A remarkable 18th-century diamond necklace, featuring approximately 500 diamonds, is set to be auctioned at Sotheby’s in Geneva on November 11, 2024. With online bidding opening on October 25, this historical piece is expected to fetch between $1.8 million and $2.8 million.
The necklace, which has remained out of public view for 50 years, hails from a private Asian collection. It boasts three diamond-studded rows, culminating in elegant tassels. Believed to be of royal or aristocratic origin, the piece may contain diamonds linked to the infamous “Affair of the Necklace,” a scandal that tarnished Marie Antoinette’s reputation and contributed to the French Revolution.
Crafted in the late 1700s, the necklace was later owned by the Marquesses of Anglesey and worn at the coronations of King George VI in 1937 and Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
Sotheby’s notes that the diamonds are likely sourced from India’s legendary Golconda mines, renowned for producing some of the world's most pristine gems. The necklace’s rarity lies not only in its provenance but also in its survival, as many 18th-century jewels were often dismantled to be repurposed.
Following its London display, the necklace will tour Hong Kong, New York, and Taipei before its auction in Geneva.
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