Pair of Natural Pearls Sells for Record-Breaking $3.3M

(IDEX Online News) – A pair of drop-shape pearls has sold at auction for a record-breaking $3.3 million. The pearls, which are believed to have belonged to Empress Eugenie of France, were purchased by an anonymous telephone bidder at Doyle New York.

The price of the pearls, a warm grey color, which were mounted with antique silver and diamond caps and were set onto a circa 1920 platinum and diamond pendant, smashed the previous record for a pair of natural pearls set last year.

In May 2013, Sotheby's Geneva sold a pair of natural pearls from the collection of Gina Lollobrigida for $2.4 million, breaking the earlier record of $1.99 million set by Christie's New York at the sale of the collection of Elizabeth Taylor in December 2011.

A hand-written note accompanying the pearls record that they belonged to Empress Eugenie of France. In 1887, following the fall of Napoleon III and his wife, they were sold in a 12-day auction of the French Crown Jewels.

A report from the Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF stated that they were natural saltwater pearls with no indications of artificial color modification. "Assembling a matching pair of natural pearls of this size and quality is very rare and exceptional, and thus this pair of pearls can be considered a very exceptional treasure of nature."