Rare Diamond Neglige Necklace Linked to Marie Antoinette’s Downfall and French Revolution Comes to Sotheby’s Auction
Sotheby’s has revealed a historic and significant diamond on Monday that is poised to be the centerpiece of its upcoming Royal and Noble sale in Geneva on Nov. 11. This rare 18th-century jewel, which has remained in private collections for decades, is expected to fetch between $1.8 million and $2.8 million.
Weighing approximately 300 carats, the jewel includes three rows of old mine brilliant-cut diamonds and is finished with diamond tassels at the end; when worn, it resembles a scarf. While the precise origins of the jewel remain unclear, some specialists believe it was crafted for royalty or a high-ranking aristocrat during the decade leading up to the French Revolution, according to Sotheby’s. It is thought that some of the diamonds may have ties to the famous “Affair of the Necklace,” a scandal that played a role in the events leading to the French Revolution and Marie Antoinette’s downfall.
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This historical piece later became part of the collection of the Marquesses of Anglesey, an Anglo-Welsh aristocratic family closely connected to the British Royal family. The jewel made notable appearances at two royal coronations. Marjorie Paget, Marchioness of Anglesey, was photographed wearing the necklace, alongside the family’s tiara, at King George VI’s coronation in 1937. Her daughter-in-law later donned the same ensemble at Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953.
After changing hands in the 1960s, the diamond necklace has not been seen in public for nearly 50 years. It was last exhibited at the American Museum of Natural History’s Bicentennial Exhibition in 1976 before being acquired by a private collector. The necklace is now set to embark on a global exhibition tour, with stops in London, Hong Kong, New York, and Dubai, before its highly anticipated auction in Geneva.
This extraordinary jewel offers a rare glimpse into 18th-century aristocratic fashion and craftsmanship, featuring diamonds likely sourced from the legendary Golconda mines of India, known for producing some of the world’s purest stones, including the Hope diamond, the Farnese blue, and the Koh-I-Noor part of the Crown Jewels.
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