Florentine Diamond Rediscovered, New York Times and Der Spiegel Reveal

The Florentine Diamond — one of the most storied jewels of the Medici and Habsburg dynasties — has resurfaced in Canada after being thought lost for more than a century. The discovery, revealed jointly by The New York Times and Der Spiegel, ends decades of speculation over the fate of the 137-carat yellow diamond, missing since the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1919.

According to The New York Times, three descendants of Charles I, the last emperor of Austria-Hungary, recently opened a bank vault in Quebec to reveal the gem and other family jewels. They said the diamond had been hidden there since the family fled to Canada during the Second World War.

Karl von Habsburg-Lothringen, a grandson of Charles I, told the newspaper that the diamond’s location had been kept secret at the request of Empress Zita, who wanted it undisclosed for 100 years after her husband’s death in 1922. “The less people know about it, the bigger the security,” he said.

The Florentine Diamond’s history stretches back to Florence’s Medici court, where it adorned the regalia of the Grand Dukes in the 17th century. Historical records attribute its acquisition to Ferdinando I de’ Medici, who likely obtained the gem in the late 1500s and had it cut in Florence. After the extinction of the Medici line, the diamond passed to the House of Habsburg-Lorraine through the marriage of Francis Stephen and Maria Theresa of Austria, linking Florence’s Renaissance heritage with Europe’s imperial legacy.

Jeweller Christoph Köchert, of the Vienna firm that once served as the Habsburgs’ court jewellers, examined the gem and confirmed its authenticity. Its distinctive cut, yellow hue and 137.17-carat weight all match historical records.

The family says it now intends to place the diamond and other items in a trust and exhibit them in Canada as a gesture of thanks to the country that sheltered the exiled imperial family during the war. Meanwhile, Austria’s vice chancellor and culture minister Andreas Babler has announced a review to determine whether the diamond could be considered state property under post-imperial legislation.

Despite its Florentine origins, the Habsburg family has made no mention of any return of the diamond to Florence or Italy. For now, plans for public display concern only Canada.

Whether it will one day return to Europe remains unclear, but for now, one of Florence’s most famous jewels has reappeared far from home — intact, authentic and still glittering after a century in the dark.

(Cover photo: Ferdinando I de’ Medici)

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