• Home
  • About me
  • My Privacy Policy

Inside Philippine politics & beyond

Who sold Imelda Marcos’ fab diamond that Christies’ auctioned last year?

July 8, 2011

Share:
Twitter0
Facebook0
LinkedIn0
Pinterest0

 

By Raïssa Robles

Diamond emperor maximilian 1 Screenshot_1

Imelda Marcos' Maximilian Diamond

On the eve of the May 2010 elections, the Maximilian Diamond of Imelda Marcos was put up for auction by Christie’s of London. It expected to sell this for up to US$1.5 million.

I once covered the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) extensively. I am wondering now if that famous diamond which Imelda had bought in 1983 – the same year when former Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. was assassinated – was ever sequestered by the PCGG. Or if it was confiscated by the US Customs when the Marcoses landed in Hawaii with crates and crates of valuables that included jewelry.

Or if the diamond mysteriously disappeared inside Malacañang Palace when – as the Marcos camp claimed to me –  Senator Gringo Honasan, Senator Joker Arroyo and some wealthy ladies of Makati swooped down on the Palace shortly after the Marcoses fled.

The Marcos camp claims that Imelda Marcos had left it behind. We have really no way of knowing if that was true.

What we do know now is what Christie’s stated on its website when it put up the Maximilian Diamond for auction in April 22 last year. Christie’s said that London jeweler Laurence Graff had bought the diamond for US$726,000:

In January 1983, Graff sold The Emperor Maximilian, together with two other important diamonds, in a single transaction to the same buyer, Madame Imelda Marcos, wife of the President of the Philippines.

Subsequently, it was sold and re-cut in the 1990’s, to its current weight of 39.55 carats, and finally it was acquired by the present owner.

Who sold the diamonds in the 1990s during the presidency of President Fidel Ramos?

And who bought it in the 1990s then decided to get rid of it last year?

Since the Philippine government filed a forfeiture case against the Marcoses before the Swiss courts in 1987, international laws on anti-money laundering have dramatically changed.

But I don’t know to what extent foreign auction houses are covered by such laws. However, auction houses like Christie’s have their reputation to protect. They would not want to be known as fencing stolen goods.

__________________________________

Watch Christie’s video on the sale of Imelda’s bauble:

http://www.christies.com/features/2010-april-emperor-maximilian-diamond-530-3.aspx

See Fox News feature on the Maximilian diamond:

http://www.christies.com/features/2010-April-Jewelry-Diamonds-Bling-547-2.aspx

 

Tagged With: Imelda Marcos' Maximilian Diaomnd sold by Christie's, Presidential Commission on Good Government, Senator Gringo Honasan, Senator Joker Arroyo

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist Then they came fof the Trade Unionists, and I did not out speak out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me— And there was no one left to speak for me. —Martin Niemöller (1892-1984)

Subscribe to raissarobles.com

Please select all the ways you would like to hear from raissarobles.com:

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. For information about our privacy practices, please visit our website.

This blog uses MailChimp as a mass mailing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to MailChimp but only for processing. Learn more about MailChimp's privacy practices here.

Christopher “Bong” Go is a billionaire – Duterte

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NmX1Px57cI

Find more of my articles by typing here:

My Stories (2009 – Present)

Cyber-Tambayan on Twitter:

Tweets by raissawriter

Copyright © 2022 · News Pro Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Decline Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT