The Wittelsbach is a blue 35.56-carat diamond that was passed to Charles of Bavaria, a member of the Wittelsbach family, when he married Maria Amalia of Austria in 1722. In the 19th century, it was set in the Bavarian crown and remained in the Wittelsbachs’ posession until World War I, when it was lost. It is believed that King Philip IV of Spain purchased the stone and added it to the dowry of his daughter, Infanta Margaret Teresa.
The gem passed on from her husband, Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I, to Maria Amalia, his granddaughter. During the Great Depression, Christie’s attempted to auction off the diamond, but there were no buyers. In 1964, it became part of a private collection. The Wittelbach diamond was sold at Christie’s auction on December 10, 2008 for a record 16.4 million pounds sterling ($24.3 mln) to London-based jeweler Lawrence Graff.
The gem passed on from her husband, Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I, to Maria Amalia, his granddaughter. During the Great Depression, Christie’s attempted to auction off the diamond, but there were no buyers. In 1964, it became part of a private collection. The Wittelbach diamond was sold at Christie’s auction on December 10, 2008 for a record 16.4 million pounds sterling ($24.3 mln) to London-based jeweler Lawrence Graff.
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