SWITZERLAND: Diamonds for sale - Sotheby's reveals the main attraction of it's upcoming jewellery auction
Record ID:
1547596
SWITZERLAND: Diamonds for sale - Sotheby's reveals the main attraction of it's upcoming jewellery auction
- Title: SWITZERLAND: Diamonds for sale - Sotheby's reveals the main attraction of it's upcoming jewellery auction
- Date: 19th May 2007
- Summary: THE CUSHION-SHAPED DIAMOND THE PEAR-SHAPED DIAMOND DAVID BENNETT, SOTHEBY'S CHAIRMAN OF JEWELLERY FOR EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST WITH JOURNALIST. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID BENNETT, SOTHEBY'S CHAIRMAN OF JEWELLERY FOR EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST SAYING: "On a diamond, it's rare to have historic diamonds that haven't been altered. They're still in their original cut from the 19th century, and we've taken them all around the world, the Far East, Middle East, all over Europe and the United States, and we've had interest from all of these places, so it'll be very interesting to find out on Thursday who the actual buyer is." (SOUNDBITE) (English) BENNETT, ASKED WHAT MAKES THESE DIAMONDS EXCEPTIONAL: "I think it's the size, but also you know, as a person who's dealt with diamonds all my life, diamonds cut like these old stones have a particular personality, that I think sometimes these modern stones don't' have. And you know, one can almost smell the 19th century about them, you can imagine them being worn on a magnificently beautiful woman. It must have been an astonishing effect when she came down the staircase."
- Embargoed: 6th June 2007 15:08
- Keywords:
- Location: Switzerland
- Country: Switzerland
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVAB3YJVEL526TBP30ZS6BV9MRZ7
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: Sotheby's introduce the Donnersmarck diamonds, two yellow diamonds coming from a European princely family and weighing over 82 and 102 carats, which are each estimated to fetch up to two million U.S. dollars.
Sotheby's forthcoming jewellery sale is highlighted by a collection of noble pieces of jewellery, starring the Donnersmarck Diamonds, two precious yellow diamonds which come from the European Princely Family of the same name.
One is a pear-shaped stone weighing over 82 carats and the other is a cushion-shaped diamond weighing over 102 carats. Each are estimated to fetch up to two million U.S. dollars each.
Count Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck (1830-1916) was the scion of a noble family from Silesia. After taking over the running of the family business at the age of 18, he settled in Paris and encountered La Paiva, one of the most celebrated courtesans of the Second Empire. Although she was much older than him, he was immediately fascinated by her and married her in 1871.
Blanche de Paiva was born Teresa Lachmann in a poor family. She married at age 17, but within three years she had left for Paris on her own, where she became a famous courtesan and grew into the legendary La Paiva.
In 1851, she married the Portuguese Marquess de Paiva, gaining respectability and a title. Over the two next decades, she continued entertaining in her Salon many society names including the Emperor himself, politicians, industrialists, financiers, writers and artists, and in 1855, built one of the most famous and extravagant hotels on the Champs Elysees.
Her extravagant taste for diamonds was legendary, and she soon became known for being in possession of one of the most impressive jewel collections in Parism. Her jewels rivalled, if not surpassed, those of the Empress.
When she married Count Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck, she continued growing her jewel case. She bought the diamonds in 1882 from French jewellers Boucheron, at age 63 although her years as a courtesan had long past, at
000 francs-or.
After La Paiva's death, the Count became Prince and remarried in 1887 with Katarina Henckel von Donnersmarck, to whom he offered his first wife's who jewellery collection.
Katarina Henckel von Donnersmarck gave the diamonds their name, the Donnersmarck Diamonds - it is her descendants who have now put them up for auction. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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