In 1860 Emperor Maximilian went on a journey to Brazil with the hopes of discovering botanical mysteries. On this trip Maximilian purchased a 41.94 carat diamond which he was said to wear around his neck in a small pouch. At the request of Napoleon III, he stayed in Brazil where he became the emperor of Mexico for a time. When Napoleon withdrew his troops from the area in 1876 Maximilian was captured and executed. The pouch that contained the 41.94 carat diamond was not removed from his body until after his remain were sent back to his wife in Austria. Upon arrival in Austria, the diamond was given to his wife, Princess Charlotte.
The Maximilian Diamond went missing for a number of years after his death. There were no reports of it anywhere until it was purchased by Ferdinand Holtz in 1919. The diamond Stayed with Mr. Holtz, a gem collector until his death when it was sold to an unnamed collector. The collector who purchased the diamond had it set inside of a ring. The Maximilian Diamond changed hands a few more times before it was cut to it's original size of 39.55 carats and sold at auction in April.
This sale was one of the most expensive diamond sales ever recorded.
No comments:
Post a Comment