A legendary pink diamond has returned to public view in France exactly a century after it vanished in a bizarre hotel room theft. The nine-carat, pear-shaped gemstone known as the Grand Condé is now housed at the Château de Chantilly, marking its first exhibition since the infamous 1926 heist.
The precious stone holds a unique place in history as one of the very few royal gems to endure the upheaval of the French Revolution. Its precise beginnings remain shrouded in mystery, though historical records first documented the diamond in a 1740 inventory following the death of Louis Henri de Bourbon, Prince of Condé. Over subsequent generations, the artifact passed through the hands of French royalty, including Queen Marie-Amélie and her son, the Duke of Aumale, who ultimately gifted the collection to the Institut de France.
In October 1926, the diamond was snatched during an overnight burglary at the Château de Chantilly, located about 50 kilometers north of Paris. The perpetrators managed to escape with the prized jewel, concealing it inside a hollowed-out apple.
The gemstone was recovered just weeks later under extraordinary circumstances at a hotel where the thieves were staying. According to contemporary accounts, a hotel maid looking for a snack bit into the apple, inadvertently exposing the hidden treasure.
Museum director Mathieu Deldicque acknowledged that the fruit-concealment tale sounds like fiction, but confirmed it was heavily documented by journalists of the era. The current exhibition at the Condé Museum runs until January 3, allowing visitors a rare glimpse of the historic artifact.
The return of the gem has raised some security concerns, particularly following a series of recent thefts targeting cultural institutions across Europe, such as the daytime jewel robbery at the Louvre in Paris. While the insurance value of the Grand Condé remains undisclosed, museum officials emphasize that the diamond has undergone rigorous scientific study to ensure it can be easily identified.
Naturally occurring pink diamonds command astronomical sums on the global market, frequently drawing tens of millions of dollars at major auction houses. Alongside the gemstone itself, the special exhibition features newly uncovered archival documents detailing the dramatic history of the diamond and its recovery.
Reporting based on coverage first published by BBC News. Read the original report at BBC News.
