Rare Pink Diamond Returns to Public Display in France After 100 Years
A rare nine-carat pink diamond known as the Grand Condé has gone on public display in France, nearly 100 years after it was stolen in a daring overnight robbery. The pear-shaped gemstone was taken from the Château de Chantilly in October 1926 and hidden inside a hollowed-out apple. It was recovered weeks later after a hungry maid at the hotel where the thieves were staying bit into the apple, exposing the stolen jewel.
The Grand Condé is one of the few royal treasures to survive the French Revolution. Its origins remain uncertain, but it was first recorded in an inventory following the death of Louis Henri de Bourbon, Prince of Condé, in 1740. The diamond later became part of the collection of Queen Marie-Amélie and her son, the Duke of Aumale, who eventually bequeathed it to the Institut de France. The gemstone is now being exhibited at the Condé Museum inside the Château de Chantilly, north of Paris, until January 3.
The exhibition features newly revealed archival materials about the diamond’s history and theft, alongside scientific research that helps establish its unique identity. The display comes amid heightened concerns over security following several high-profile thefts at European cultural institutions, including the Louvre robbery in Paris. Naturally occurring pink diamonds are exceptionally rare and can fetch tens of millions of dollars at auction, with one setting a record of $71.2 million in 2017.
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