Kim Kardashian snaps up Diana’s diamond cross for £163,000
A JeWeLLeD pendant worn by Princess Diana has a new owner – the American reality TV star and billionaire Kim Kardashian.
The mother-of-four, 42, has been revealed as the buyer of the diamond and amethyst Attallah Cross, which went under the hammer at Sotheby’s in London yesterday. She paid £163,800 – double its presale estimate.
Four bidders reportedly competed for the piece in the closing minutes of the Royal and Noble sale. A representative for Miss Kardashian was ultimately successful, the auction house confirmed.
The 1920s jewel, made by Garrard, was worn by Diana on several occasions – most famously at a charity gala in London in October 1987.
The cross was first bought in the 1980s by businessman Naim Attallah, a friend of
Diana who loaned it to her on several occasions. Thought to be a one-off private commission by Garrard, it consists of square-cut amethysts accented by circular-cut diamonds. It has a total diamond weight of about 5.25 carats.
Diana wore a number of jewels by Garrard in her lifetime, including for her last public appearance. That piece has come to be known as the Swan Lake necklace, a diamond and South Sea-pearl necklace which the jewellery house and Diana created in collaboration.
Ms Kardashian has previously shown an interest in historic fashion. For last year’s Met Gala in New York – the pinnacle of the US style calendar – she donned the dress Marilyn Monroe wore when she sang happy Birthday to John F Kennedy in 1962. however, it was only loaned to her by Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum.