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IN EUROPEAN, Queen Marie Antoinette is famous for the story of her diamonds. But there is one story about her diamond bracelet that is less well-known, where she managed to send the bracelet to her native Austria, before being executed.
Now the two diamond bracelets will be auctioned by Christie’s Geneva auction house on November 9, as reported by Tatler.
“Over the last 255 years Christie’s has offered many historic gems from empires around the world. It is a privilege to be able to offer this extraordinary and unique bracelet for sale at Christie’s where this historic bracelet will attract offers from collectors globally. As seen In recent sales in Geneva, the market for gems of noble origin continues to be popular,” said François Curiel, Chairman of Christie’s Luxury.
The ‘cursed’ diamond was purchased by Marie Antoinette in 1776 for 250,000 livres (worth IDR4.9 billion today). Antoinette reportedly paid for the jewellery by selling some of the gems she owned, as well as some money belonging to her husband, the king.
When Marie Antoinette was imprisoned in the Tuileries, she sent her beloved diamond bracelet in a coffin to the former Austrian Ambassador, Count Mercy-Argenteau. A few months after her execution, Marie Antoinette’s relative Emperor Francis II of Austria ordered the chest to be opened and the diamond found.
The bracelets were later given to Marie Antoinette’s only surviving daughter, Marie Thérèse of France, known as Madame Royale, which she later passed on to her nieces and nephews when she died childless. [antaranews/photo special]
