Golconda blue diamonds are among the rarest and most valuable precious stones in the world. While Golconda is better known for its colorless diamonds, a few legendary blue diamonds also trace their origins to the famed Golconda mines in India.
Golconda diamonds typically do not have a blue color. In fact, Golconda diamonds are famously known for being colorless or near-colorless and are highly prized for their exceptional clarity and transparency. Unlike the famed colorless Golconda diamonds which are Type IIa (almost nitrogen-free), blue diamonds are Type IIb, meaning they contain boron and very little nitrogen — this is also extremely rare.
Not many blue diamonds have originated from the Golconda mines. The blue color in Golconda diamonds is caused by a rare natural phenomenon where, boron impurities are present inside the diamond. Modern processes and equipment, combined with the superior knowledge of diamond experts – can accurately identify a blue diamond that has its origin in the Golconda mines.
Here are some of the most renowned Golconda blue diamonds. We will be providing some rarely mentioned facts related to some of these blue diamonds.
- The Hope Diamond
- The Blue Tavernier Diamond (Possibly Recut)
- The Tereschenko Diamond
- The Seraphim Blue Diamond (Elusive)
- The Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond
- The Idol’s Eye Diamond (Possibly)
As mentioned above, we provide a brief note on the above Golconda blue diamonds, that have something mentioned against their name. This would include the following diamonds.
- The Blue Tavernier Diamond (Possibly Recut)
- The Seraphim Blue Diamond (Elusive)
- The Idol’s Eye Diamond (Possibly)
The Blue Tavernier Diamond (Possibly Recut): Indications are that this blue diamond no longer exists. The explanation is that this Golconda blue diamond, is likely to have been recut to deliver The Hope Diamond, which is on top of the list that we mentioned. The diamond was believed to have a deep blue color and originated in the Golconda mines.
It is sometimes felt that, there is a remote possibility that The Blue Tavernier Diamond, does exist even today. This is quite normal when it comes to, listing historic jewels, diamonds and gemstones.
The Seraphim Blue Diamond (Elusive): That jewels and diamonds from the Nizam’s treasury went missing is no secret. Whispers have been heard about an opulent turban ornament, that had a vivid blue diamond in the center. Asaf Jah 1 the first Nizam of Hyderabad, was believed to have worn this ornament only on very special occasions.
The ornament and the blue diamond remained elusive for centuries. Recent rumors, narrate the story about a blue Golconda diamond in the collection of a European collector. Referred to as the Seraphim Blue Diamond, the claim is that this, happens to be the blue diamond from the turban ornament treasured by the first Nizam.
While seasoned diamond collectors and major auction house would, pay attention to those rumors – the real excitement will begin when the Seraphim Blue Diamond along with authenticated documents, is put on display. The hope is that, this will happen in the near future.
The Idol’s Eye Diamond (Possibly): Blue diamonds are rare no doubt about that. They are even more valuable when their origins can be traced to the Golconda diamond mines. The Idol’s Eye Diamond, is listed on many lists detailing blue diamonds from the Golconda diamond mines.
However a significant number of experts, doubt the Golconda origin of the Idol’s Eye Diamond. A detailed discussion on this issue would be beyond the scope of this report but, there is something that is alarmingly clear. The estimated value of this blue diamond, would significantly diminish if its origin, cannot be authenticated to the historic Golconda diamond mines.
NOTES
While stories, rumors and dramatic narratives related to historic diamonds from the Golconda diamond mines are not rare, professional collectors realize that, there is no substitute for authenticated reports from reputed diamond testing houses like Gubelin or GIA.
