Last night, Sotheby’s held an auction in Geneva at which it auctioned off a pearl and diamond pendant once owned by Marie Antoinette. It sold for a whopping Dhs132 million (USD$36 million), which is a world record for a pearl sold at auction. It’s even more impressive given that piece was valued at “just” Dhs7.3 million ($USD2 million).
The previous piece to have held the title was a pearl necklace owned by Elizabeth Taylor which sold for Dhs43 million ($USD11.8 million) in 2011.
The former French Queen’s necklace was part of a collection of historic jewels, that also included pieces once owned by King Charles X and the Dukes of Parma. The collection was described by the auction house as “one of the most important… ever to appear on the market.” When you consider that many of the pieces hadn’t been seen in public for 200 years, it’s not hard to see why. The entire collection sold for Dhs249 million ($USD67.8 million).
Someone’s jewellery box just got a whole lot more regal…
Now, find out more about Patek Philippe’s new women’s watch, the first in two decades.
