A diamond necklace weighing approximately 300 carats (estimate CHF 1 600 000 – 2 400 000 CHF / $1 800 000 – 2 800 000), unseen in public for 50 years and unearthed from a noteworthy private Asian collection will make its auction debut at Sotheby’s Royal and Noble sale at the Mandarin Oriental in Geneva on 11 November 2024.
According to Sotheby’s, the piece predates the French Revolution and “could only have been created for royalty or a high-ranking aristocrat at one of the glittering courts of the ancient régime – most likely the French or English court. It is thought that some of the diamonds featured in this jewel may have come from the famous necklace linked to what became the scandal of the ‘Affair of the Necklace’, which contributed to the advent of the French Revolution and eventually Marie-Antoinette’s death.”
“This rare and important diamond jewel is a sublime survivor from the opulent court life of the Georgian era, defined by its unrivalled pomp and splendour; it is arguably one of the most magnificent and intact Georgian jewels in private hands.
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 a masterclass in exquisite design, workmanship and technical innovation for the period.
The jewel is as relevant, alluring, and appealing today as when it was made over two centuries ago. It is the nec plus ultra of 18th-century jewellery design,” said Andres White Correal, Chairman of Jewellery Europe and Middle East, Head of Noble Jewels.
While the link to the Affair is unconfirmed, the auctioneers know that the piece was owned by the Marquesses of Anglesey, a prominent Anglo-Welsh aristocratic family. In 1937, Marjorie Paget, Marchioness of Anglesey (eldest daughter of Henry Manners, eighth Duke of Rutland), wore the jewel to King George VI’s coronation. In 1953, her daughter-in-law wore the heirloom to Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. The seventh Marquess of Anglesey parted with the piece around the 1960s. It has been in a private collection since around 1976.
Typically versatile for jewels of this era, the piece can be draped around the neck, tassels tied in a simple knot, or left hanging loosely. The diamonds, crafted in an old mine brilliant cut, are likely to have been extracted from India’s Golconda mines. “Golconda diamonds were the first in the world to be discovered in the 4th century BC and although the mines became extinct nearly 200 years ago, Golconda diamonds are still considered to this day as the purest and most dazzling diamonds ever mined,” according to Sotheby’s.
This historic antique jewel can be viewed before the sale at the following destinations:
Hong Kong 3-5 October at Sotheby’s Maison
New York 9-10 October at Sotheby’s on York Avenue
Singapore 18-19 October at the Conrad Singapore Orchard Hotel
Taipei 21-22 October at the Hua Nan Bank International Convention Centre
Dubai 28-30 October at Sotheby’s Dubai
