Yahoo Lifestyle This 18th-Century Diamond Necklace Was Worn at Two British Coronations. Now It Could Fetch $2.8 Million.
One blue blood’s beautiful bling could soon be yours.
Sotheby’s Geneva is auctioning off some of the aristocracy’s most spectacular and historically significant jewels in a dedicated sale this fall. Set to take place in November, the Royal and Noble Jewels auction will be led by a dazzling, 18th-century diamond necklace with an equally dazzling pre-sale estimate of between $1.8 million and $2.8 million.
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The antique rarity, which weighs approximately 300 carats, was likely created for a royal or aristocrat in the decade before the 1789 French Revolution, according to Sotheby’s. The exact provenance of the piece is unknown, but some of the diamonds may have come from the infamous diamond necklace Marie Antoinette wore at the court of Louis XVI in 1785.
That isn’t the jewelry’s only connection to royalty, though. The necklace once belonged to the Marquesses of Anglesey. Members of the Anglo-Welsh aristocratic family wore the necklace to the coronation of King George VI in 1937 and the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. The seventh Marquess of Anglesey parted with the piece sometime in the 1960s, after which it was exhibited at the American Museum of Natural History in 1976. It was later acquired by an important Asian collector with whom it has remained ever since, according to the auction house.
“This rare and important diamond jewel is a sublime survivor from the opulent court life of the Georgian era, defined by its unrivaled pomp and splendor; it is arguably one of the most magnificent and intact Georgian jewels in private hands,” Andres White Correal, chairman of jewelry Europe and Middle East, said in a statement.
High-society ties aside, the necklace has a wonderfully distinctive design that combines three rows of diamonds and two diamond tassels. Likely to have come from the legendary Golconda mines in India, each stone weighs from one to one and a half carats and showcases an old mine cut. The bling highlights not only the extravagance but also the versatility of vintage, 18th-century jewelry. (Often jewels of this era could be styled in multiple ways.) The necklace, also referred to as négligé, can be worn around the neck with the tassels hanging or tied in a simple knot.
“When compared to other surviving imperial and royal jewels from the same period, this necklace stands head and shoulders above these examples; it is a fortune in diamonds, and also a masterclass in exquisite design, workmanship, and technical innovation for the period,” added Correal.
The historic piece will be auctioned off at the Mandarin Oriental in Geneva on November 12. Before the sale, the necklace will be exhibited in London (September 23-25), Hong Kong (October 3-5), New York (October 9-10), Singapore (October 18-19), Taipei (October 21-22), and Dubai (October 28-30).
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