Mayfair jeweller, Laurence Graff, has been accused by gemologists of committing a crime akin to "painting over a Rembrandt" after re-cutting the Wittelsbach Blue, an historic diamond .
Mr Graff, who bought the diamond in December 2008 for £16.4 million is defiant, despite criticism and argues that he has improved the condition of the diamond. Hans Ottomeyer, director of the German Historical Museum in Berlin, said the former Crown Jewel of Bavaria "has been turned into a piece of hard candy".
The stone whose "rose cut" was carried out more than 300 years ago has been sharpened to give it a more modern appearance and more facets.
Mr Graff has had the 35 carat blue diamond, the largest internally flawless, natural fancy deep blue diamond in the world, ground down by about 4.5 carats (about 0.9 grams) to enhance the colour. The jeweller has officially renamed the gem as the Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond.
Mayfair jeweller accused of crime
Tue, 02 Feb 2010
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