Queen Marie Antoinette's jewels surface, up for auction
Jewelry that once belonged to doomed French Queen Marie Antoinette will be auctioned at Sotheby's in Switzerland, where it is expected to sell for millions of dollars.
A natural pearl and diamond pendant that once belonged to doomed French Queen Marie Antoinette was sold at auction for over $36 million in Switzerland on Wednesday. The sale sets a new auction record for a natural pearl, according to auction house Sotheby’s.
The buyer wanted to remain anonymous, the auction house added.
The pendant, which features a drop-shaped, 2.58-cm (about 1-inch) natural pearl, had a pre-sale estimate of between $1 million and $2 million.
MARIE ANTOINETTE'S LONG-HIDDEN JEWELS SURFACE, UP FOR AUCTION
The daughter of Holy Roman Empress Maria Teresa and wife of King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette was guillotined in October 1793 during the height of the French Revolution. Her husband had been executed nine months earlier.
An 18th century Pearl Diamond pendant previously belonging to Marie Antoinette is displayed at Sotheby's auction house on Oct.19, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
The auction offered a glimpse into the opulent world of the French court during its twilight years.
Diamond and pearl earrings, pearl necklaces and the giant pearl pendant owned by the ill-fated queen were among 100 heirlooms from the Bourbon-Parma dynasty auctioned by Sotheby’s in Geneva. Some of the Marie Antoinette jewelry hadn't been seen in public for 200 years — until now.
INCREDIBLE PHOTOS OF THE LAST CZAR AND THE RUSSIAN ROYAL FAMILY SURFACE
The 100 works were sold for a total of $53.1 million, more than seven times the pre-sale high estimate of $7 million. The sale eclipses the previous record for the sale of royal jewels – the $50.3 million realized when the Duchess of Windsor’s jewels were auctioned in 1987.
A model poses for photographers wearing jewelry previously belonging to Marie Antoinette, at Sotheby's on October 19, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
All told, the 10 Marie Antoinette pieces reaped nearly $43 million.
Marie Antoinette, who was 37 at the time of her death, has become synonymous with the decadence of the French monarchy during the pre-revolutionary era. Historians, however, believe that she never uttered the famous words “let them eat cake.” The quote has long been attributed to the queen, who had purportedly just been informed that her starving subjects had no bread.
The Associated Press contributed to this article. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
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