 | A pair of diamond bracelets owned by French Queen Marie Antoinette was the first lot in Christies Magnificent Jewels sale, which was held on November 9th in Geneva. They made 7.46m Swiss francs (£7.04m).
The bracelets feature 112 diamonds in total. Each piece is comprised of a clasp with five diamonds and three rows of 17 stones. The largest diamonds are arranged in the center, while the smaller ones are secured with a rim of metal in collet settings. Marie Antoinette purchased the bracelets in the spring of 1776 for 250,000 livres. |
The bracelets were estimated to fetch somewhere between $2 million and $4 million, although royal jewels often exceed expectations. In this case the estimate was obliterated.
