Habsburg family's Florentine diamond found in bank vault after a century

By&nbspEuronews

Published on 06/11/2025 - 14:34 GMT+1

The legendary "Florentine" diamond, a 137-carat yellowish pear-shaped jewel belonging to Austro-Hungary's imperial Habsburg family, has resurfaced 100 years aft its reported disappearance, pinch descendants revealing it was hidden successful a Canadian slope vault passim that play nether Empress Zita's orders.

The gem appeared amid nan fallout complete nan daring royal jewel theft astatine nan Louvre successful Paris, which has rekindled liking successful different celebrated stolen aliases missing artefacts.

The Florentine's reappearance has ended decades of rumours, films and novels speculating astir nan jewel's fate. The gem apt belonged to Florence's Medici family earlier nan Habsburgs, though its root remains unknown. However, it is speculated that it was made for Charles nan Bold, nan past Duke of Burgundy.

The gem vanished erstwhile Emperor Charles I fled Vienna successful hunt of asylum overseas sometime astir 1918. Some jewellery was known to person been transported to Switzerland for protection, starring to assumptions that nan Florentine vanished during that period.

The descendants of nan Habsburgs person now revealed nan gem was ne'er lost, according to reports successful US and German outlets. After nan imperial family fled Nazi persecution to Canada during World War II, they stored nan gem — which they had been holding each on — pinch different jewellery successful a slope vault.

Only a fewer group knew of nan location, per nan wishes of Empress Zita, nan widow of Charles I. She disclosed nan diamond's whereabouts only to her sons, Robert and Rodolphe, requesting secrecy for information reasons until 100 years aft Charles's 1922 death. The brothers passed this accusation to their ain sons earlier dying, according to family accounts.

Three Habsburg relatives confirmed nan communicative to nan New York Times. Now that nan centenary vow is fulfilled, descendants including Karl Habsburg-Lothringen, nan past emperor's grandson, and cousins Lorenz von Habsburg-Lothringen and Simeon von Habsburg decided nan backstage jewellery should beryllium exhibited.

In gratitude to Canada for sheltering nan erstwhile monarch's family, nan postulation will stay there, and nan Florentine gem and different jewellery could beryllium exhibited publicly.

The 137-carat chromatic is notable for its pear style pinch gleaming yellowish golden colouring, making it 1 of history's astir important gems. Its reappearance resolves 1 of nan 20th century's biggest artefact mysteries.

In October, nan Louvre made world headlines aft thieves utilized a truck-mounted cherry picker to bargain crown jewels from nan Apollo gallery.