Diamonds with pedigree

Next month in Geneva, two outstanding pieces of diamond jewellery with aristocratic backgrounds will be going under the hammer. Chris Carter reports.

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The Grand Mazarin: beloved of French royalty
(Image credit: This content is subject to copyright.)

Next month, two magnificent pieces of diamond jewellery, as colourful as their histories, will go under the hammer in Geneva. The first will be the Grand Mazarin as part of Christie's Magnificent Jewels sale on 14 November. Originating from the Golconda mines in southern India also the source of the famous Koh-i-Noor, now in the Crown Jewels the slightly pink 19.07-carat diamond takes its name from its first recorded owner, Cardinal Mazarin, who became France's chief minister in 1642.

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Chris Carter
Wealth Editor, MoneyWeek

Chris Carter spent three glorious years reading English literature on the beautiful Welsh coast at Aberystwyth University. Graduating in 2005, he left for the University of York to specialise in Renaissance literature for his MA, before returning to his native Twickenham, in southwest London. He joined a Richmond-based recruitment company, where he worked with several clients, including the Queen’s bank, Coutts, as well as the super luxury, Dorchester-owned Coworth Park country house hotel, near Ascot in Berkshire.

Then, in 2011, Chris joined MoneyWeek. Initially working as part of the website production team, Chris soon rose to the lofty heights of wealth editor, overseeing MoneyWeek’s Spending It lifestyle section. Chris travels the globe in pursuit of his work, soaking up the local culture and sampling the very finest in cuisine, hotels and resorts for the magazine’s discerning readership. He also enjoys writing his fortnightly page on collectables, delving into the fascinating world of auctions and art, classic cars, coins, watches, wine and whisky investing.

You can follow Chris on Instagram.