09/07/2026
THE JOURNEY OF THE „BLUE WITTELSBACHER“
Diamonds who wrote history
Told by Clemens Ritter von Wagner
Diamonds are old. Very old. Between 1 and 3 billion years. However, the special properties of diamonds were only recognized over time.
Therefore, it is not surprising that many of the most famous diamonds have an exciting history: Blue Hope Diamond, Dresden Green Diamond, Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond, Black Orlov, Cullinan and many others.
In addition to their beauty, their special value and their rarity, the marvelous aura of diamonds has contributed to the historical particularity of many of these gemstones. There are a number of diamonds that are 'historical' because of their size or the circumstances of their discovery and are considered as a record diamond. But many diamonds also have historical significance through their connection to history, important events or persons attained.
Whenever stones have their own names, one can assume that there are also special stories about them. Closely connected with the history of two famous dynasties of the Danube area is the Blue Wittelsbacher. Its name derives from the gender of the Bavarian royal family. Everyone knows that Bavaria has a blue and white flag with a diamond pattern. Since the Wittelsbacher once made the kings of Greece, the Greek flag is blue and white. Since it seems logical that a blue stone also bears this name, this is not a conventional sapphire but a "fancy colored diamond". It is the second largest blue diamond after the "Hope Diamond" and impresses with its special purity. Put simply, blue diamonds contain the element boron which gives the clean white carbon the blue tint. But now to the blue and white stories.
I hereby invite you on a wonderful journey to the history of the "Blue Wittelsbacher" diamond. Follow me in the footsteps of Baron Jean Baptiste Tavernier, who historically acquired this wonderfully clear 35.56 carat diamond on one of his trips to India. Only the Indian mines of Golconda produce stones of this quality. Also, the very skillful soft oval cut suggests conclusions about its Indian origin. However, this cannot be proved. The baron was a merchant and Louis XIV had already purchased several stones from him. He could not say no to this rarity. How he came from the Bourbons to the Spanish royal family, is also not very clear. But even then there was a peculiarity of the stone: It disappears again and again to emerge at another point very abruptly - that happens with increasing regularity to the present day. This stone was mentioned for the first time in 1666. It was part of the dowry of Margarita Theresa, Infanta of Spain, who married the Emperor Leopold I. Such an exquisite piece was gladly passed on within the family of the Habsburgs until it came as a dowry to Maria Amalia, who married Karl Albrecht of Bavaria in the Wittelsbach house. It was already considered a special piece of jewellery at that time and in 1806, when Max Joseph was crowned the first king of Bavaria, it became a centerpiece in the Bavarian crown, fitting with his bright blue to the coat of arms of the Bavarians. It remained as the main stone in the royal insignia until the end of the Bavarian monarchy. It was last seen in public in this version in 1921 at the funeral of King Ludwig III. After that, its trail becomes obscure once more. Owing to the difficult economic circumstances, the Bavarian state authorized the gemstone's sale. At the time, the stone - regarded as Bavaria's most valuable treasure - was sent to Christie's in London by ordinary registered mail. It could only have been the work of a frugal civil servant, to whom such finery was of little consequence. After all, during the Great Depression, money had all but lost its value - and one cannot eat gemstones.
In London it came to auction on December 21, 1931 but found no buyer or lover. It returned to Bavaria as a loose stone and survived the turmoil of war with other gems of the Bavarian Crown Jewels, unrecognized on a farm outside Munich. Finally, in 1951, the stone was sold to a diamond dealer in Antwerp. The details of this deal are very opaque and the stone appeared 7 years later, without being awarded the "Blue Wittelsbacher" tag, at the World’s Fair in Brus- sels. It was nameless and went through several hands until it was bought by the diamond trader Jozef Komkommer. The stone had suffered in the meantime and there was chipping on the Rondiste (edge of the stone). Nevertheless, the gemstone once again became known as the "Blue Wittelsbacher" and eventually found its way to Hamburg, where Renatus Wilm had relocated his jewelry business from Berlin after the war. A shrewd businessman, he believed that in 1964, at the height of West Germany's economic boom, he could strike a profitable deal by offering to sell the stone back to Bavaria for 1.5 million Deutsche Marks.
Even in the final years of the economic boom, however, the Bavarian authorities dismissed the asking price as excessive. There was also a desire to distance themselves from the trappings of royalty, especially since such a gemstone was not expected to generate any financial return. How badly that Bavarian official had misjudged its future value!
The department store boss (or should I say department store king?) Helmut Horten then bought the stone to give it to his 32 years younger bride Heidi Jelinek for their Düsseldorf wedding. So the stone had arrived in the Rhenish lowlands to stay there for the next 40 years. As a party trick, the stone was not just shown around the Riviera. But Heidi Horten felt the royal gem was a burden, so she offered it to Christies for auction in 2008 to buy something or other from the current collections of jewellery brands with the proceeds. For the sum of 18.4 million euros, the gemstone merchant Lawrence Graff bought this historic gem. It was the highest karat prize ever! Lawrence Graff realized very early that colored diamonds are not only significantly rarer than white, but also anticipated their increasing value. He bought fancy colored diamonds for little money in the 1960s and built his empire in the 1990s with these once well-priced stones. His creations are true material battles based on luscious stones. It is therefore not surprising that he regarded the purchase of the "Blue Wittelsbacher" as the highlight of his career. He (and I apologize for what I’m about to say) planed down over 4 carats of this unique gem. With his experience on reflection in precious stones, he gave this venerable stone a completely new look. The stone is now, almost flawless and much more colorful than it was 300 years ago. Critics say that the stone is now a "royal lollipop" because it has lost its depth. As a good trader, he ultimately left his own mark on the gemstone by renaming it the "Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond". I would have found it much more droll had he called it "Graff Wittelsbach". But this joke unfortunately only works in German! He then sold the precious stone to a dynasty in the Gulf, where many a blue and a number of pink diamonds are suspected. Today, the stone is estimated at about 80 million euros. Thus, it is the most valuable stone Bavaria has ever owned. If the Bavarian bailiff knew that!
As I said, now it has disappeared again in an unknown safe - probably the diamond was purchased by the former Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa. I am, however, confident that it will one day reappear as part of a magnificent blue parure, as one jewel among many.
For me, there are two things I would like to note: The stone actually lost his royal innocence when the Bavarian state did not buy it back in the 1960s. It has been common practice in history to divulge the Crown Treasury in hard times, but in good times, one remembers its tradition. Comparing the recutting of the diamond to painting over a masterpiece by Rembrandt is simply not appropriate. Likewise, it is unfair to accuse Lawrence Graff of having stripped this precious gem of its history. In keeping with the spirit of the times, he gave the old stone a new form and a new name: the "Wittelsbach-Graff" Diamond. From the rocks of India, through the royal and imperial houses of Europe to the department store king until now, in new splendor in even newer palaces, the "Blue Wittelsbacher" has ex- perienced a lot, but still kept its natural beauty.
Diamonds possess an extraordinary power to captivate. Diamond, amethyst, ruby, topaz, sapphire: Their colors, hardness, brilliance, and seemingly infinite depth have fascinated people for centuries. Naturally, colored gemstones are also sound stores of value, as the story of the „Blue Wittelsbacher“ clearly demonstrates. But who, in the 1960s, would have been willing to pay 1.5 million Deutsche Marks for a gemstone now worth more than 80 million?
Since then, the world has changed. The diamond trade has evolved into a global business with immense appeal. Over the past three decades, investing in diamonds has become increasingly popular around the world. Following the prosperous 1960s and during the oil crisis of the 1970s, many investors sought safer and more profitable ways to preserve their wealth. Investment-grade diamonds became one of their preferred choices. Even though banks offered attractive interest rates, not everyone was prepared to entrust them with their savings. Diamonds provided a tangible and reliable alternative.
Investment-grade diamonds are an effective means of preserving accumulated wealth. Yet diamonds symbolize far more than prosperity and financial security. They also represent devotion to one's partner and family. Throughout history, they have served as emotional investments as well: a diamond ring to celebrate a wedding anniversary, a diamond bracelet to mark the birth of a child, and countless other milestones. It is no coincidence that diamonds have long been regarded as a woman's best friend. In recent decades, they have also delivered impressive appreciation in value - especially those gemstones of the very highest quality.
Now that I have taken you on a little journey into the past, I would like to share some happy news with you. We recently had the pleasure of creating 2 beautiful diamond rings:
One of these pieces came with a number of specific wishes, and even included existing pieces of jewellery that we were asked to incorporate into the new design. The other ring, by contrast, was all about allowing the diamond itself to take centre stage.
Both projects brought us equal joy and inspiration.
This has inspired us - Oliver Hofmann and myself - to host a small diamond event in October, where we will present a selection of enchanting diamonds that we could transform together with you into a truly personal, one-of-a-kind piece, as well as a few jewellery creations featuring exquisite solitaire diamonds.
If spending such an evening with us appeals to you, I would be delighted if you let me know, so that I can reserve a place for you.
Best regards
Clemens Ritter von Wagner
