The Queen of Holland
Weight: 136.25 carats, slightly recut in 1978 to 135.92 carats
Color: "D" (colorless)
Clarity: IF (Internally Flawless)
The Fantastic Diamond Collection of Robert Mouawad
This suggests the possibility that the Queen of Holland was mined in South Africa, but nothing is known of the diamond's earlier history until it arrived in Amsterdam at a time when numerous South African diamonds were finding their way there. Yet there are experts who think that the Queen of Holland is a typical Golconda stone.
The Maharajah of Nawanagar purchased the Queen of Holland and Cartier set it as the centerpiece of the pendant to the magnificent ceremonial necklace of the Prince. Jacques Cartier, who assembled the necklace, referred to it as "a really superb realization of a connoisseur's dream."
Cartier eventually bought the diamond from the Maharajah's family and sent it to their London branch in 1960. In 1978 William Goldberg of New York purchased the diamond and it was recut, with minor alterations, from 136.25 carats to its present weight. Later that year it was sold for a reported $7,000,000.
On a strange note, several sources list the stone as being a blue color. This photo makes it look blue, but the stone is actually listed as being a "D" in color, which means it is colorless. It is possible that the stone has a very strong blue fluoresence, something seen occasionally in even D-color stones. An old term used to describe stones of such fine color was "River White"; bright white but with a slight look of blue, varying in certain lights. The Queen of Holland is now owned by Robert Mouawad.
