittelsbach-Graff now sports a higher quality grade than The Hope Diamond.   The Hope, though larger (45.52 carats), remains a Fancy Deep Grayish Blue and only VS1 in clarity.  By arranging to show the stone, virtually side-by-side with the world’s most famous diamond, Graff also managed to pull off another coup de main.  The association with The Hope cannot fail to pump-up his diamond’s provenance—that ephemeral value based upon who owned the stone and what scandals it might have been part of—so that it is now almost equal to The Hope.    While putting together this exhibit is, without question, a large feather in the cap of Smithsonian curator Dr. Jeffrey Post, it could mean as much as 100 million to Graff.  In a brilliant master stroke, Graff has made the Wittelsbach-Graff the second most valuable diamond on earth and as far as anyone knows, the only one available for sale.  Maybe he is the 20th Century’s successor to Tavernier after all.

Re-Cutting and Value:

Graff announced his intention to recut the Wittelsbach just after he purchased it at the…  Many aficionados, including this writer, criticized his intention at the time.   Many assumed that it would be necessary to radically alter the facet pattern and reduce the weight, to achieve a better color grade and I assumed that Graff would take the opportunity to rid the stone of its prominent window.   Graff fooled everyone.  According to my sources, the diamond was worked on by three separate cutters beginning with Nino Bianco, who passed away from cancer during the process.  Though specifications are not yet available, the probability is that the stone was decreased in overall diameter in order to create steeper pavilion angles.  By slightly reducing the overall size he was able to accomplish his goal with just a minor if  at 2 million a carat, any loss can be called minor, loss of weight.  The Wittelsbach-Graff retains its original look and chances now that it is a Fancy Deep Blue without the “grayish” designation will sell for even more.
How was the Wittelsbach actually recut, how does it look now?  For the definitive answer to that question you can rush down to the Smithsonian on January 29th, the first full day the gem will be on display, or stay tuned to GemWise.