Marie Antoinette's Diamond Bracelets Sell for $8.2m
November 10, 21
(IDEX Online) - A pair of diamond bracelets that belonged to Marie Antoinette, the last Queen of France, sold at auction for $8.2m - more than twice their high estimate.
An anonymous phone bidder bought them yesterday at Christie' Geneva.
The bracelets, both of 122 diamonds, were smuggled out of France before the Queen was guillotined in 1793. and had remained in her family ever since.
Their line of heritage is described as "unbroken and traceable from 1776 onwards" and the bracelets have been featured in two famous historic paintings.
"These bracelets travelled through time to recount a most important era of French history, with its glamour, glory and drama," said Francois Curiel, Europe chairman for Christie's.
Marie Antoinette wrote a letter while in prison awaiting execution saying a wooden chest of her jewels should be sent for safekeeping.
The pair of bracelets had an estimate of $2.2m to $4.4m.
Pic, courtesy Christie's, shows one of the bracelets