Legendary Florentine diamond found after more than a century

This 137-carat pear-shaped Florentine diamond with a distinctive yellow hue was owned by European royalty for centuries, then mysteriously disappeared around 1918.

Close-up of the legendary Florentine diamond - Photo: People

The Florentine diamond was discovered in a bank safe in Canada, People reported, according to a special report by The New York Times.

The mysteries of the Florentine diamond

The diamond is now owned by descendants of the Habsburg family. This is the first time they have revealed the secret, revealing how the precious jewel disappeared from Europe.

The diamond's last known owners were Emperor Charles I - the last emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire - and Empress Zita. The couple and their children left Austria at the end of World War I and many believed the diamond was lost.

Emperor Charles I died in 1922, and Empress Zita and her family later moved to Canada to avoid persecution by Nazi Germany during World War II.

Empress Zita and Emperor Charles I circa 1916 - Photo: People

There are many theories surrounding the fate of the Florentine Diamond, from the exiled royal family selling the stone to a mysterious buyer to fund their living expenses, to the theory that the stone was given to a servant who then took it to South America.

However, according to the couple's nephew, Karl von Habsburg-Lothringen, Queen Zita carried the diamond and other precious jewels in a cardboard suitcase to many places they moved to. He said Queen Zita placed the jewels in a safe at a Canadian bank soon after arriving in the country and "there they just stayed".

Karl von Habsburg-Lothringen said that Empress Zita - who died in 1989 - only revealed the diamond's whereabouts to her two sons, Robert and Rodolphe, and asked them to keep the stone's location a secret for 100 years after her husband's death.

“The less you know about it, the higher the level of security,” explains Karl von Habsburg-Lothringen.

The exact origin of the Florentine diamond remains a mystery, but it is known that the Habsburg family was and is the owner - Photo: The New York Times

Christoph Köchert, a jeweler who served the Austrian Royal Family, examined the diamond and confirmed its authenticity.

"The cut of the stone almost perfectly matches the historical documents. All this makes me sure that this is the original, historic Florentine diamond," Christoph Köchert told The New York Times.

The descendants of Emperor Charles I and Empress Zita said they wanted to display the diamond and other hidden jewels in an exhibition in Canada, to pay tribute to the country that became a safe haven for their family during difficult times.

"The Florentine Diamond should belong to a trust in Canada, should be displayed in Canada so that people can see these jewels with their own eyes," said Karl von Habsburg-Lothringen.

Shanghai

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tim-thay-vien-kim-cuong-florentine-huyen-thoai-sau-hon-mot-the-ky-20251109174500336.htm