New Delhi: A rare pink diamond stolen nearly a century ago is back on public display in France for the first time since it was stolen in 1926.
Known as the Grand Condé, the 9.01-carat, pear-shaped diamond was displayed at the Musée Condé inside the Château de Chantilly from 17 October 2026 to 3 January 2027.
The exhibition, titled The Pink Diamond, is being held in the Gallery of Psyché and the Gem Room at the château. It has been organised by the Musée Condé in collaboration with L’École des Arts Joailliers, with support from jewellery house Van Cleef & Arpels. Mathieu Deldicque, the museum’s chief heritage curator, has curated the exhibition.
The Grand Condé is believed to have originated from India’s historic Golconda mines, although its exact origins remain unknown. It is named after Louis II de Bourbon, Prince of Condé, who was known as Le Grand Condé.
The Grand Condé diamond, one of the few royal jewels to survive the French Revolution, was stolen from the château in October 1926. The thieves hid it inside a hollowed-out apple, but it was found a few weeks later when a hotel maid bit into the apple while the thieves were staying there.
The hotel maid discovered it after biting into the apple. The story received widespread attention in newspapers at the time.
The museum’s director Mathieu Deldicque also said that while the apple story may sound far-fetched, it was widely covered by newspapers at the time, BBC reported.
Since the theft, a replica of the diamond has been displayed for visitors, while the original has remained out of public view for nearly a century.
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Questions about security
The exhibition has also raised questions about security, particularly following several high-profile thefts at European cultural institutions over the past year, including the daylight robbery of jewellery at the Louvre Museum in Paris.
Deldicque has been asked whether displaying the diamond could attract unwanted attention. He has declined to reveal its insurance value but said that detailed scientific studies have helped establish the stone’s unique identity.
The findings of this research are also included in the exhibition. The exhibition details have also been explained on the website.
Naturally occurring pink diamonds are extremely rare and can command prices worth millions of dollars. According to Sotheby’s, the highest price paid for a pink diamond at auction was $71.2 million in 2017, reported by BBC.
Social media users also expressed interest in the story behind the theft, while raising concerns about security and the decision to display the diamond amid ongoing protests and unrest.
“While there’s a riot going on this is announced, great timing,” writes a user on X.
“Terrible timing. Do they want to see it go in a professional heist????” another user added.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)