Jewels owned by Marie Antoinette, the Kings of France and the Austrian Imperial Family and the Dukes of Parma to be auctioned
Sotheby’s recently unveiled additional highlights from one of the most important royal Jewellery collections ever to be presented at auction. On 14 November, 2018, in Geneva, Royal Jewels from the Bourbon Parma Family will be offered at auction for the first time, including treasures which belonged to France’s ill-fated queen, Marie Antoinette (1755– 1793). These historic jewels, carry with them more than 200 years of European history.
The sale includes pieces which can be traced back to Marie Antoinette – led by an extraordinary diamond and natural pearl pendant estimated at $1-2 million,
as well as treasures from her brother-in-law, King Charles X of France (1757-1836), the Archdukes of Austria and the Dukes of Parma.
There are additional lots in the sale which can be traced back to Marie Antoinette, as well as major pieces with connections to the imperial family of Austria.
MARIE ANTOINETTE: ADDITIONAL JEWELS IN THE COLLECTION
Never in the course of history has the destiny of a queen been so closely associated with jewels than that of Marie Antoinette. Her great love of pearls and diamonds is well-known and a number of historians have cited Napoleon’s view, that the socalled “affair of the diamond necklace” – a scandal which tarnished the queen’s reputation in 1785 – was one of the causes of the French Revolution1.
The impressive ensemble of jewels to be offered this autumn has an extraordinary story. In March 1791, King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and their children began to prepare their escape from France. According to accounts written by Marie Antoinette’s lady in waiting, Madame Campan, the queen spent an entire evening in the Tuileries Palace wrapping all of her diamonds, rubies and pearls in cotton and placing them in a wooden chest. In the following days, the jewels were sent to Brussels, which was under the rule of the queen’s sister, Archduchess Marie-Christine and which was home to Count Mercy Argentau. The count, the former Austrian Ambassador to Paris, was one of the only men who had retained the queen’s trust. It was he who took delivery of the jewels and sent them on to Vienna, into the safe keeping of the Austrian Emperor, Marie Antoinette’s nephew.
Altogether, the collection includes 10 jewels which belonged to Marie Antoinette.
In 1792, the royal family was imprisoned in the Temple tower. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed by guillotine in 1793 and their 10-year old son, Louis XVII, died in captivity. The king and queen’s only surviving child, Marie-Thérèse de France (1778-1851), “Madame Royale”, was released in December 1795, after three years of solitary confinement. After learning of the deaths of her mother and brother, she was sent to Austria. Upon her arrival in Vienna in 1796, she was given her mother’s jewels by her cousin, the emperor. Having borne no children of her own, Madame Royale bequeathed part of her jewellery collection to her niece and adopted daughter, Louise of France (1819–1864), Duchess of Parma and granddaughter of Charles X, King of France (1757-1836), who in turn left them to her son, Robert I (1848-1907), the last ruling Duke of Parma.
In addition to the exquisite pearl jewels announced in June, several more pearl jewels to be offered in November belonged to Marie Antoinette, including a beautiful pair of natural pearl and diamond earrings (Estimate CHF 200,000 – 300,000 / $ 200,000 – 300,000). Also from Marie Antoinette is a superb single-strand natural pearl necklace (Estimate CHF 40,000 – 70,000 / $40,000 – 70,000)
This beautiful six-strand pearl necklace also provides a direct link to the iconic queen of France. Its clasp – which remains unaltered today – was part of her collection. In Marie Antoinette’s day, it formed the clasp of a sixrow natural pearl bracelet, one of a pair.
Five fascinating diamond jewels to be auctioned can be traced back to Marie Antoinette. Among them is a stunning diamond brooch from the late 18th century, featuring a beautiful yellow diamond. The double ribbon bow was formerly part of Marie Antoinette’s collection, and it is thought that the yellow diamond pendant was added at a later date (Estimate CHF 50,000 – 80,000 / $50,000 – 80,000).
Created as a memento, a diamond ring bearing initials MA for Marie Antoinette and containing a lock of her hair provides a fascinatingly intimate link to the queen. It is offered together with a ring with the monogram
and hair of her father-in-law, Louis, Dauphin of France (17291765) who died before he could ascend the throne, and a diamond plaque bearing the monogram MT set in diamonds, which refers to Marie-Thérèse of Savoie (1803-1879), Duchess of Parma and wife of Charles II, Duke of Parma (Estimate for the two rings and plaque: CHF 20,000 – 50,000 / $20,000 – 50,000).
By family tradition, the diamonds adorning this beautiful brooch belonged to Marie Antoinette. In her detailed inventory of the family’s jewels, Maria Anna of Austria (1882-1940), explains she was informed of the history of the brooch by her father-in-law, Robert I of Parma (1848-1907), who presented it to her on the occasion of her engagement to his son, Elie de Bourbon Parme (1880-1959) (Estimate CHF 95,000 – 140,000 / $ 95,000)
Also passed down through generations of Marie Antoinette’s descendants is a diamond ring decorated with her portrait, made in the late 18th century.
Marie Antoinette’s passion for Jewellery also extended to fine watches.
JEWELS FROM THE FRENCH ROYAL FAMILY
The collection is also highlighted by jewels that belonged to King Charles X (1757-1836), the last King of France and last of the Bourbon rulers, his son, the Duke of Angoulême and their descendants.
ROYAL TREASURES OF AUSTRIA
From a separate branch of this prestigious family, the collection to be offered in November will also include sumptuous jewels passed down through the Bourbon Parma family from the imperial family of Austria.
A diamond bow brooch from the 18th century also stands out among the jewels from the Austrian side of the Bourbon-Parma family. It originally belonged to Empress Marie Thérèse of Austria (1717-1780), Marie Antoinette’s mother, and later to Archduke Rainier of Austria (1827-1913) before passing down through the family to Maria Anna. Its intricate design and workmanship illustrate the quality of jewels created for the royal family. (Estimate CHF 75,000 – 110,000 / $75,000 – 110,000).
In her inventory, Maria Anna recorded that the delightful diamond brooch, with a yellow sapphire in its centre (illustrated right), originally belonged to her mother, Princess Isabella of Croÿ (1856-1931) (Estimate CHF 40,000 – 65,000 / $40,000 – 65,000). Maria Anna received these simple yet elegant diamond earrings from her father, Archduke Frédéric, on the occasion of her wedding in 1903.