A Royal Jewel Takes Flight in New York
On Tuesday, June 17, in New York, Christie's witnessed the soaring sale of a 10.38 carat pink diamond, affectionately named the "Marie-Thérèse Pink Diamond," during its "Magnificent Jewels" auction...
Estimated between 3 and 5 million dollars, it was sold for 13’980’000 $ (≈ 12.2 M €). Why such a frenzy? Because this diamond, cut in the shape of a flying deer and originating from Golconda, India, is believed to have belonged to Marie ‑ Thérèse of Angoulême, the sole surviving daughter of Queen Marie ‑ Antoinette, after being entrusted by her mother to her hairdresser just before her dramatic escape attempt from Paris, the infamous flight to Varennes on the night of June 20 to 21, 1791. /public-objects/fc2a2894-4af8-4c1d-8c87-4a1f32cf1384-228505ea-7a92-4059-9402-2585bdc24533-Port%C3%83%C2%A9e_result.webp Image sélectionnée Passed down to her niece, the Duchess of Chambord, and to Queen Marie ‑ Theresa of Bavaria, the gem has traversed the ages until it was showcased by the jeweler Joel Arthur Rosenthal, better known as JAR. Mounted on a ring of blackened platinum topped with 17 pavé diamonds forming a fleur de lys motif, the symbol of the French monarchy, this diamond is not merely an extraordinary jewel, it's a piece of history. A monarchical relic whose sale at an exorbitant price demonstrates the world's fascination with Golconda diamonds and Marie Antoinette, this extraordinary Queen of France.