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Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

On the Block: The Lesedi La Rona Diamond

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The Lesedi La Rona Diamond, which will be auctioned in June (Photo: DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images)

At the end of June, a once-in-a-lifetime jewelry auction will take place in London. Sotheby’s will offer the Lesedi La Rona Diamond, the second-largest gem-quality diamond ever discovered, for sale in a standalone auction. (The largest gem-quality diamond ever discovered? Still the Cullinan. Before it was cut, that diamond weighed a whopping 3100 carats. This one is about a third of that size.)

Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The diamond was discovered in November in the Karowe mine in Botswana. The mine is owned by the Canadian-based Lucara Diamond corporation. A contest was held in Botswana to name the 1,109 carat gem. The winning name, “Lesedi La Rona,” means “our light.”

Photo: DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images

The diamond’s estimated auction price is $70 million. The gem is still in its rough state, so whoever purchases it will have to undertake the massive project of cutting and polishing the stone. To give you an idea of the massive size of the diamond, many outlets have been comparing it to a tennis ball. Can you imagine???

Here’s video from the press preview, where you can see the uncut diamond already managing to sparkle a bit.

Auction Prices for Mary’s New Jewels

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Crown Princess Mary wears the necklace and earrings at Aarhus on 8 Apr 2015 (Photo: Henning Bagger/AFP/Getty)

Questions have been floating around about the cost of Crown Princess Mary’s new jewels, which were purchased at Bruun Rasmussen in 2012. The auction house’s records reveal the final prices of each piece.

Image from the Bruun Rasmussen auction catalogue

Mary’s Edwardian necklace/tiara and earrings were sold as a set (Lot #289). The pre-sale estimate for the suite of jewels was 4,000-5,350 euros (about $4500-$6000 USD at today’s exchange rate). The suite sold for about double the initial estimate, bringing 8,050 euros (about $9100 USD today).

Image from the Bruun Rasmussen auction catalogue

The diamond and morganite pendant was sold at the same auction (Lot #311). The pendant was estimated to sell for about 535 euros (about $600 USD today). The final sale price of the piece also easily bested the estimate, selling for 1,350 euros (about $1500 USD today).

On the Block: Jewels of Gabriele zu Leiningen

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The “Persepolis” necklace by Cartier, one of the jewels up for auction at Christie’s in May (Screengrab from Christies.com)

On May 18, a massive Magnificent Jewels sale is scheduled to take place at Christie’s in Geneva. Among the pieces up for auction will be a collection of jewelry belonging to Gabriele zu Leiningen, who has connections to two royal families.

Gabriele zu Leiningen, January 2010 (Photo: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for Hubert Burda Media)

Gabriele Thyssen earned a doctorate in international law and worked as an attorney before her marriages. In 1991, she wed Karl Emich zu Leiningen, who is a descendant of German, British, and Russian royal families. They divorced in 1998, and later that year she married the Aga Khan IV. As a part of that union, she converted to Islam and adopted a new name and title: Begum Inaara Aga Khan. The couple agreed to a divorce settlement in 2014.

Screengrab from Christies.com

Many of the jewels being sold at Christie’s date from Gabriele’s second marriage. Above, a Cartier necklace of emeralds and diamonds, with a large Colombian emerald pendant measuring more than 39 carats. The auction estimate for the necklace, which also has a coordinating pair of earrings, is between $2.5 million and $3.5 million.

Screengrab from Christies.com

Gabriele’s five-stranded pearl necklace, pictured above, features diamond bead spacers between each of the natural pearls.

Screengrab from Christies.com

This set of enameled bangle bracelets was made by Jean Schlumberger.

Screengrab from Christies.com

This diamond and pearl fringe necklace, made by Van Cleef and Arpels, was owned by the Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan, the French-born fourth wife of the Aga Khan III.

Screengrab from Christies.com

Another Van Cleef and Arpels treasure from the collection: a suite of diamond and ruby jewels made using the house’s famous mystery setting.

Screengrab from Christies.com

Gabriele is also selling an important gem: the Pohl Diamond, which weighs more than 36 carats. The diamond is set in a ring; it was purchased from Cartier for Gabriele in 1998. Christie’s is estimating that this diamond alone could sell for as much as $5.5 million.

The images in this post don’t really do justice to the gems; you really need to head over to the Christie’s website to see a video of the pieces in motion. The video is accompanied by more information about the jewels from Rahul Kadakia, the auction house’s International Head of Jewelry. Head over and drool over these pieces and more!

Oh, and one more thing — there will also be a piece of Queen Victoria’s jewelry up for sale at this auction. Above: a tease from Vincent Meylan, who recently wrote about the ruby and diamond brooch in Point de Vue.