Origin of name
The Emperor Maximilian diamond gets its name from
Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph, the Archduke of Austria and the younger brother
of Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria (1848-1916), who by an international
intrigue was placed on the throne of Mexico in 1864, that eventually resulted in his
execution. Maximilian Joseph purchased the 41.94-carat diamond while he was
on a botanical expedition to Brazil in 1860, and the diamond came to be
known as the Emperor Maximilian diamond. He also purchased another 33-carat
diamond, which was named the Maximilian II, sometimes known as the "Carlotta
Diamond", after his wife Princess Charlotte, to whom he presented the
diamond.
Characteristics of the
diamond
The Emperor Maximilian diamond is a 41.94-carat, near
colorless, cushion-cut diamond, with a VS-1 clarity. According to the GIA
color grading system near colorless diamonds can have a grading of G, H, I
or J. The Emperor Maximilian diamond falls within the I-color range.
An important characteristic of the diamond is the strong
blue (somewhat violet) fluorescence shown by the stone in natural daylight,
which tends to reduce any yellow tinge in the diamond.
The I-color grading of the diamond and the blue
fluorescence suggest that the diamond is a Type Ia diamond, which
constitute almost 98 % of all naturally occurring diamonds. In Type Ia
diamonds nitrogen atoms are found as aggregates of 2, 3 and 4 atoms, known
respectively as A-aggregates, N-3 centers, and B-aggregates. A and B
aggregates do not absorb visible light and therefore do not affect the color
of the diamond. N-3 centers do absorb visible light in the blue region of
the spectrum, causing its complementary color yellow to appear. A-aggregates
also quench fluorescence, but B-aggregates and N-3 centers do not. Thus Type
Ia diamonds are sub-divided into three groups.
1) Type IaA - Nitrogen atoms occur as A-aggregates. The
diamonds are colorless and do not show fluorescence.
2) Type IaB - Nitrogen atoms occur as B-aggregates. The
diamonds are colorless, but shows strong fluorescence.
3) Type IaAB - Nitrogen atoms occur as A-aggregates,
B-aggregates and N-3 centers. The diamonds vary in color from very faint
yellow to medium yellow, and shows a medium to strong fluorescence.
Thus the Emperor Maximilian diamond is most probably a
Type IaAB diamond. The strong blue fluorescence shown by the diamond tends
to reduce the yellow color of the diamond, making it appear somewhat whiter.
History
The diamond is of Brazilian origin, and was purchased by
Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph, in 1860, when he made a trip to the Brazilian
rain forests in pursuance of his Botanical studies, a subject that had
fascinated him since his childhood. It is not certain where the diamond was
cut and polished, but in all probability it must have been in one of the
diamond cutting centers in Europe, such as Antwerp or Amsterdam, as there
were not many established diamond cutting centers in Brazil at the time.
Maximilian Joseph also purchased a second diamond, which
was a 33-carat stone with a greenish-yellow tint, which he later presented
to his wife Princess Carlota, the daughter of Leopold I, the king of
Belgium. Princess Carlota wore the diamond as a pendant to a necklace.
Early life of Ferdinand
Maximilian Joseph
Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph, who was born at
Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna on July 6th 1832, was the second son of Archduke
Francis Charles of Austria and his wife Sophia, daughter of King Maximilian
I Joseph of Bavaria. His elder brother Francis Joseph was the Emperor of
Austria from 1848 to 1916. Maximilian Joseph showed a keen interest in the
sciences from an early age, and had a fascination for the natural sciences
particularly Botany. In 1851 at the age of 19, he joined the Austrian navy
as a Lieutenant, and eventually became the Commander-in-Chief of the navy.
He also served as the Governor-General of the Lombardo-Venetian kingdom.
Subsequently he retired to a private life, residing at the Trieste with his
young bride Princess Carlota, the daughter of King Leopold I of Belgium.
But, he continued with his study of natural sciences and in 1860 undertook a
journey to the tropical forests of Brazil, in pursuance of his studies in
Botany. It was during this trip that he purchased the two celebrated
diamonds.
Developments in Mexico
after 1855
In 1855 the Liberals took control of the national
government of Mexico, after defeating the conservatives who were hitherto in control
of the government. Most of the liberal politicians who were living in exile
in the United States and other countries, including Benito Juarez returned
to Mexico. Juarez was appointed as Minister of Justice in the new liberal
government, and under his guidance three major reforms were carried out by
the Liberals:- 1) Abolishing special courts for the clergy and the military
2) Enacting legislation forcing the church and the aristocracy to sell their
enormous land holdings, in order to broadbase land ownership. 3) Adoption of
a liberal constitution promulgated in February 1857.
Under the new constitution Ignacio Comonfort was elected
as the President of Mexico, and Benito Juarez was appointed as president of
the Supreme Court, which according to the new constitution made him the
effective vice-president of the country. The conservatives who lost their
properties and privileges went into exile in the United States and Europe,
but those who remained in Mexico, regrouped and revolted ousting President
Ignacio Comonfort in 1858. Benito Juarez who had a legitimate claim to the
presidency withdrew from Mexico City to the eastern port city of Vera Cruz,
where he set up his government. At Veracruz, Juarez succeeded not only in
keeping the liberals together, but was able to enact further legislation
curbing the ecclesiastical powers of the clergy, and nationalizing all
church property except those actually used for worship and educational
purposes. The legislations culminated in the separation of the church and
state, and guaranteeing religious liberty to all citizens.
By the end of 1860 the position of the conservatives in
Mexico City had become very weak, and in January 1861 Juarez was able to
return to Mexico City, and was duly elected as president of Mexico. In the
absence of a legitimate government in Mexico City for three years, the
conservatives had emptied the treasury and the country was almost on the
brink of bankruptcy. To overcome this critical situation Juarez suspended
payment on all foreign debts for two years. This provided the license for
foreign intervention, and Britain, France and Spain landed troops in Veracruz in January 1862, under the pretext of safeguarding their
investments. But, France's intervention was more than safeguarding
investments. Napoleon III had drawn up plans to conquer Mexico and colonize
it, and install a puppet emperor from Europe, which unfortunately happen to
be Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph. Britain and Spain withdrew their forces when
they learnt of Napoleon's plans. In June 1863, the French occupied Mexico
City after defeating the Mexican forces. Juarez withdrew from Mexico
City for the second time to the Texas-Mexico border.
Installation of
Maximilian Joseph as Emperor of Mexico
The first request for Maximilian Joseph to assume the
throne of Mexico was made in 1859, by conservative Mexican exiles in Europe,
who had lost their property and privileges and painted a picture of absolute
anarchy in the country. Maximilian turned down this offer. However in 1863,
after French forces had captured Mexico, under pressure from Napoleon
III and requests made by the conservatives, who made him believe that the
Mexican people had voted him their king, Maximilian Joseph consented to
accept the Mexican Crown. Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria, who was
Maximilian Joseph's brother, however advised him not to accept the offer. In
spite of his objections Maximilian Joseph and his wife boarded a ship and
landed at Veracruz on May 28, 1864. Subsequently on June 10, 1864,
Maximilian Joseph was crowned as the emperor of Mexico.
Emperor Maximilian who was not only a natural scientist
but an enlightened leader and a great humanist, planned to rule his domain
with great benevolence, and to protect and uplift the position of Indian
peasants in the country. In this respect he was on par with Benito Juarez,
the national hero of Mexico, who was born of Indian parents, and contributed
a great deal to the social and political development of the Mexican people
in general, and the Indian community in particular. Both Emperor Maximilian
and Benito Juarez had a parallel vision for the future of the Indian
community of Mexico. Accordingly, when Benito Juarez's sweeping political
and land reforms came up for review, Emperor Maximilian upheld these
reforms much to the indignation of the clergy, the landed proprietors, and
other vested interests. In particular he antagonized the hierarchy of the
Roman Catholic Church, by refusing to restore vast church holdings
confiscated by Juarez. The Mexican treasury was almost empty, and Emperor
Maximilian did not make use of the state resources for the up keep of his
family and his palace. Instead he made use of his own inherited income for
this purpose. The honesty and integrity of Emperor Maximilian was another
factor that was on par with Benito Juarez, who was said to be impeccably
honest, and never used public office for personal gain.
The downfall of Emperor
Maximilian
During the period of foreign intervention in Mexico,
beginning from January 1862, Mexico's giant neighbor the United States
of America, was in the midst of a devastating civil war (1861-65), and was
indifferent to the dramatic events taking place inside its southern
neighbor. However soon after the end of the civil war in 1865, the United
States demanded the withdrawal of French troops from Mexico, as it
violated the Monroe Doctrine, and in support of this demand amassed troops
on the Mexican border. Princess Carlota rushed to Europe seeking help
for her husband's kingdom, from Napoleon III and Pope Pius IX, but was of no
avail. In March 1867, the French forces withdrew from Mexico, but Emperor
Maximilian refused to leave with them, as he felt he could not desert his
people. Within a matter of days Benito Juarez and his army was back in
Mexico City. Maximilian refused to abdicate and was still supported by a
group of diehard conservatives. Finally on May 15, 1867, Emperor Maximilian
surrendered to the forces of Benito Juarez.
The execution of Emperor
Maximilian
Emperor Maximilian and two of his highest ranking
generals Miguel Mira-Mon and Tomas Mejia were court martialed, found guilty
and sentenced to death. Appeals for clemency from international figures like
the novelist Victor Hugo, and Italian patriot and soldier Giuseppe
Garibaldi, and other crowned heads of Europe, went unheeded. On June 19,
1867, Emperor Maximilian, who was only 35 years old, and his two generals
were executed by firing squad on a hill outside Quere-taro. So ends the sad
story of Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph who met his tragic end, by being a
willing pawn in the international power politics, that served the ulterior
motives of certain nations and their rulers.
Maximilian diamond found
on the Emperor's body
Soon after his execution it was discovered that Emperor
Maximilian had been wearing the 41.94-carat diamond in a small satchel tied
around his neck, when he faced the firing squad. After the execution the
Emperor's body was returned to his family in Vienna, and the diamond given
to his widow.
The problems faced by her husband ever since he was
installed as emperor of Mexico, that eventually led to his execution, and
her desperate attempts in seeking help for her husband, which was denied by
those who installed him as emperor, had a profound effect on Princess
Carlota, which led to serious emotional collapse and severe mental
derangement. The princess remained mentally deranged until her death near
Brussels in 1927, almost 60 years after the tragic incident. The Emperor
Maximilian diamond was sold in 1867, in order to pay for the medical expenses of the
princess. Since then the whereabouts of the diamond was unknown, until it
reappeared in America in 1919, when it was purchased by a Chicago gem
dealer, Ferdinand Hotz.
Maximilian diamond
displayed at the 1934 Chicago World Fair
The Emperor Maximilian diamond was exhibited by Ferdinand
Hotz, the owner of the diamond, at the Century of Progress Exposition in
Chicago held in 1933-34. The diamond was the highlight of a $ 5,000,000
exhibit, which reproduced a South African diamond mine in operation with
native laborers.
During his ownership of the diamond since 1919, there had
been several offers by interested individuals to purchase the diamond, but
Ferdinand Hotz refused to part with it. However after his death in 1946, it
was sold to an anonymous private collector in New York City.
The Emperor Maximilian diamond then came into the
possession of Laurence Graff, the King of diamonds, the founder of the
internationally renowned Graff Diamonds, who is said to have handled more
important gem-quality diamonds than any other living dealer.
Last transaction of the
Maximilian diamond
The last transaction of the Maximilian diamond took place
in 1983, when the diamond together with the 70.21-carat Idol's Eye diamond
and the 70.54-carat Sultan Abdul Hamid II diamond was sold to the same
anonymous buyer, by Laurence Graff in one of the biggest single transactions
in the history of diamond sales. According to rumors the three famous
diamonds were actually purchased by Imelda Marcos the wife of the former
President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos.
Fate of the Carlota
diamond
When Princess Carlota left Mexico in 1866 seeking help
for her husband's cause from Europe, she left behind the 33-carat
greenish-yellow diamond which her husband had presented to her, and which
she wore as a pendant to a necklace. The diamond then disappeared for three
decades, until it surfaced in 1901, when two Mexicans attempted to smuggle
it into the United States. The diamond was seized by the US customs
authorities, and subsequently put on auction in the same year, and was sold
for $ 120,000. The diamond again reappeared in 1964, when it was purchased
by the New York jeweler, Morris S. Nelkin. The diamond remained in Mr.
Nelkin's family up to 1979, when one day a member of the Nelkin household
suspected that a prowler was moving around in the house, and hid the diamond
in a garbage pail, but forgot to retrieve it. The following day the garbage
was collected, and the diamond was lost forever, in spite of an extensive
search of the municipal garbage dump.
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