In Geneva, a 37-carat emerald brooch, which belonged to the first wife of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, was sold for 7.76 million francs, the most expensive in the world, at a Christie’s auction . A landmark event that retraces the fascinating history of a unique jewel.
Tuesday afternoon, the auction of this exceptional emerald brooch captivated jewelry and history enthusiasts. This jewel, of remarkable purity with a 37-carat emerald from Colombia, was given in 1957 by Sadruddin Aga Khan to his first wife, Nina Dyer, during their wedding in Geneva. The piece was then put up for auction at Christie’s in 1969, after the death of the British model.
“This piece is closely linked to the history of Christie’s since, since May 1, 1969, we have organized jewelry sales regularly in Switzerland, twice a year. And the reason is that having received this lovely collection for sale, we we realized that it was impossible to import it to England because of customs duties, so we chose Switzerland”, explained François Curiel, director of Christie’s Europe, on 7:30 p.m.
A fascinating journey
The brooch was designed by Cartier, before being modified by other jewelers over the years. The emerald was put up for auction for the first time for the sum of 900,000 francs. The buyer, Jacques Arpels, owner of Van Cleef & Arpels, then sold it to another collector, before it disappeared from the radar for several decades.
It was last March that a collector decided to put it back on sale. “He came to see us saying: ‘Do you remember the emerald that you sold on May 1, 1969 in Geneva? Here it is. I would like to put it up for auction,'” says François Curiel.
An extremely rare jewel, appreciated by connoisseurs
The sale aroused real emotion among enthusiasts, both for the beauty of the brooch and for its history. “The possibility, even just of seeing it, of being able to admire it, is a unique and quite extraordinary opportunity,” testifies a visitor.
“At the time, they were very natural stones, authentic minerals, without treatment. It has become very rare,” adds another enthusiast.
Ultimately, the emerald was sold for an impressive amount of nearly 8 million, a far cry from the 900,000 francs of 1969. If the buyer remains anonymous, the jewel, for its part, endures in history, immortalizing the elegance and richness of an era.
TV report: Chloé Steulet
Adaptation web: Tristan Hertig
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