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Chritie's Auction
How much is a flawless 28.28 carat heart shaped diamond worth? Christie’s auction house brought down the gavel to a sale of $3.78 million in New York this April.
Christie’s also sold two historically important jewels at the same time. A 39.55 carat diamond that belonged to Emperor Maximilian sold for $1.76 million and the famous emerald brooch surrounded by diamonds that belonged to Catherine the Great went for $1.65 million.
In 1860 Maximilian journeyed to Brazil on a botanical expedition and purchased a diamond which weighed 41.94 carats. He stayed in Brazil at the request of Napoleon III and became the Emperor of Mexico until 1866 when Napoleon withdrew his troops. Mexican republicans captured Maximilian in 1867 and at the age of 35 he was executed by a firing squad. It was said that the Maximilian Diamond was tied on a cord around his neck in a small sack. His remains were sent to Vienna, Austria and the diamond was then given to his wife, Princess Charlotte.
The Maximillian diamond was untraceable until 1919 when Ferdinand Holtz, a gem dealer, purchased it and kept it until his death in 1946. The new unnamed collector commissioned Cartier to set it in a ring for her, she wore it until 1982. The famous London jeweler Laurence Graff acquired the diamond for $726,000.00 and sold it in 1983 to Imelda Marcos. The first lady of the Philippines sold the diamond in 1990 and the new owner had the diamond re cut to its current weight of 39.55 carats, it went to auction for the April sale.
Catherine the Great ruled the Russian empire in 1762 wearing her famous brooch as a symbol of her power; a 70.00 carat hexagonal cut emerald surrounded by large diamonds. Catherine gifted her brooch in 1776 to her son’s bride, Sophie Dorothea, the Wurttemberg Princess who then became the Empress Maria Feodorovna, on her wedding day. Maria willed the emerald and diamond brooch to her daughter, then to her granddaughter. The brooch remained in the Prussian house of Hohenzollern until 1959. Prince Fredrich Leopold left his entire estate, which included the emerald brooch, to his secretary the Baron Fritz Cerrini.
An unknown American collector purchased the ‘Catherine the Great’ emerald and diamond brooch in 1972 and is the person who sold it at Christie’s auction in April for $1.65 million.
JanetDeleuse
