Remarkable Story of Survival
September 26, 24
Diamond grading certs don't always tell the whole tale.
Here's a collection of mostly are J to L color stones. Some are M and M+. They're an old mine brilliant cut, they weigh 1.0-cts to 1.5-cts each and clarity is only SI to I.
But what we're looking at here are around 300 carats of history.
These diamonds were almost certainly recovered from India's legendary Golconda mines at least 240 years ago.
They were fashioned into an exquisite - and frankly enormous - necklace. Some are believed to have come from the necklace that played a part in the downfall of Marie Antoinette, the last Queen of France.
The remarkable thing is that the necklace - three rows of diamonds finished with tassels at each end - has survived intact.
Such pieces, especially those with Golconda diamonds, were routinely broken up into individual gems and repurposed.
Sotheby's Geneva will auction the necklace on 11 November, with an estimate of $1.8m to $2.8m, describing it as "one of the rarest and most historically important diamond necklaces to ever come to auction".
Andres White Correal, chairman and head of the royal and noble sales at Sotheby's for Europe and the Middle East, told Reuters: "Diamonds were always repurposed and because the mines of Golconda in India went extinct at the end of the 18th century, most of the 18th century jewels, in order to keep with fashion, were broken up.
"So to have an 18th century jewel intact of this magnitude, size and the importance of the diamonds, is exceptionally rare."
The Golconda mines (home to the Koh-i-Noor, Hope Diamond, and Daria-i-Noor) were first discovered in the 4th century BCE and were the only known source of fine diamonds on the planet for 2,000 years.
The mining industry there was primarily alluvial. It employed thousands of workers and reached its peak in the 16th century.
By the late 18th century, when this necklace was made, the mines were largely depleted, so the relatively small number of diamonds they yielded were much sought after and came with a high premium.
Little is known of the necklace's early history, though it was clearly made for royalty or a high-ranking aristocrat, probably in France or England.
Some of the diamonds are said to have come from the infamous Affair of the Necklace that played a significant role in the demise of Marie Antoinette, who was guillotined in 1793 during the French Revolution.
The short version is that she was accused of planning to buy a lavish diamond necklace at a time of great hardship in France. It was a politically-motivated, trumped-up charge, but the mud stuck.
The necklace at the center of that affair was later broken up, as was common at the time, and some of the diamonds are believed to have been used in the necklace that's about to be auctioned.
"This rare and important diamond jewel is a sublime survivor from the opulent court life of the Georgian era, defined by its unrivalled pomp and splendour," said White Correal, of Sotheby's.
"It is arguably one of the most magnificent and intact Georgian jewels in private hands. It is a fortune in diamonds, and also a masterclass in exquisite design, workmanship and technical innovation for the period."
Late 18th century jewelry was characterized by its opulence and versatility of use. One piece could be worn as a necklace or sewn onto a piece of clothing as an ornament.
In this case the jewel - also referred to as "neglige" - can be worn around the neck with the tassels hanging or tied in a simple knot.
The necklace appears to have been passed from one wealthy family to another down the years.
It is known to have belonged to Marjorie Paget, Marchioness of Anglesey, a member of Britain's nobility, who wore it at the coronation of King George VI in 1937.
Her daughter-in-law later wore the same necklace at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. The family parted with the piece around the 1960s.
In 1976, it was exhibited in the Bicentennial Exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History, in New York, before being acquired by an Asian collector who has owned it ever since.
It's not been seen in half a century, but now it's on display - in London, Hong Kong, New York and Taiwan - before being sold . . . still intact after all these years.
Have a fabulous weekend.