Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World
The print and online catalogues for next week’s landmark Bourbon-Parma jewelry auction are officially up, and we’ve finally got more information on a set of jewels I’ve been very curious about: the pearl suite that belonged to Marie Antoinette.
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.