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Sotheby’s has sold a rare and highly important 18th century diamond necklace, formerly in the collection of the Marquess of Anglesey, for $4.8m.
The antique jewel boasts 500 diamonds and weighs over 300 carats of likely Golconda diamonds from the legendary Golconda mines in India.
It is composed of three rows of diamonds finished with a diamond tassel at each end.
The diamond jewel belonged to the Marquesses of Anglesey, a leading Anglo-Welsh aristocratic family with close ties to the British Royal family in the early 20th Century.
Andres White Correal, chairman jewellery Europe and Middle East, head of Noble
Jewels said: “The extraordinary results of today’s sale represent Sotheby’s Royal and Noble Jewels sales at their apex. With yet another white glove auction, these sales demonstrate the lasting power of provenance.
“They also show the power of the Sotheby’s Worldwide Jewellery team, the only one dedicated to enshrining the legacy of these important collections. Meticulously collected over generations, A Tsar’s Treasure provided an intimate glimpse into one of Central Europe’s most important royal families, and one of the greatest jewellery collectors of the 19th and 20th centuries.”
He added: “While there were innumerable results worth celebrating, as a career highlight, the Anglesey Jewel stands sans pareil. From the moment we laid eyes on it, our entire team was transfixed by its beauty, its history, and its timelessness. Travelling with it around the world, the awe it inspired was universal. The electricity in the sales room was palpable, and it will be one of my fondest memories to have been on the phone, helping to find its new home.”
