Scandal and shock – Affair of the Necklace

A necklace connected to the Marie Antoinette scandal, known as the “Affair of the Necklace,” finally arrived in Geneva this week after weeks of expectation, and it did not let anyone down. After a lengthy tussle between seven bidders at Sotheby’s Royal & Noble Jewels sale, the jewel brought in over $4.8 million. Pre-sale estimates had been as high as $2.8 million.

According to Sotheby’s, the bidding battle went on for more than seven minutes. The neck gem, which had been predicted to sell for between 1.6 million and 2.2 million Swiss francs (about $1.8 million to $2.48 million), included nearly 300 carats of diamonds. In the end, it sold for 4.26 million francs, or $4.837 million.

It is believed that some of the 500 diamonds in the tassel-shaped item originated from the necklace in the notorious “Affair of the Necklace,” which is linked to Marie Antoinette’s demise. Although the plan was conceived by others, the controversy further stoked the anti-monarchy sentiment that precipitated the French Revolution. The French queen’s signature was falsified on purchase forms for a diamond necklace.

In a statement prior to the auction, Correal stated, “This rare and significant diamond jewel is a sublime survivor from the opulent court life of the Georgian era, defined by its unrivaled pomp and splendor.” “It is undoubtedly among the most exquisite and undamaged Georgian jewels in private possession.”