Once-Stolen Pink Diamond Treasured by French Royal Goes on Display
The legendary Grand Condé Pink Diamond, stolen exactly a century ago, returns to public view for the first time since then
A historic pink diamond linked to French royalty is set to go on display at the Condé Museum at the Château de Chantilly. Once owned by the Princes of Condé, a powerful cadet branch of the French royal House of Bourbon, the Grand Condé Pink Diamond has a story larger than its carat count. In 1926, the softly pear-shaped stone was stolen. But unlike so many of the world’s lost treasures, the Grand Condé came home.
It has been closely guarded ever since. Relatively few of the French royal jewels survived the destruction of the Revolution and ravaging by subsequent radical groups, and those remaining have fallen victim to theft, as seen at the Louvre last year. Survivals with royal provenance are rare indeed, and the 9.01 carat diamond has a narrative trail behind it. It is speculated to have been found in the Golconda Mines in India. The first undoubted confirmation of it was Louis Henri de Bourbon’s inventory in 1740. Following the Revolution, it passed through the ownership of members of the Orléans branch of the House of Bourbon—including Queen Marie-Amélie of Bourbon-Sicily, herself a niece of Marie Antoinette—before being bequeathed to the Institut de France by her son, along with the entire Château de Chantilly.
The exhibition itself tells the Pink Diamond’s story in addition to showcasing its exceptional gemological qualities, and throwing a spotlight on the story of the theft. The diamond was stolen in 1926 by two brothers from Alsace who climbed into the Musée Condé and made off with a slew of treasures that were lost to posterity after being melted down or reportedly thrown in the Seine. The pink diamond itself was found hidden inside an apple two months later, and returned to the Musée. Since that time, the Condé has used a replica for public display—until now.
The exhibit is presented in partnership with L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts, which itself is supported by Van Cleef & Arpels.
“The Pink Diamond” will be on view from October 17 through January 3, 2027, at the Condé Museum at the Château de Chantilly.