The Great Recession it seems, hasn't been a downer for everyone. Jewelry and gem collectors are ecstatic at the sheer number of world-class jewels that have lately shaken loose from private vaults and gone on the block.
I've already told you about a few notables but on April 22nd, Christies New York will be flogging off the 39.55 carat Emperor Maximilian diamond, a stone with a fascinating provenance, estimated to sell at $1-$1.5 million.
The Archduke Maximilian, that dandy gentleman on the left, acquired two very large diamonds in 1860 while in Brazil, years before Napoleon named him the Emperor of Mexico. When Napoleon ran into his own problems in France, he
abandoned the hapless Archduke (who had reluctantly taken the job in the first place) to his fate. He was captured, court-martialled and executed by the republican forces.
Legend has it that poor Max was wearing a small satchel holding this diamond around his neck when he faced the firing squad. The diamond was returned to his wife, Princess Charlotte of Belgium, who later sold the stone which, as great diamonds so often do, disappeared. It finally re-surfaced in 1919 and was subsequently sold and re-sold but hasn't been in public view since 1982.
No comments:
Post a Comment