FRANCE: Princess Soraya's impressive collection of jewellery has been auctinoed in Paris at Drouot-Montaigne auction house

Record ID: 175694

  • Title: FRANCE: Princess Soraya's impressive collection of jewellery has been auctinoed in Paris at Drouot-Montaigne auction house
  • Date: 29th May 2002
  • Summary: (W1) PARIS, FRANCE (MAY 29, 2002) (REUTERS TV) PAN EXTERIOR OF DROUOT-MONTAIGNE AUCTION HOUSE PAN BUYERS ARRIVING AT DROUOT MONTAIGNE SV PEOPLE ENTERING AUCTION ROOM SV POSTER OF SORAYA MCU (French) UNIDENTIFIED COUPLE ASKED IF THEY WILL BUY SOME ITEMS AND SAYING: "We'll try, we'll see. (QUESTION: HAVE YOU SOMETHING IN MIND?) "Maybe." MCU (French) UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN SAYIN
  • Embargoed: 13th June 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PARIS, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Royalty,Quirky,Royalty,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVACPR8FWCG3HUU3KV1NM8U5VODB
  • Story Text: Princess Sorayas impressive collection of jewelry has been auctioned in Paris at Drouot-Montaigne auction house.
    More than one thousand items, worth three million euros (US$ 2.75 millions), including magnificient jewels, Egyptian and Roman antiques, Oriental art pieces, tapestry, haute couture outfits, intimate photographs, wedding presents and a red Rolls Royce that belonged to Princess Soraya Esfandiary Bakhtiary, the late Shah of Iran's second wife, went under auction in Paris for three days.
    International buyers gathered at Drouot-Montaigne on Wednesday night (May 29) to make their bids for Soraya's magnificient jewellery, gifts from the Shah of Iran when she was empress.
    The star of the auction, coveted by most buyers, was an engagement ring, a 22-carat diamond ring by Harry Winston, estimated to be valued at between 300 and 500.000 euros, went unde the hammer for 900.000 euros.
    Other spectacular jewels, a Van Cleef and Arpels yellow gold ring with diamonds estimated 150.000 euros and a Bulgari diamond and gold necklace estimated 60.000 euros were respectively sold for 245.000 and 150.000 euros.
    Princess Soraya, who was renowned for her beauty, spent seven years at the Iranian Imperial Court, where she was famed for keeping a pet seal in a fountain, until her marriage with Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi ended in March 1959 after she remained childless. Though she lost the title of empress, the Shah confered on her the title of royal princess.
    At 26, repudiated by her former subjects, she left Iran and became the "princess with the sad eyes," spending the rest of her life in exile in Europe. She died in Paris in October 2001, almost unnoticed in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks and the war in Afghanistan.
    All the funds collected over three days will be given to a humanitarian organisation.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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