Marie Antoinette pearls unseen for 200 years to be auctioned at Sotheby’s
Staff Writer |
One of the most important royal jewellery collections ever to come to auction is set to capture the world’s imagination when it comes for sale at Sotheby’s in Geneva on 12 November 2018.
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Entitled “Royal Jewels from the Bourbon-Parma Familyâ€, the auction will span centuries of European history, from the reign of Louis XVI to the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and will offer fascinating insights into the splendour of one of Europe’s most important royal dynasties.
Descended from Louis XIV of France, the Holy Roman Emperors and from Pope Paul III, the Bourbon-Parma family is linked by blood to the most important ruling families of Europe - from the Bourbons to the Habsburgs.
Members of the lineage include Kings of France and Spain, Emperors of Austria and the Dukes of Parma.
This exceptional ancestry is evidenced in the extraordinary opulence and provenance of the pieces in the collection, led by a breath-taking group of jewels which once belonged to Marie Antoinette, ill-fated queen of France, which have not been seen in public for 200 years.
In 1792, the royal family was imprisoned in the Temple tower. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed by guillotine in 1793 and their 10-year old son, Louis XVII, died in captivity.
Upon her arrival in Vienna in 1796, she was given her mother’s jewels by her cousin, the emperor.
Among the star lots of the collection is a stunning diamond pendant, supporting a natural pearl of exceptional size (26mm x 18mm) (est. $1-2 million).
Testament to the splendour and opulence of the French court are also a pair of natural pearl drops (est. $30,000–50,000) and a fabulous necklace featuring 331 natural pearls (est.$200,000-300,000).
Made for Louise of France, grand-daughter of Charles X, King of France and mother of Rober I, Duke of Parma, a breath-taking diamond parure composed of 95 diamonds (est. $300,000-500,000) includes five solitaire diamonds that belonged to Marie Antoinette, a large number of stones which adorned the sword of the Duke of Berry, son of Charles X and father of Louise (assassinated by an anti-royal Bonapartist in 1820) and a large pear-shaped diamond from the collection of the Archduchess Isabella of Austria, Princess of Croÿ.
A highlight of this group is a diamond tiara of foliate scroll design given by Emperor Franz Joseph to his great-niece, Archduchess Maria
Anna of Austria for her wedding to Elias of Bourbon, Duke of Parma in 1902. (est. $80,000-120,000).
Boasting the same prestigious provenance are a magnificent diamond bow brooch, adorned with a 6.89-carat Burmese ruby (est. $200,000-300,000) and a diamond ring set with an impressive fancy orangey-pink diamond of 2.44 carats (est. $120,000-180,000) which were given to Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria by her father to mark the births of
her two sons.
A diamond brooch adorned with an impressive 30.70-carat sapphire from Ceylon (est. $150,000- 250,000) was a gift from her mother on the occasion of her marriage.
Most of the jewels in the collection were given to Robert I,
the last sovereign Duke of Parma and Piacenza, by his mother Louise of France, grand-daughter of King Charles X of Franc and greatniece
of Marie Antoinette.
Highlights of the collection will go on view in Milan next week and this wil then be followed by an international tour. Milan (27 June 2018), Munich (18 September 2018), Cologne (21 September 2018).
The jewels will also go on view in London, New York, Hong Kong and Geneva this autumn. ■