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The Most Expensive Jewels from the Bourbon-Parma Auction
DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images |
On Wednesday, Sotheby’s in Geneva sold a hundred lots of jewelry from the House of Bourbon-Parma, including impeccable pieces with eye-popping royal provenance. Here’s a look at the ten highest-grossing lots from the sale!
Sotheby’s |
10. Archduchess Maria Anna’s Sapphire Cluster Brooch: This lovely brooch features a 30-carat Ceylon sapphire surrounded by twelve brilliants, in a classic design that echoes the famous Albert Brooch from the British royal collection. This brooch is newer, made around 1900 and given by Princess Isabella of Croy to Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria when she married Prince Elias, Duke of Parma in 1903. The brooch sold for $551,010.
Sotheby’s |
9. Archduchess Maria Anna’s Fancy Orangy Pink Diamond Ring: This classic cluster ring features an unusual 2.44-carat fancy orangy pink diamond framed by additional colorless diamonds. The ring was given to Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria (wife of Prince Elias, Duke of Parma) by her father, Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen in 1909. The gift was a celebration of the birth of Maria Anna’s second son, Prince Robert. The ring sold for $574,837.
Sotheby’s |
8. Princess Maria Teresa’s Diamond Girandole Earrings: This spectacular pair of diamond pendant earrings were made in the first half of the nineteenth-century. They originally belonged to Princess Maria Teresa of Savoy, the wife of Charles II, Duke of Parma, and were later inherited by her grandson, Robert I, Duke of Parma. The earrings sold for $729,715.
Sotheby’s |
7. The Bourbon-Parma Diamond Demi-Parure: This incredible diamond demi-parure consists of a necklace, a pair of earrings, and a brooch. The suite contains diamonds owned by several members of the Bourbon-Parma family, including Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry (son of King Charles X of France), the Duchess of Angouleme (daughter of Queen Marie Antoinette), and Princess Isabella of Croy (mother of Archduchess Maria Anna, Duchess of Parma). The demi-parure sold for $848,853.
Sotheby’s |
6. Archduchess Maria Anna’s Fleur-de-Lis Tiara: We featured this bold fleur-de-lis tiara recently here at The Court Jeweller. It was made in 1912 for Archduchess Maria Anna (wife of Prince Elias, Duke of Parma) by an Austrian jeweler, Hübner. The tiara sold for $967,990.
Sotheby’s |
5. The Duke of Angouleme’s Order of the Saint-Esprit: This diamond, emerald, and ruby badge of the French Order of the Saint-Esprit was made around 1820 for the Duke of Angouleme (son of King Charles X of France). The badge sold for $1,623,244.
Sotheby’s |
4. The Duke of Angouleme’s Order of the Golden Fleece: This elaborate diamond, sapphire, and ruby ornament is the neck badge of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The badge was made around 1820. It sold for $1,682,813.
Sotheby’s |
3. Marie Antoinette’s Diamond Bow Brooch: This 18th century diamond bow brooch features a large pear-shaped yellow diamond pendant. The bow brooch belonged to Queen Marie Antoinette of France; the yellow diamond was a later addition. The brooch sold for $2,099,793.
Sotheby’s |
2. Queen Marie Antoinette’s Pearls: This three-stranded pearl necklace is strung with pearls that belonged to Marie Antoinette. (We featured her pearl parure here.) The necklace sold for $2,278,499.
Sotheby’s |
1. Marie Antoinette’s Diamond and Pearl Pendant: This astonishing diamond and pearl pendant was a part of Marie Antoinette’s collection (in a different form — see more here). This was the absolute whopper of the sale. The top range of its pre-sale estimate was just under two million dollars. When the hammer fell on Wednesday, this pendant sold for a breathtaking $36,165,090.
On the Block: A Trio of Bourbon-Parma Tiaras
DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images |
As next week’s magnificent Bourbon-Parma royal jewel sale approaches, today we’ve got a closer look at the three tiaras included in the auction at Sotheby’s.
DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images |
Lot 88 from the auction is an incredible diamond tiara that prominently features the fleur-de-lis, an important symbol for the various branches of the House of Bourbon, including the Bourbon-Parmas. The fleur-de-lis elements can be removed from the tiara and worn as brooches. The tiara’s auction estimate is set at between $354,113 and $556,463.
Sotheby’s |
The tiara was made in 1912 by Hübner, an Austrian jewelry firm. Fittingly, it was made for a member of the Austrian royal family: Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria, daughter of Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen and Princess Isabella of Croy. She married Prince Elias, Duke of Parma in 1903.
Maria Anna wears the tiara |
Maria Anna posed for a portrait wearing the tiara and court dress around the same time that the piece was made.
DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images |
Some of the diamonds used in the creation of the tiara were taken from a badge of the Order of the Saint-Esprit. The badge of this French order was made around 1820 for King Charles X and was passed down to his great-grandson, Prince Robert, Duke of Parma. The frame of the badge is also included in the auction as Lot 87.
Sotheby’s |
Lot 76, a diamond tiara with scroll and floral designs, was made in 1901 by the Austrian imperial court jeweler, Köchert. It was given to Archduchess Maria Anna in 1903 as a wedding present by an important family member: Emperor Franz Josef of Austria-Hungary. The tiara is expected to bring between $80,940 and $121,410 at auction.
Sotheby’s |
The final tiara on offer, Lot 83, is a ruby and diamond bow brooch that can also be worn as a tiara-like hair ornament. The jewel was made by a Hungarian firm, Bachruch, around 1900. It was given to Archduchess Maria Anna by her father, the Duke of Teschen, in 1905 after the birth of her second child, Prince Charles Louis.
Maria Anna wears the brooch in her hair |
Not long after she received it, a youthful Maria Anna posed for a portrait wearing the brooch as a tiara-like heir ornament. The piece is estimated to sell for between $202,350 and $303,525 on Wednesday.
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