- Title: Jewels of French ill-fated queen Marie Antoinette to sell at auction in Geneva
- Date: 8th November 2018
- Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (NOVEMBER 7, 2018) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MARIE ANTOINETTE'S NATURAL PEARL AND DIAMOND PENDANT VARIOUS OF MODEL WEARING MARIE ANTOINETTE'S NECKLACE, PENDANT EARRINGS AND HOLDING PENDANT, ALL MADE OF NATURAL PEARLS AND DIAMONDS VARIOUS OF MODEL HOLDING NATURAL PEARL AND DIAMOND PENDANT MODEL WEARING NATURAL PEARL AND DIAMOND PENDANT EARRING AND NECKLACE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOTHEBY'S JEWELLERY DEPARTMENT DEPUTY CHAIRMAN IN EUROPE, DANIELA MASCETTI, SAYING: "I think that it will be a good sale. I think the overall estimate, pre-sale estimate, for the collection is about 4.5 million dollars. The highest valued item is a very special pearl and diamond pendant which belonged to Marie-Antoinette at 1 to 2 million dollars estimate." VARIOUS OF MODEL HOLDING NATURAL PEARL AND DIAMOND PENDANT MODEL WEARING NATURAL PEARL AND DIAMOND NECKLACE AND PENDANT EARRINGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOTHEBY'S JEWELLERY DEPARTMENT DEPUTY CHAIRMAN IN EUROPE, DANIELA MASCETTI, SAYING: "They are beautiful jewels that should do well because the design is perfect, the gems are good. But given the provenance I am pretty confident that the result will really exceed our pre-sale estimates." MODEL WEARING NATURAL PEARL AND DIAMOND NECKLACE / MODEL HOLDING NATURAL PEARL AND DIAMOND PENDANT (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOTHEBY'S JEWELLERY DEPARTMENT DEPUTY CHAIRMAN IN EUROPE, DANIELA MASCETTI, SAYING: "Really jewels were just looked at as sparklers, precious little items that would embellish an outfit. 35 years later I think the history of jewellery design has started to be appreciated and with the history of jewellery design, also the provenance has started to be appreciated. So yes, it has been a really growing process in the interest of jewels as true works of art rather than just mere sparklers." VARIOUS OF MODEL WITH MARIE ANTOINETTE'S DIAMOND AND WOVEN HAIR RING MARIE ANTOINETTE'S JEWELLERY ON DISPLAY
- Embargoed: 22nd November 2018 08:45
- Keywords: Auction Sotheby's jewellery Marie Antoinette French queen jewels Bourbon Parma family
- Location: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- City: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- Country: Switzerland
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA00195NCIMX
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Held in private collections for more than 200 years, jewellery that once belonged to France's ill-fated Queen Marie Antoinette has gone on display in Geneva ahead of its planned auction on November 14, where the jewels could fetch $ 4.5 million Sotheby's said on Wednesday (November 7).
Described by British auction house Sotheby's as "one of the most important royal jewellery collections ever to come to auction," the pieces are part of an exhibition entitled "Royal Jewels from the Bourbon Parma family" that also includes other items from the storied dynasty's rich history.
The French queen's jewels include a 49-karat natural pearl and diamond pendant, as well as necklaces, brooches, and earrings valued in total at between $1.5 and 3 million.
The collection, which belongs to the Bourbon Parma family, also includes a monogram ring with woven strands of Marie Antoinette's hair enclosed.
Marie-Antoinette, an Austrian archduchess by birth, was the wife of King Louis XVI of France, of the Bourbon dynasty. Both were executed by guillotine in 1793 after the French Revolution. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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