Unseen for 200 years, French queen Marie Antoinette's pearls to be auctioned | Inquirer News

Unseen for 200 years, French queen Marie Antoinette’s pearls to be auctioned

/ 06:29 PM June 13, 2018

This undated handout photo released by Sotheby’s Geneva shows a diamond tiara given by Emperor Franz Joseph to his great-niece Marie Anna of Austria, expected to sell for $80,000 to $120,000. AP

GENEVA — Sotheby’s says it’s auctioning a set of natural pearls that once belonged to the famed — or infamous — French queen Marie Antoinette, and have not been seen in public for two centuries.

The sale of “Royal Jewels from the Bourbon-Parma family” is set to take place in Geneva on Nov. 12.

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Sotheby’s says Marie Antoinette, who was guillotined during the French Revolution, was often portrayed wearing pearls, which the auction house says were as prized as diamonds in the late 18th century.

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Announcing the sale Wednesday, the auction house said the pearls have not been seen in public in 200 years.” The collection includes one piece with a diamond pendant and natural pearl that is estimated to fetch up to $2 million.

Sotheby’s international specialist Daniela Mascetti said each jewel is “absolutely imbued with history.”

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TAGS: auction, royal jewels, Sotheby’s

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