A rare nine-carat pink diamond known as the Grand Condé has gone on display in France at the Château de Chantilly, after it was stolen in an overnight burglary in 1926 and recovered from inside a hollowed-out apple.
Visitors to the Condé Museum can view the historic gemstone through January 3 as part of a special exhibition exploring its turbulent past. The exhibition marks the first time the public has seen the diamond since it was shown to the public 100 years ago to the day.
Royal Provenance and the Mystery of the Golconda Mines
The nine-carat, pear-shaped stone carries a narrative trail that stretches back centuries, though its exact origins remain a mystery. Historical records first documented the diamond in 1740 within an inventory compiled after the death of Louis Henri de Bourbon, Prince of Condé. Experts speculate that the diamond may have been found in the Golconda Mines in India.
Relatively few royal jewels survived the destruction of the French Revolution. The Grand Condé endured the upheaval and subsequently passed through the ownership of members of the Orléans branch of the House of Bourbon. Queen Marie-Amélie of Bourbon-Sicily and her son, Prince Henri of Orléans, the Duke of Aumale, both held the gem. The Duke ultimately bequeathed the diamond and the Château de Chantilly to the Institut de France.
The 1926 Heist and the Disappearance Inside an Apple
In October 1926, the diamond was stolen during an overnight raid at the Château de Chantilly. While some stolen treasures were lost forever after being thrown in the Seine or melted down, the pink diamond survived its ordeal.
The thieves concealed the gemstone inside a hollowed-out apple. Law enforcement located the diamond a few weeks later at a hotel where the perpetrators were staying, after a hungry maid bit into the fruit and inadvertently exposed the hidden treasure.
Museum director Mathieu Deldicque clarified that while the apple story may sound far-fetched, it was widely covered by newspapers at the time.
Following its recovery, the museum kept the genuine artifact safely secured, placing a replica on public display until the current exhibition opened.
Modern Security Concerns and Scientific Analysis
Bringing the historic gem back to the public eye has raised questions about whether the exhibition may be tempting fate. Museum director Mathieu Deldicque has addressed inquiries regarding security in light of recent high-profile heists targeting European cultural institutions, such as the daytime robbery at the Louvre in Paris.
While museum officials declined to disclose the insurance value of the Grand Condé, they confirmed that the diamond has undergone extensive scientific study. Researchers analyzed its properties to ensure it is uniquely identifiable. Naturally occurring pink diamonds are exceptionally rare and command astronomical figures on the global market, with auction prices reaching tens of millions of dollars. Sotheby’s notes that the highest price ever fetched for one at auction was $71.2m (£53.6m) in 2017.
Exhibition Details and Partnership
The exhibition runs through January 3 at the Condé Museum located 50km north of Paris. The display is presented in partnership with L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts, which is supported by Van Cleef & Arpels. Alongside the gemstone itself, visitors can view previously unseen archival documents detailing the history of the diamond and its dramatic recovery.
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