The historically significant 18th-century diamond necklace, possibly linked to Marie-Antoinette’s infamous “Affair of the Necklace,” has surpassed all expectations, achieving over $4.8 million in a riveting and fierce seven-minute bidding battle at Sotheby’s Royal and Noble Jewel’s auction.
The packed auction room witnessed a fierce bidding battle among seven potential buyers that lasted over seven tense minutes. Finally, the anonymous winning bidder, now in possession of perhaps one of the most talked-about necklaces of the year, holds an extraordinary piece of jewellery history emerging intact from an important private Asian collection. This piece made its first public appearance in 50 years when it was unveiled by Sotheby’s in London earlier in September.
A stunning piece of jewellery from the Georgian era, composed of three rows of diamonds finished with a diamond tassel at each end, such an important and historic antique jewel 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. Its precise origin story is not recorded, and existing evidence points to several possibilities, one of which being the “Affair of the Necklace” and its diamonds, some of which may have been used in the necklace sold today.
It is known however that the diamond jewel belonged to the Marquesses of Anglesey, a leading Anglo-Welsh aristocratic family with close ties to the British Royal family in the early 20th century.
In 1937, Marjorie Paget, Marchioness of Anglesey (eldest daughter of Henry Manners, 8th Duke of Rutland), wore the jewel to the coronation of King George VI, together with the famous Anglesey tiara. She was immortalised wearing her coronation robes and diamond jewel by the renowned society photographer Cecil Beaton.
In 1953, her daughter-in-law attended the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II wearing the same ensemble of heirloom jewels. The seventh Marquess of Anglesey parted with the piece around the 1960s.
In 1976, it was exhibited in the Bicentennial Exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History, before being acquired by an important private collector where it has remained ever since.
“The extraordinary results of today’s sale represent Sotheby’s Royal and Noble Jewels sales at their apex. With yet another white glove auction, these sales demonstrate the lasting power of provenance. They also show the power of the Sotheby’s Worldwide Jewellery team, the only one dedicated to enshrining the legacy of these important collections.
Meticulously collected over generations, A Tsar’s Treasure provided an intimate glimpse into one of Central Europe’s most important royal families, and one of the greatest jewellery collectors of the 19th and 20th centuries.
While there were innumerable results worth celebrating, as a career highlight, the Anglesey Jewel stands sans pareil. From the moment we laid eyes on it, our entire team was transfixed by its beauty, its history, and its timelessness. Travelling with it around the world, the awe it inspired was universal. The electricity in the sales room was palpable, and it will be one of my fondest memories to have been on the phone, helping to find its new home,” Andres White Correal, Chairman Jewellery Europe and Middle East, Head of Noble Jewels, explained.
This edition of Sotheby’s Royal & Noble sale was the first to includes lots from various owners, alongside the single owner sale A Tsar’s Treasure: Ferdinand of Bulgaria (1861-1948), one of the most important collections of royal and noble jewels from the courts of central Europe ever to come to auction.
This prestigious single owner sale continues the story of the highly successful single owner sale ‘Vienna 1900: An Imperial and Royal Collection’, held in Geneva on 6th– 7th November 2023. With 114 lots, spanning nearly a century in the history of the illustrious family of Tsar Ferdinand of Saxe-Cobourg-Gotha, this collection is a magnificent testimony to Tsar Ferdinand’s exquisite taste, nurtured by his mother, Princess Clementine of Orleans, daughter of the last French King Louis Philippe 1er – herself an avid jewellery collector.
Here’s a snapshot of some of the top ten pieces from the Royal & Noble Jewels auction:
Pair of diamond earrings, late 19th century and later, sold for $81130.
Magnificent Jewels Sale
Earlier in the day, the Magnificent Jewels Sale witnessed strong bidding throughout, with many lots achieving multiples of their high estimates.
Jessica Wyndham, Head of Magnificent Jewels, Sotheby’s Geneva, noted: “We are incredibly proud of the results of achieved for our carefully curated Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva … the sale showed confidence in the market for both white and coloured diamonds. Pink diamonds performed particularly well, with the top lot of the sale being a Fancy Orangy Pink diamond ring weighing 12.52 carats, selling for $31,54,396, over five times its low estimate.
“We saw strength in coloured gemstones, too, with some spectacular results for sapphires, including an attractive sapphire and diamond bangle by Van Cleef & Arpels which almost doubled its low estimate to achieve $6,89,460.
“We were pleased to see natural pearls maintaining their appeal with all our lots selling handsomely. Similarly, signed jewels were also well represented in the sale, and we achieved strong results for all pieces, from the art deco period to contemporary designers such as JAR. We saw fantastic results for highlights from the stunning single owner collection of Archaeological Revival Jewels, demonstrating that museum quality jewels really do have a place in contemporary collections.”
Altogether the sales achieved combined total of $30,702,010, fuelled by over 330 bidders from all over the world – with a marked predominance of bidders from Europe followed by North America and Asia.
SOME MAGNIFICENT JEWELS TOPPERS
