Florentine Diamond

The Florentine diamond was an exceptionally large and beautiful gemstone, whose whereabouts after 1920 are unfortunately unknown. Weighing 137.2 carats, the Florentine diamond was about the size of a walnut. It was a fancy diamond in a light lemon yellow with a slight green undertone. Its clarity is described in historical documents as very good and the gemstone is said to have had a beautiful shine.

Its cut, which is no longer common today, is called the double rose cut. The rose cut is an ancient diamond cut in which the gemstone with a flat, round base has a crown of triangular facets in a symmetrical arrangement. Its name comes from its appearance, which is reminiscent of an opening flower bud. The Florentine diamond is a variation in that it has an oval basic shape and is faceted on both the top and bottom - with a total of 126 facets. These are arranged in such a way that they form the shape of a nine-pointed star.

The Florentine Diamond and its Mysterious History

It remains unclear when and where the Florentine diamond was first found. It is generally assumed that it originated in India, but there is no reliable evidence of the diamond's whereabouts until 1657, when the French jeweler Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, known for his extensive travels, saw the gem among the treasures of the Grand Duke of Tuscany in Florence. Its name is also derived from this city; however, there are also alternative names for the Florentine diamond, such as Tuscan or Grand Duke of Tuscany.

After the death of the last of the Medicis in 1737, the Florentine diamond came to Austria and was kept in the crown jewels of the Hofburg in Vienna. Before it was lost in the chaos of the First World War, it was exhibited in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, integrated into a hat ornament.

(1) Image source: Wikipedia, User: Gryffindor