According to The New York Times, a precious stone weighing more than 137 carats had been stored for over a century. The information about the diamond was revealed by the head of the Habsburg dynasty — Charles Habsburg-Lorraine.
This diamond, comparable in size to a walnut, is considered the fourth largest pearl in the world. It was taken from Austria to Switzerland in November 1918, in the name of Emperor Charles I, just before the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The location of the diamond was kept secret for decades out of respect for Empress Zita. She only told her two sons about it and asked that the information not be disclosed for 100 years after the death of Charles I in 1922.
The family fled the fascists in 1940, moving first to the USA and then to Canada. Zita kept the diamonds in a small suitcase but left them in a Quebec bank when she returned to Europe in 1953.
According to Charles Habsburg-Lorraine, the Florentine Diamond is now held as part of a trust in Canada and is planned to be displayed in a national museum in the coming years.
