An exceptional tiara set with diamonds from Bessborough was offered for auction on Wednesday as part of a week of jewelry sales organized in Geneva (Switzerland). The object made by the French jeweler Chaumet for the wife of the governor general of Canada was particularly coveted, reports France 24. The latter wore it at two coronations of British monarchs: those of King George VI in 1937 and Elizabeth II in 1953.
The Bessborough Diamond Tiara Hits the Auction Block https://t.co/ptvi9c3KnE pic.twitter.com/nL8OQv2KEW
— The Court Jeweller (Lauren Kiehna) (@courtjeweller) May 16, 2023
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A jewel that has its place in history
The jewel weighing 136.5 g was sold for 945,000 Swiss francs, or about 970,000 euros. The Art Deco platinum tiara was described as "a work of art" and "a piece of history" by Max Fawcett, head of jewelry at Christie's in Geneva, in charge of the sale. However, it was not the most expensive item offered at auction.
Eleven of the lots sold during the week were purchased for more than $1 million each. This is particularly the case of the "Bulgari Laguna Blu", a blue diamond weighing 11.16 carats. The gemstone changed hands for 22.6 million Swiss francs (just over 23 million euros). "Star of Egypt", an unmounted diamond weighing 105.52 carats, was sold for 2.7 million Swiss francs, or 2.77 million euros.
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