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Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond goes to Washington

January 27, 2010
The roots of the 31.06-carat, grayish-blue Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond can be traced back to 1664. The stone will be on display to the public beginning Thursday at Washington's National Museum of Natural History.

Washington--Starting tomorrow, the storied 31.06-carat Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond will be on display in a museum, marking the fancy, deep blue gemstone's first public appearance in 50 years.

The stone is set to take the stage at Washington, D.C.'s National Museum of Natural History as part of the National Gem Collection in the Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals, which is also home to the famed 45.52-carat Hope Diamond. The diamond will remain on display through Aug. 1, 2010.

According to a release from the Smithsonian Institution, which operates the museum, the Wittelsbach-Graff has long been rumored to have originated from the same mine in India as the Hope, a mystery that Smithsonian scientists plan to explore while the stone is in their care.

The diamond has an illustrious history, dating back to 1664 when Philip IV of Spain gifted the stone to his daughter, the Infanta Margarita Teresa, when she became engaged to Emperor Leopold I of Austria. In 1722, the diamond passed to the Wittelsbachs, members of the ruling house of Bavaria, from whom the diamond derived its first name.

The mysterious stone changed hands a number of times during its long life before becoming part of a private collection in 1964.

In December 2008, diamantaire Laurence Graff, of Graff Diamonds, paid a record $24.3 million for the Wittelsbach at a Christie's auction in London. He re-polished the 35.56-carat diamond to bring out its color and make it internally flawless, reducing it to its current 31.06-carat size in the process.

"To have two of the world's most historical stones, the Wittelsbach-Graff and the Hope Diamond, displayed together is a testament to the stones' history and importance," Graff said in the Smithsonian release. "I believe the diamond's appearance at the Smithsonian will represent another significant chapter in its remarkable history."
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