Today at Hidden Gems, I’m highlighting some of the spectacular jewels included in the new Marie Antoinette Style exhibition at the V&A in London. As a bonus, I’ve got a roundup of articles here about jewels with links to the doomed French queen consort, including several pieces that have reemerged in public in the last decade.
A Glimpse of the Glittering Diamonds of the V&A’s Marie Antoinette Style
[Hidden Gems Exclusive]
A new special exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London explores the enduring style influence of Marie Antoinette and showcases some jewelry pieces she actually owned.
Marie Antoinette’s Pearl Parure
Marie Antoinette was often painted with pearls, and her collection included some remarkable pearl pieces. After her execution, some of these spectacular pearls were inherited by her daughter, Marie Therese. Known as “Madame Royale” from birth, Marie Therese became the Duchess of Angouleme when she married a cousin, Prince Louis Antoine, in 1799.
Marie Antoinette’s Diamonds Head to Auction
Marie Antoinette may not have been involved in the spurious purchase of Madame du Barry’s diamond necklace, but she was certainly the purchaser of these spectacular diamond bracelets. The press release from the upcoming Christie’s sale notes that the Queen “could not resist jewellery – especially diamonds.” These bracelets feature three glittering rows of evenly-matched diamond brilliants, with three larger diamonds in the center of each piece.
The Sutherland Ruby, Diamond, and Pearl Necklace
Few royal women have inspired more myth, legend, and furor than Marie Antoinette, the French queen whose life ended on a guillotine in the midst of revolution. The extravagance of her life, and the notoriety of her death, have made objects associated with her into something like relics. In particular, jewels connected with the tragic queen are incredibly sought after. Perhaps it’s a surprise, then, that this British aristocratic ruby and diamond necklace—which is also set with Marie Antoinette’s pearls—didn’t make it off the auction block.
A Stunning Diamond Necklace–with Possible Links to Marie Antoinette–to Be Sold at Sotheby’s
Sotheby’s announced in September 2024 that they’d soon be auctioning off a remarkable diamond necklace from the Georgian period–and they hinted that there were possible connections to the doomed French queen, Marie Antoinette, and the famous Affair of the Diamond Necklace.
A French Royal Diamond, Set in a Modern Ring, For Sale in June at Christie’s
[Hidden Gems Exclusive]
In June, auctioneers at Christie’s in New York offered a special diamond that once belonged to the only surviving child of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette—a fascinating royal figure who became one of the most important leaders of her branch of the French royal family in exile. But could it have also belonged to her famous mother?
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