The necklace, sold at auction for 4.5 million euros in Geneva this Wednesday, November 13, was made from diamonds that belonged to Queen Marie-Antoinette.
It is a jewel of inestimable value. On the occasion of the fine jewelry sale organized by the auction house Sotheby’swhich was held this Wednesday, November 13 in Geneva, Switzerland, a necklace adorned with 500 diamonds of 300 carats was sold for 4.5 million euros.
“The opulence of this diamond jewel reflects the genius of the jeweler and underlines the power and rank of the person for whom it was created,” said Sotheby’s.
And for good reason, the necklace, which dates from the Georgian era (1714 to 1830), adorned the necks of several women of royal blood, indicated the auction house. Made up of three rivers of diamonds, it can be tied around the neck or draped with the hanging tassels.
“Historical importance”
The last owner, Shirley Paget, Marchioness of Anglesey, wore it during the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Her mother-in-law, Marjorie Paget, also had the opportunity to display the precious jewel at the occasion of a photo session with the renowned British photographer Cecil Beaton in 1937.
In addition to its extravagance, the success of the jewel is certainly due to its “timelessness which fitted perfectly with the fashion of the time, but also the luxurious and sumptuous social life of the interwar period”, estimated the Sotherby’s house.
“The first time I held the necklace in my hand, I was captivated by its exquisite beauty. The historical importance of this jewel also pushed us to research its fascinating history,” explains Sotheby’s.
While it is unclear when the necklace came into the possession of the Anglesey family, the establishment claims that some of its diamonds came from the infamous “Queen’s Necklace”.
The Queen’s Necklace Affair
The scandal took place in 1785. To regain the favor of Marie-Antoinette, Cardinal de Rohan undertook to offer the queen a sumptuous necklace of nearly 650 diamonds, weighing 2,800 carats, explains the website of the Château de Versailles.
Naive, he without suspicion entrusts the jewel to the pseudo-Countess de La Motte, a crook posing as someone close to the sovereign, who promises him her return to favor. But once the necklace is in her possession, she disappears without delay, leaving the jewel unpaid.
The crown jewelers not receiving their due, then complained to the queen. The scandal breaks out. The cardinal is arrested in the Hall of Mirrors among stunned courtiers. Against all expectations, the man was finally cleared and Madame de La Motte arrested and tried along with her accomplices.
Although innocent, the queen ultimately acts as a scapegoat. Public opinion suspects her of having deliberately caused the downfall of the cardinal whom she already hates.
As for the necklace, it would have been dismantled and sold by the Count of La Motte to an English jeweler named William Gray, according to Sotherby’s. The latter would then have used several of the royal diamonds to make other jewelry, including that of the English Anglesey aristocrats.
Very few 18th century jewels have remained intact. As fashion changed, they were often dismantled, the precious stones reused and integrated into new models. “The survival of this necklace is therefore a miracle,” says Sotheby’s.
