The Golden Maharaja Diamond

By Benji, Content Manager

The Golden Maharaja diamond is a modified pear-shape, 65.57 carat, Fancy Dark Orange-Brown, VS2 clarity as certified by the GIA. It is believed the stone emanates from South Africa; however few details are known regarding its origin, date of discovery, and original owners. Similarly, the reason for its being named the ‘Golden Maharaja’ is unknown.

It first appeared cut and polished when it was first exhibited at the Paris World Fair, in 1937. From 1975 to 1990, the diamond was loaned by its owner Mrs. Ella Friedus to the American Museum of Natural History. It is reported that Mrs. Friedus sold the diamond in 1991 for USD1.3 million. The diamond was put up for auction again in 2006 at Sotheby's New York where it achieved a record price of USD1,382,400.

Popular Articles View more articles

The Pink Dream Diamond

With a notorious reputation both for its beauty and its history at auction, the Pink Dream was rejected after it was sold to a consortium of buyers, who backed out due to lack of desire to pay.

The Florentine Diamond

The Florentine was once the great yellow diamond of the Medici Family. Fancy Diamonds is a GIA certified leading online diamond store selling colored diamonds.

The Kahn Canary Diamond

The uncut, flawless, natural strong yellow color Kahn Canary was discovered by George Stepp. Fancy Diamonds is a GIA certified leading online diamond store