“This spectacular ancient gem is an incredible survivor of history,” said the renowned Sotheby’s house.
A diamond necklace which is supposedly related to a scandal that precipitated the fall of Marie Antoinette, queen of France in the 18th centurywas auctioned on Wednesday in Geneva, Switzerland, by 4.26 million Swiss francs (US$4.81 million).
The impressive piece was put up for sale by a private Asian collector and dates back to the Georgian era. It contains 300 carats of diamonds and exceeded all expectations in terms of its value, since there was a long bidding battle after being valued at up to 2 million Swiss francs, according to the auction house Sotheby’s. Andrés White Correal, a local jewelry specialist, stated that in the context of the sale of the necklace to an undisclosed buyer, a ”electrifying night”.
Likewise, Sotheby’s had assured this month that some of the diamonds in the piece could come from a necklace that helped precipitate the fall of Marie Antoinettemember of the Austrian royal family who became the wife of the French king Louis XVIboth guillotined in 1793 during the French Revolution.
The jewels in question were the center of a scandal in 1785 known as the diamond necklace affairin which a ruined noblewoman named Jeanne de la Motte She posed as the French queen and acquired the necklace in her name without paying anything. A subsequent trial found the queen innocent, but it did nothing to diminish her growing notoriety as an extravagant, which helped fuel the revolution and the overthrow of the French monarchy.
A gem ”surviving history”
“This spectacular ancient gem is an incredible survivor of history”Sotheby’s said in a press release presenting the sale. The necklace, made up of three rivers of diamonds, ends at both ends with two impressive pompoms. The design highlights the transparency of the gemstones and gives great flexibility to this Georgian period piece ”rare and very important”according to the auction house.
”The jewel passed from family to family. “We can start at the beginning of the 20th century, when it was part of the collection of the Marquis of Anglesey,” White Correal added to AFP. ”It is a masterpiece of the Georgian era and a masterclass in design, manufacturing and technical innovation for the era. Today it is as relevant, seductive and attractive as when it was first created over two hundred years ago.. Simply put, this piece of jewelry is the pinnacle of 18th century jewelry design,” he concluded.
The diamonds from the original necklace, made in the 1770s, were later sold piecemeal on the black market, making them almost impossible to trace. However, some experts say the quality and age of the diamonds point to a coincidence. Additionally, members of this aristocratic family are said to have worn the jewel twice in public: once during the coronation of King George VI in 1937 and once during the coronation of their daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1953.
Source: Ambito
I am a 24-year-old writer and journalist who has been working in the news industry for the past two years. I write primarily about market news, so if you’re looking for insights into what’s going on in the stock market or economic indicators, you’ve come to the right place. I also dabble in writing articles on lifestyle trends and pop culture news.
