Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond
Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond, on display at the National Museum of Natural History | |
| Weight | 31.06 carats (6.212 g) |
|---|---|
| Color | Fancy Deep Blue |
| Cut | Antique oval stellar brilliant |
| Country of origin | Indian subcontinent |
| Mine of origin | Kollur Mine, Guntur District |
| Discovered | Mid-1600s by Golconda Sultanate |
| Original owner | Nawabs of Punjab |
| Owner | Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Father Emir of Qatar |
| Estimated value | US$80 million (June 2011) |
The Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond is a 31.06-carat (6.212 g), deep-blue diamond with internally flawless clarity, originating in the Kollur Mine, India. Laurence Graff purchased the Wittelsbach Diamond in 2008 for £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, compromising its historical integrity.
Graff disagreed: "I decided that to create beauty, or acts of beauty, is not a sin. All we did was remove the blemishes and now it's true perfection."