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Diamonds, Dynasties and Drama: Marie Antoinette's Smuggled Pink Diamond Resurfaces, Heads to Christie's Auction
Christie's forthcoming 'Magnificent Jewels' auction will feature a bevy of historic pieces, including a diamond once owned by Marie Antoinette. The live auction will take place on June 17 at New York City's Rockefeller Center and feature the Marie-Thérèse Pink Diamond.
The purple-pink modified kite brilliant-cut diamond featuring 10.38 carats holds an estimated value between $3 million to $5 million. The piece is believed to date to the mid-18th century, per Christie's, and holds with it storied lore regarding its past owners.
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According to Christie's, Marie Antoinette trusted her most valuable jewels with her faithful coiffeur on the night before her failed escape from Paris in 1791, in the hope of retrieving them one day. Unable to escape the ongoing revolution, Marie Antoinette never saw her jewels again.
The pieces from the Queen of France's famous collection were passed down to her only surviving child, Duchess Marie-Thérèse de Angoulême, and then to her niece, Duchess Marie-Thérèse de Chambord. While details remain unclear, it is believed the Marie-Thérèse Pink Diamond was part of the inheritance.
After generations, per Christie's, a will identified the diamond's second known owner: Queen Maria Theresa of Bavaria. The ring was referred to as 'a pink solitaire diamond from Aunt Chambord.' The jewel was presented in a velvet case with a hat pin featuring the Austrian Imperial Warrant, most likely dating back to 1868, which reflects the piece's imperial legacy.
In 1996 Geneva, the jewel was offered by a member of a European royal family and has remained out of public view until now, per Christie's. The jewel was reimagined by Parisian jeweler Joel Arthur Rosenthal and set into a ring for a contemporary design.
Other pieces featured in the auction include The Blue Belle sapphire and diamond necklace, which leads the auction with an estimated value of between $8 million and $12 million and the Suzanne Belperron Star Sapphire and Sapphire 'Plastron' Necklace (estimated value $250,000 to $350,000).
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Launch Gallery: Who Owns Marie Antoinette's Jewelry Now? See What It Looks Like Today [PHOTOS]
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