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The Florentine Diamond: How a 137-Carat Habsburg Jewel Stayed Hidden for a Century

A light-yellow Habsburg diamond disappeared from public view after 1918. The family disclosed its Canadian location in 2025; the jewel is now on display in Québec City as Austria examines a possible claim.
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The Florentine Diamond is a light-yellow, double-rose-cut jewel whose recent measured weight is 137.17 carats. After leaving the Hofburg treasury in 1918, it remained out of public view until the Habsburg family disclosed in 2025 that the jewels were in Canada. The family says Empress Zita ordered the collection kept secret for at least 100 years after Emperor Karl I’s death; Austria is separately examining whether it has a claim. Since September 4, 2026, the diamond has been on view at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec in Québec City.

What does the Florentine Diamond look like?

It is a light-yellow diamond fashioned in a double-rose cut, an arrangement of faceted surfaces that gives the stone a distinctive, layered appearance. Its name reflects its long association with European royal collections, including those of the Medici and Habsburg dynasties.

The museum describes the exhibition as a story of “exile, legacy, and resilience” and calls the diamond legendary. The public-facing “137-carat” figure is rounded. In a 2025 authentication certificate, Christoph Köchert reported a measured weight of 137.17 carats, with a possible measurement deviation of 0.02 carat. Historical published weights differ, so the certificate’s figure is best understood as a recent measurement, not a single weight consistently recorded across the jewel’s history.

How did the diamond enter the Habsburg collection?

The jewel passed through European royal collections and became associated with the Habsburg family. Museum and jeweller accounts place its transition into the Habsburg orbit in the 1736–1737 period, though sources vary on the exact date. Stories about its earliest origins include legends; the family says the objects’ history is not documented well enough to settle every rumor. The existence of a recent authentication does not establish every stage of the diamond’s earlier provenance.

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What happened to the jewels in 1918?

As the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed, the jewels left the Hofburg treasury in Vienna. Austrian officials say they were removed in 1918 on the order of Emperor Karl and taken abroad. The Habsburg family gives a different legal framing: it describes the jewels as private family property and says they were outside Austria when relevant laws took effect.

Those accounts do not amount to a settled ownership decision. Austria established a commission to examine the jewels’ provenance, whether the Republic has a claim, and whether any claim could be enforced. In a July 14, 2026 update, the Austrian ministry said it expected the commission’s results in autumn 2026. That update set out an expected timetable; it did not announce a legal conclusion.

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Why did the family keep the diamond secret?

According to the family, Empress Zita instructed her descendants to keep the collection’s existence private for at least 100 years after Karl I died in 1922. The family says the instruction reflected security concerns and its experience of persecution and exile. On that account, the secrecy period began with Karl’s death, not with the jewels’ departure from Vienna in 1918.

From exile to Canada

The family says Zita and her children escaped persecution in 1940, bringing the jewels to Québec, where they were placed in a Canadian trust. It describes the trust as holding private family property for descendants. The jewels remained out of public view until the family disclosed their Canadian custody in 2025.

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How was the diamond authenticated, and what does that establish?

After the rediscovery, the Habsburg family asked the Austrian jeweller A. E. Köchert to examine and authenticate the pieces. The firm reports that it did so; its certificate records the Florentine Diamond’s 137.17-carat measurement using a mobile carat scale and notes the possible 0.02-carat deviation. The family also says an independent expert certified the jewels’ authenticity.

Authentication addresses whether the examined stone is the historic jewel; it does not by itself prove every part of its provenance or decide who legally owns it. The Austrian commission’s inquiry is a separate matter.

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Where can you see the Florentine Diamond now?

The Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (MNBAQ) in Québec City opened Hidden Treasure: A Century of Mystery on September 4, 2026. The exhibition includes the Florentine Diamond among 15 jewels, as well as the historic suitcase associated with the collection. The museum says the special feature requires PLUS admission and has limited capacity; check the museum’s current visitor information for ticket terms and availability.

The exhibition brings the objects into public view, but it does not resolve the competing legal positions. The diamond’s display and the question of ownership are distinct: Austria’s commission is examining the latter.

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