Thu Nov 14 05:46:38 UTC 2024: ## Diamond Necklace Linked to Marie Antoinette Scandal Sells for $4.8 Million
**Geneva, Switzerland** – A historic diamond necklace with potential ties to the infamous Diamond Necklace Affair, which contributed to the downfall of Queen Marie Antoinette, fetched a staggering $4.8 million at a Sotheby’s auction in Geneva on Wednesday.
The 18th-century jewel, boasting approximately 300 carats of diamonds, was estimated to sell for $1.8-2.8 million. However, energetic bidding pushed the hammer price to 3.55 million Swiss francs ($4 million), with the final price reaching 4.26 million francs ($4.81 million) after taxes and commissions.
The necklace, consisting of three rows of diamonds and diamond tassels at each end, emerged miraculously intact from a private Asian collection after 50 years of being hidden from public view. Sotheby’s hailed it as an “incredible survivor of history.”
The auction house described the piece, likely created in the decade before the French Revolution, as “rare and highly important.” Its provenance can be traced back to the early 20th century when it belonged to the Marquesses of Anglesey. Members of this aristocratic family wore the necklace twice in public – at the 1937 coronation of King George VI and the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
While the designer and initial owner remain unknown, Sotheby’s believes a piece of such grandeur could only have been commissioned for a royal family. The auction house further speculates that some of the diamonds may have originated from the infamous necklace at the center of the Diamond Necklace Affair.
The scandal involved Jeanne de la Motte, a noblewoman who falsely claimed to be a confidante of Marie Antoinette. She procured a lavish diamond necklace in the queen’s name, promising payment later. Though the queen was later found innocent, the affair cemented public perception of her extravagant lifestyle and fueled the growing anger that ultimately led to the French Revolution.
Sotheby’s confirmed that the diamonds in the necklace sold on Wednesday likely originated from the famed Golconda mines in India, renowned for their exceptional purity and brilliance.
First Piper 