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The Story of the 137-Carat Florentine Diamond: How It Stayed Hidden for a Century

By TheFinanceBase Team 3 min read

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The Florentine Diamond, a light-yellow, double-rose-cut gem, was kept out of public view in Canada for decades, according to the Habsburg family. The family says Empress Zita ordered her descendants to keep the jewels’ existence secret for at least 100 years after Emperor Karl I’s death in 1922. Their location became public in 2025; since September 4, 2026, the diamond has been on display in Québec City. Austria is still examining whether it has a legal claim to the jewels.

What does the Florentine Diamond look like, and how much does it weigh?

It is a light-yellow diamond with a double-rose cut, a style in which the stone is shaped with two rose-cut crowns. It is associated with the Medici and Habsburg collections. The Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (MNBAQ) describes it publicly as a 137-carat diamond, while a 2025 authentication certificate from Christoph Köchert gives a more precise recent measurement.

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Figure What it refers to
137.17 carats Christoph Köchert’s 2025 certificate reports this measured weight, with a possible deviation of 0.02 carat.
137 carats The MNBAQ’s rounded public-facing description of the diamond.
Historical weights Published historical figures differ; the specific figures are not stated in the cited certificate and museum description.

The certificate records a recent examination using a mobile carat scale. It provides a current measurement, not proof of every stage in the diamond’s earlier history.

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How did the diamond enter the Habsburg collection?

The diamond passed through European royal collections and became associated with the Habsburgs. Museum and jeweller accounts place its transition into the Habsburg orbit in the 1736–1737 period, though accounts vary slightly on the date. Stories about its earliest origin remain legends: the Habsburg family itself says the objects’ history is not documented well enough to settle all the surrounding rumors.

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Why did the jewels leave Austria in 1918?

In 1918, the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed. Austrian officials say jewels were removed from the Hofburg treasury that year on Emperor Karl’s order and taken abroad. The Habsburg family offers a different legal framing: it says the jewels were private family property and were outside Austria when relevant laws took effect.

That disagreement matters. The family’s account is not a court judgment, and Austria’s position is not an established finding that the Republic owns the diamond. The government has set up a commission to assess whether Austria has a claim and whether it could be enforced.

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Where was the diamond hidden, and why?

The family’s secrecy account

The Habsburg family says 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 cites security concerns and its experience of persecution and exile. On that account, the secrecy period lasted beyond a century from Karl’s death before the jewels’ location was disclosed.

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The journey to Canada

The family says Zita and her children escaped persecution in 1940, brought the jewels to Québec, and placed them in a Canadian trust for descendants. The family describes that trust as holding private family property. The collection remained out of public view until its location in Canada was disclosed in 2025.

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How was the diamond rediscovered and authenticated?

After the disclosure, the Habsburg family asked the independent Austrian jeweller A. E. Köchert to examine the pieces. The firm says it authenticated them, and its certificate records the diamond’s measured weight. That authentication addresses the identity and physical examination of the jewel; it does not resolve the competing legal positions about ownership.

Can you see the Florentine Diamond now?

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

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Who owns the Florentine Diamond?

The legal question remains unresolved in the latest official update cited here. The Habsburg family says the jewels are private property held in a Canadian trust for descendants. Austria’s Financial Procurator’s Office is examining whether the Republic has a claim and whether any claim could be enforced. In a July 14, 2026 update, Austria’s ministry said the commission expected to report its results in autumn 2026; that update did not announce a decision. Until an official conclusion or legal ruling is established, it is more accurate to describe ownership as disputed than to say Austria has won or claimed the diamond as settled fact.

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