Historic Necklace Linked to Marie Antoinette Fetches $4.8 Million at Auction

At a recent Geneva auction, a diamond necklace rumored to be connected to Marie Antoinette achieved a remarkable sale price of $4.81 million, drawing significant interest due to its historical significance and association with a notorious scandal that tarnished the French queen's reputation.

In an electrifying event this week, a historic diamond necklace linked to Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France, was sold at auction for a staggering $4.81 million (£3.8 million). The Georgian-era piece is adorned with approximately 500 diamonds and far exceeded its estimated value, doubling the initial forecast by Sotheby's auction house. Jewelry specialist Andres White Correal characterized the night as "electric," revealing that the unidentified female buyer expressed great joy over her purchase: "I'm exceptionally happy that I won this lot; but I don't own it, I'm merely the custodian until the next person will come along."

This remarkable piece was auctioned off in Geneva on Wednesday. The significance of the necklace takes root in Marie Antoinette’s tumultuous past, especially the infamous "affair of the diamond necklace" scandal that occurred in the 1780s, leading to her significant downfall. Born in Austria in 1755, Marie Antoinette was married off to France's Louis XVI. Her tragic end came in 1793 when she met the guillotine amidst the chaos of the French Revolution.

The necklace is believed to contain some of the original jewels involved in the scandal, where a noblewoman named Jeanne de la Motte deceitfully posed as the queen and tricked a cardinal into acquiring the necklace on credit. Upon discovering the missing payment, the cardinal was exonerated, while de la Motte was punished with a branding for theft. Although Marie Antoinette was ultimately exonerated, the incident marred her reputation, contributing to her unpopularity among the French populace.

Over time, several of the original gems from the necklace, which initially featured 650 diamonds weighing an estimated 2,800 carats, were sold off individually on the black market. In a twist of fate, a jeweler on London's Bond Street procured more than half of these diamonds for just £10,000 shortly after their disappearance. Experts suggest that the age and quality of the diamonds in the necklace recently sold could indeed align with those lost in the scandal.

Before its sale, this significant piece of history had been in the Anglesey family collection for nearly a century, worn notably at Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953 and previously at King George VI's crowning in 1937. The enduring fascination with royal jewelry, such as this wondrous necklace, continues to attract collectors and history enthusiasts alike.