Origin of name
The term "parure" (pah-rur) that came into popular usage in France and later
other European countries in the 17th century, refer to an entire wardrobe or
suite of matching jewelry, which became a status symbol for the royalty,
noble and wealthier classes. A parure meant for the royalty usually included
a diadem, tiara, comb, bandeau, choker, necklace, earrings, brooch,
stomacher, bracelets and rings. Parures are usually named according to the
types of precious or semi-precious stones, used in the setting of its
components. The Marie-Louise Parure under consideration is set mainly with
emeralds and diamonds. Hence the name "Emerald and Diamond Parure." Like
wise we can have combinations like "Sapphire and Diamond Parure", "Ruby and
Diamond Parure," "Amethyst and Diamond Parure" etc. where two gemstones are
almost equally co-dominant. Parures where only a single type of gemstone
predominates is usually given the name of such gemstone, such as "diamond
parure," "emerald parure," "sapphire parure," "ruby parure" etc.
Napoleon Bonaparte, the mighty emperor of France was reported to have
lavished such expensive parures on his first wife Josephine and later his
second wife Marie Louise. The emerald and diamond parure which is the
subject of this webpage, was a gift of Napoleon Bonaparte to Marie Louise on
the occasion of their wedding, which was solemnized in the year 1810, and
thus came to be known as the "Emerald and Diamond Parure of Marie Louise."
Components of the Emerald and Diamond Parure
of Empress Marie-Louise
The following are the components of the exquisitely crafted and renowned
Emerald and Diamond Parure of Empress Marie-Louise :-
1) Emerald and Diamond Diadem
2) Emerald and Diamond Necklace
3) A pair of Emerald and Diamond Earrings
4) Emerald and Diamond Comb
5) Emerald Belt Clasp
The parure was designed and executed by the renowned Parisian jewelers
Etienne Nitot et fils (Etienne Nitot and Sons) and consisted of a total of 138 emeralds, 382
rose-cut diamonds and 2,162 brilliant-cut diamonds. The completed parure was
delivered to Empress Marie-Louise in March 1810.
1) Marie-Louise Emerald and Diamond Diadem
The word "diadem" is derived from the Latin and Greek word "diadema" which
is derived from "diadein" meaning "to bind around." It is synonymous with
the word "crown." The word "tiara" which is of Persian origin means a
decorative, jeweled or flowered head band or semicircle, usually worn by
women in the front of their hair on formal occasions. Thus the difference
between a diadem and a tiara is, that while a diadem is circular going round
the head, a tiara is usually semi-circular going only partially round the
head in the front.
The "Marie-Louise Emerald and Diamond Diadem" had been variously referred to
as a diadem and tiara by different websites. But, in keeping with the above
definitions we would prefer to call it a diadem and not a tiara. as it is a
circular ornamental headdress like a crown.
©Van Cleef & Arpels
The diadem which is circular is broader in the front and slightly narrows
down towards the rear. Symmetrical floral motifs have been used on the
diadem, a style that was prevalent throughout the 19th century for jewelry
crafting. Jewelry designs of this period reflected a naturalistic style,
that used the "language of flowers" such as plant and floral motifs, which
also conveyed a message of love or affection. A total of 22 large emeralds,
57 small emeralds, 1,002 brilliants and 66 rose-cut diamonds were used on
the diadem. The largest emerald which is the centerpiece of the diadem
weighed 12 carats, and was a square-shaped emerald surrounded by a single
layer of large rose-cut white diamonds. The square emerald has been placed
with one of its diagonals along the median vertical line of the front of the
diadem. Thus opposite vertices of the square lie along the median vertical
line. A second smaller oval-shaped emerald, also surrounded by rose-cut
emeralds, is placed below the square-shaped emerald centerpiece, still along
the median vertical line. Other large emeralds are placed at symmetrical
positions on either side of the median line. The band that goes right round
and forms the base of the diadem, is mounted with a single row of rose-cut
emeralds. The entire diadem was set in silver and gold, and overall the
diadem represented one of the most exquisitely crafted diadems of this
design ever created, attaining a very high level of perfection and
refinement in its execution, so characteristic of the highly developed jewel
crafting industry in Paris during this period.
Thus it is tragic that such a priceless diadem with an inestimable artistic
and historic value was allowed to be partially dismantled and its emeralds
re-set in other jewelry settings, with an intention of gaining enhanced
profits. However it gives a sense of relief that at least the original
framework of the tiara had been preserved, the emeralds being replaced by
turquoise, and lies today in the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology,
Gems and Minerals of the National Museum of Natural History of the
Smithsonian Institution, thanks to the foresight of a philanthropist and a
connoisseur of jewels and jewelry Marjorie Merriweather Post (1887-1973),
who purchased the renowned piece from Van Cleef & Arpels and donated it to
the Smithsonian Institution.
2) Marie-Louise Emerald and Diamond necklace
The design of the necklace is classical in nature conforming to the
architectural style developed for the period by Charles Percier and Pierre
Fontaine. The necklace is composed of 32 emeralds, 264 rose-cut diamonds and
864 brilliant-cut diamonds. The necklace set in gold and silver consists of
symmetrically arranged alternating square-shaped and cushion-shaped large
emeralds, surrounded by a single layer of white rose-cut emeralds, separated
by smaller round-shaped emeralds, surrounded by small round brilliant-cut
diamonds. There are five square-shaped emeralds, and five cushion-shaped
emeralds and twelve small round-shaped emeralds. Usually only a single
round-shaped emerald has been placed between a square-shaped emerald and a
cushion-shaped emerald, except at the rear of the necklace where two
round-shaped emeralds have been placed symmetrically on either side.
From each of the large square-shaped and cushion-shaped emeralds arise a
drop-shaped or briolette emerald, also surrounded by diamonds increasing in
size from the pointed end towards the rounded end. Briolettes were very
popular in France in the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly during the
period of Napoleon Bonaparte, who is said to have gifted a 275-carat diamond briolette
necklace to his Empress Consort Marie Louise, to celebrate the birth of
their son, the future King of Rome. This necklace is also part of the
Smithsonian collection in the National Museum of Natural History in
Washington DC.
The small round-shaped emerald between a large square-shaped emerald and a
large cushion-shaped emerald is the base of a palmette derived from Greek
and Roman art. As there are twelve round-shaped emeralds in the necklace,
there are a corresponding number of palmettes. Each palmette has five rays,
like the five fingers of the palm. Each ray of a palmette is made up of
round brilliant-cut diamonds that increase in size from the base towards the
tip; the largest round-brilliant being placed at the tip of each ray.
Overall the combined emerald and diamond necklace was a masterpiece of its
kind ever created imparting an elegant look on its wearer especially
if fair-skinned, like the Empress Marie Louise. This necklace of great
historic and artistic value, and imperial provenance, was preserved in its pristine pure
state, by the person who acquired it from the
ancestors of Marie Louise. This indeed is a great relief to all lovers of
historic artifacts and the owner of the historic piece needs the
commendation of art lovers worldwide, for preserving an irreplaceable piece
of the world heritage. Fortunately, the Louvre Museum in France, had taken
the unprecedented step of acquiring the celebrated necklace together
with a pair of earrings, also part of the original parure, for a whopping
sum of 3.7 million euros, the highest ever sum of money paid by a museum for
items of jewelry. It is heartening to note that at least now the Louvre
Museum in France, had realized the folly of those who were instrumental in
dispersing the crown jewels of France in 1887, and are leaving no stone
unturned to restore the lost heritage of one of Europe's greatest nations.
3) Marie Louise Emerald and Diamond Earrings
Marie Louise Emerald and Diamond Earrings are based on a simple but elegant
design, matching the design on the celebrated necklace. The central theme of
this design is the drop-shaped emerald or briolette, suspended from a
square-shaped emerald aligned with one of its diagonals lying vertically.
The square-shaped emerald is surrounded by a row of small rounded
brilliant-cut diamonds. The briolette hangs freely from the square-shaped
emerald, but is surrounded by a loop of gold wire mounted with large
rose-cut diamonds. A single round-shaped emerald is also incorporated in the
loop right at its bottom.
Overall the design of the earrings matches perfectly with that of the
necklace, particularly that part of the necklace with a combination of
square and drop-shaped emeralds. The two earrings are composed of 6
emeralds, 20 rose-cut and 40 brilliant-cut diamonds.
The pair of emerald and diamond earrings was also part of the parure of the
Empress Marie-Louise, that had miraculously escaped any tampering or
alteration, like the celebrated Marie-Louise Emerald and Diamond necklace,
and was purchased by the Louvre Museum under the same deal by which they
acquired the celebrated necklace.
4) Emerald and Diamond Comb
The Emerald and Diamond Comb was said to have been made up of 23 emeralds,
54 rose-cut diamonds and 226 brilliant-cut diamonds, but unfortunately no
further information on the comb is available, not even an image of the comb.
If such an image was available a description of its design could have been
attempted.
5) Emerald and Diamond Belt Clasp
The Emerald and Diamond Belt Clasp was said to have been made of 5 emeralds
and 107 brilliants, but no further information on the piece of jewelry is
available.
History of the Marie-Louise Emerald and
Diamond Parure
Napoleon Bonaparte takes power as absolute
dictator and later as Emperor of France
Napoleon Bonaparte, the mighty dictator of France who took power as First
Consul in 1799, and later as Emperor of France in 1804, was a direct product
of the French Revolution. It was the French Revolution that propelled him at
an early age to the highest position in the State. The people had confidence
in him for bringing many victories to France, and they expected him to bring
back much-needed peace to the country, after the turmoil and uncertainty
following the revolution, to end disorder, and to consolidate the political
and social conquests of the revolution. But, what the people of France did
not know was that Napoleon did not believe in the sovereignty of the people,
in the popular will or in parliamentary debate. He had secretly nurtured in
him an ambition to take the place of the deposed Bourbon Monarchs, and
assume the title of the Emperor of France. Thus all his actions between 1799
and 1804, as the First Consulate was calculated towards achieving this
objective. To give a semblance of legitimacy for his actions he got Pope
Pius VII to come to Paris and consecrate him and crown him as the Emperor of
France. Soon the court of Emperor Napoleon I surpassed the grandeur and
pageantry of some of the former Bourbon Monarchs.
Napoleon's first marriage to Josephine
Josephine, the eldest daughter of Joseph Tascher de La Pagerie, married a
rich young army officer Alexandre vicomte de Beauharnais in the year 1779 at
the age of 16 years. Josephine was brought up in the rural atmosphere of the
island of Martinique, where she lived for 15 years, before her marriage.
Thus Alexander was ashamed of her rural manners and lack of sophistication,
and refused to present her at the court of Marie Antoinette at Versailles.
Yet, Josephine bore him two children, a daughter Hortense and a son Eugene.
The indifferent attitude of Alexandre towards Josephine finally led to their
seperation in 1785. After the separation, she remained in Paris for several
years and was determined to learn the ways of the elite high society and
aristocrats. In the year 1794, at the height of the French Revolution her
former husband Alexandre who was serving in the revolutionary army, fell out
of favor with them and was guillotined to death.
Empress Josephine
Josephine who was now a sophisticated high society lady, caught the
attention of an upcoming and ambitious army officer, Napoleon Bonaparte, who
fell in love with her. After the appointment of Napoleon as the commander of
the Italian expedition, Josephine agreed to marry him, and the marriage took
place on March 9, 1796. Napoleon appears to have been passionately in love
with Josephine, but on her part she was indifferent not reciprocating his
love for her. She even went to the extent of flirting with another army
officer when Napoleon was away during his Egyptian campaign during 1798-99,
and on his return Napoleon threatened to divorce her. Her marriage was only
saved by her children who pleaded on her behalf with their step-father. The
rift was healed and Napoleon forgave her for her misdeeds. After Napoleon
became the first consul in 1779, she worked closely with her husband to
advance his political fortunes. The couple became very close to each other
and when Napoleon assumed control as the Emperor of France she was able to
persuade him to conduct a fresh marriage ceremony with full religious rites,
which was held only a day before his coronation by the Pope in Notre-Dame on
December 2, 1804. Besides this, Josephine was able to use her husbands power
and position to find good spouses for her two children by her first
marriage. Her daughter Hortense was given in marriage to Napoleon's brother,
Louis Bonaparte, and her son Eugene, who was appointed as the viceroy of
Italy by Napoleon, married the daughter of the King of Bavaria.
Josephine was now well established as the Empress of France, and held court
with all the grandeur and splendor associated with her office. She was
particularly noted for her extravagance and had a fabulous jewelry
collection mostly lavished on her by her beloved husband Napoleon. But,
strains were placed on their relationship as Josephine was without any issue
from Napoleon, and was not able to give him a son, who would succeeded him
as the future emperor of Rome. Thus Napoleon decided to separate from
Josephine, with a view of taking a second wife, and had already planned to
marry Marie-Louise, the daughter of Emperor Francis I of Austria, after the
separation. Napoleon was able to obtain a separation from Josephine in
January 1810, without resorting to divorce, as his previous marriage of 1804
was declared null and void as a parish priest had not been present at the
ceremony. After the divorce, Josephine left the palace to her private
residence outside Paris, and was continued to be maintained by the Emperor.
Napoleon's second marriage to Marie-Louise
Marie-Louise who originated from the "House of Hapsburg" of Austria, was the eldest daughter of Emperor Francis I of Austria and
Maria Theresa, and was a niece of Marie-Antoinette, the unfortunate queen of
France who was guillotined at the time of the French revolution. She married
Napoleon Bonaparte on April 1, 1810, after the annulment of his childless
previous marriage to Empress Josephine. The result of this marriage was the
long- awaited son and heir, the future King of Rome, who was born on March
20, 1811. The proud father Emperor Napoleon was overjoyed, and presented his
Queen consort with a 275-carat diamond necklace set with briolette diamonds,
to celebrate the occasion of the birth of his long-desired son. The necklace
came to be known as the Marie-Louise diamond necklace.
Empress Marie-Louise with her son, the future King of Rome
During Napoleon's absence from France pursuing his ceaseless military
campaigns, Marie-Louise acted as his regent in Paris. Eventually, after
Napoleon's defeat and abdication in 1814, she returned to Vienna with her
son. She refused to join Napoleon in his exile in Elba, something that
caused serious pain of mind for the ex-emperor. The "Treaty of
Fontainebleau" that exiled Napoleon to the island of Elba, also granted to
Marie Louise the duchies of Parma, Piacenza, and Guastalla, which was
ratified by the Congress of Vienna. Marie-Louis while ruling over her
domains, fell in love with Adam Adalbert, Count von Neipperg, by whom she
had two children. Finally after the death of Napoleon Bonaparte in St.
Helena on May 5, 1821, she married Adam Albert in September 1821.
The Coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon was not only a brilliant soldier but also a great patron of the
arts. He also extended his patronage to the jewelry craftsmen of Paris, who
turned out exquisitely crafted pieces of jewelry for the use of his court
which included a wide range of jewelry for his coronation and the coronation
of Empress Josephine. Napoleon engaged the services of Martin Biennais, a
gifted jewelry craftsman of Paris, to create the coronation regalia and the
crowns, and the coronation sword. The coronation regalia included the robe,
the crown, the sword, the scepter, the orb, the chain, the ring and the
ermine collar, all encrusted with the most expensive of gems and jewels. The
crown was designed by Martin Biennais, to look like the medieval Charlemagne
Crown, that was destroyed during the French revolution, and traditionally
used by the French Monarchs for their coronations. The famous and
magnificent "Regent Diamond" was set into the handle of Napoleon's
coronation sword.
During the actual coronation ceremony, Pope Pius VII, first took the crown
and other regalia from the altar and blessed them, and after returning them
to the altar, took his seat. Napoleon then stood up from his throne and
walked up to the altar, and taking the crown from the altar placed it on his
head, thus crowning himself. This procedure was agreed upon earlier, as
Napoleon did not want to accept the Pope as his overlord. He then walked up
to the altar and removing the "Charlemagne Crown" from his head, returned it
to the altar, and replaced it with a laurel wreath made of gold, of the type
worn by Roman emperors. He then took the "Charlemagne Crown" from the altar
again, and walking up to the kneeling Josephine placed it on her head,
crowning her as the Empress of France.
The brilliance and grandeur of Napoleon's
court
After ascending the throne as the Emperor of France, Napoleon organized his
court, in which ceremonies took place in an atmosphere of utmost splendor
and brilliance, that was imparted by the grandiose display of gems and
precious stones. The grandeur and brilliance of his court even exceeded that
of some of the Bourbon monarchs who preceded him, and was almost equivalent
to the great pomp and pageantry displayed in the court of the great Mogul
Emperor Shah Jahaan (1628-58) of India. The grandeur and extravagance
reached a climax at the time of Napoleon's marriage to Archduchess
Marie-Louise of Austria, on April 1, 1810. The extravagance of this event is
described by Balzac in his book "La Paix du Menage" as follows : "Diamonds
glittered everywhere, so much so that it seemed as if the wealth of the
whole world was concentrated on Paris...... never had the diamond been so
sought after, never had it cost so much."
Napoleon presents the Emerald and Diamond
Parure as a wedding gift to Marie-Louise
Napoleon extended royal patronage to the jewelry industry of Paris, with a
view of re-establishing Paris as a creative center for luxury and fashion, a
position which it had lost following the revolution. The boost given to the
industry helped in its revival and it was reported in 1807 by the Chambre de
Commerce, that there were 400 jewelers in Paris, employing 800 men and 2,000
women.
One of the most experienced jewelers in Paris, at the time was Marie Etienne
Nitot, who had previously collaborated with Aubert, the jewelers to King
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Napoleon appointed him as his court jeweler.
When Marie Etienne died in 1809, he was succeeded by his son Francois Regnault as the court jeweler. As court jewelers both father and son helped
Napoleon to re-assemble the jewels dispersed from the Tresor de la Couronne
(Crown Treasury) during the French revolution, and to acquire emeralds,
diamonds and other precious stones needed for the manufacture of the
expensive parures he lavished on his wives.
At the time of his marriage to Marie-Louise in 1810, it was Francois
Regnault who was assigned with the task of designing and manufacturing the
emerald and diamond parure to be given to Marie-Louise as a wedding gift. As
the emeralds that were available in the Crown Treasury were not sufficient to execute
the parure he had designed, Francois Regnault was compelled to make
purchases of square-cut and briolette-cut emeralds weighing a total of 290
carats for the execution of the royal assignment. Examination of
the "Marie-Louise Emerald and Diamond Necklace," acquired by the Louvre
Museum recently, has shown that the emeralds used on the necklace were all of
exceptional quality, being "loupe clean" with intense velvety-green color,
and believed to have originated from the renowned Muzo emerald mines of
Colombia, where emeralds were mined uninterruptedly from 1594 to the
mid-18th century, when production came to a standstill due to a disastrous
fire, and was not resumed until after the independence of Colombia in 1819.
Francois Regnault delivered the completed parure to Marie-Louise in March
1810, just before the wedding that took place at the beginning of April.
Being a gift to the empress the parure entered her personal collection and
was never the property of the state.
Marie-Louise Emerald and Diamond Parure is
taken to Austria after the fall of the empire
After the fall of the empire and the abdication of Napoleon in 1814, Marie
Louise returned to Austria with her son. She returned all the crown jewelry
in her possession to the Crown Treasury, but carried her personal jewelry to
Austria. This included the Marie-Louise Emerald and Diamond Parure given to
her as a gift by Napoleon for her wedding. The Parure remained with
her throughout the period of her rule as the Duchess of Pharma, and at the
time of her death in 1847, she bequeathed it to her Hapsburg aunt
Archduchess Elise. The part of her will relevant to the emerald and diamond
parure reads as follows :- To my aunt Archduchess Elise, my emerald and
diamond parure, consisting of a diadem, a necklace, a pair of earrings, a
comb and a belt clasp.
The course of inheritance of the parure from
Archduchess Elise to Archduchess Alice
Archduchess Elise who was married to Archduke Rainer, son of Leopold II,
bequeathed the parure to her son the Archduke Leopold, who was the godson and
cousin of Empress Marie Louise. From Archduke Leopold the parure is
eventually inherited by Archduke Carl Albrecht, from whom it passes on to
his wife the Archduchess Alice and his son, after his death in 1951
The sale of the Marie-Louise Emerald and
Diamond Diadem to Van Cleef & Arpels
Archduke Karl Albrecht was an Austrian and Polish archduke, and was the
eldest son of Archduke Charles Stephen and Archduchess Maria Theresia, the
Princess of Tuscany. He was an Officer Colonel of Artillery of both the
Imperial Austro-Hungarian army and the Polish army. He married Alice
Elisabeth Ankarcrona daughter of Oscar Carl Gustav Ankarcrona, a major in
the Swedish Army and his wife Anna Elisabeth. Since 1795, Poland was part of
the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After World War I Poland gained its
independence in 1918. Archduke Albrecht served the Polish Army after Poland
gained independence. During World War II Poland was partly occupied by Nazi
Germany and partly by the Soviet Union. After World War II, in which Poland
lost over six million of its citizens, the country emerged as a socialist
republic within the Eastern Communist Bloc, under strong soviet influence.
During this tumultuous period in its history, Archduke Karl Albrecht and his
family emigrated to Sweden, Archduchess Alice Elisabeth's motherland. They
also carried with them their valuable items of jewelry including the
"Marie-Louis Emerald and Diamond Parure."
During their hurried getaway from Poland they carried only the jewels
including the parure, but left behind a saddle-shaped box that contained a
detailed inventory of their jewels and documents testifying to their
ownership. Thus Archduchess Alice Elisabeth and her son Archduke Karl Stefan
had no documents to show that they were the actual owners of the expensive
emerald and diamond parure. As such they were unable to sell the parure,
which they had been planning to do for a long time. Van Cleef & Arpels who
were interested in purchasing the parure were unable to do so because the
company purchased only items that were accompanied by documents showing
proof of ownership. To overcome this problem lawyers to Archduchess Alice
Elisabeth and her son Archduke Karl Stefan advised them to sign an affidavit
before a Public Notary in Stockholm, certifying the origin and their
ownership of the parure, which they did on May 28, 1952. The salient points
in this document was that the emerald and diamond parure originally belonged
to Empress Marie-Louis, Archduchess of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla, who
bequeathed it to her aunt Archduchess Elise on her death in 1847, from whom
the parure descended down to Archduke Karl Albrecht, that the parure was the
most valuable part of Marie-Louise's collection of jewels, that the parure
was kept hidden behind an iron-curtain on the family estate in Poland, that
when the parure was taken to Sweden, the original saddle-shaped box
containing a detailed inventory and a record of the Empress' bequest had to
be left behind and that the chance of retrieving these documents were very
remote.
With the ownership of the parure regularized, Van Cleef & Arpels purchased
the Marie-Louise Emerald & Diamond Diadem and the belt clasp from
Archduchess Alice and her son Archduke Karl Stefan, the legal owners of the
pieces of jewelry. However, the Archduchess and the Archduke retained the
other pieces of the parure, the necklace and the pair of earrings which were
still in the original condition, exactly as made for Empress Marie-Louise.
The comb however, had been altered to be worn as a tiara, but was not so
impressive.
Partial dismounting of the Marie-Louise
Emerald and Diamond Diadem
Van Cleef & Arpels, who acquired the celebrated diadem dismounted the
emeralds from the setting but left all the diamonds in tact. As a renowned
jewelry firm they too appreciated the historic and artistic value of the
diadem and therefore decided to preserve its original framework. However,
the spaces occupied by the emeralds were re-set with Persian turquoises of
matching sizes and shapes.
©Van Cleef & Arpels
The partially modified diadem was then purchased in 1971 by Marjorie
Merriweather Post (1887-1973), the owner of the Postum Cereal Company, who
was America's first business woman and the wealthiest woman in America at
the time, and was a socialite, philanthropist and a great connoisseur and
collector of works of art. Mrs. Post then donated the diadem to the National
Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution of Washington DC,
where it is exhibited today at the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology,
Gems and Minerals. Other significant pieces donated by her to the
Institution include a pair of diamond earrings that once belonged to the
unfortunate Marie Antoinette, the 30.82-carat "Blue Heart Diamond" ring, and
an emerald and diamond necklace that once belonged to Emperor Maximilian of
Mexico.
Re-setting of the emeralds from the diadem by
Van Cleef & Arpels
The emeralds removed from the celebrated diadem were then re-set by Van
Cleef & Arpels into modern jewelry settings and offered for sale to their
customers. A newspaper advertisement that advertised the sale of this re-set
pieces of jewelry proclaimed, "An Emerald for you from the Historic
Napoleonic Tiara." In 1967, Van Cleef & Arpels set two of these emeralds on
two unique pieces of jewelry, a brooch and a ring, for one of their
customers Mrs. Sybil Harrington of Texas. The brooch resembling a floral
bouquet with the emerald as the centerpiece and marquise and pear-shaped
diamonds forming the petals of the flowers, was set in a wire mounting that
highlighted the gemstones. The ring had the second emerald as the
centerpiece and was surrounded by round brilliant-cut diamonds.
The emerald brooch and ring that belonged to Mrs. Sybil Harrington came up
for auction at Christie's in New York on October 19, 1999. The reserve
value placed on the two items was between $75,000 to $100,000, but the to
items finally sold for $189,500.
The Marie-Louise Necklace and Earrings
acquired by the Louvre Museum
The Marie-Louise Necklace and Earrings were not immediately disposed of by
Archduchess Alice and Archduke Stefan, but eventually sold without any
modification to an anonymous private owner, who subsequently lent the two
historic pieces to the exhibition known as "Dix Siecles de Joaillerie
Francais" (Ten Centuries of French Jewelry) held at the Louvre Museum
in 1962. Van Cleef & Arpels who had by then not disposed of the modified
Marie-Louise Emerald and Diamond Diadem, also lent it to the Louvre for the
exhibition. The two celebrated pieces had since then been worn at many
important social events and had received the commendations of important
personalities.
In the year 2004, the Louvre Museum finally acquired the Marie-Louise
Necklace and Earrings from their owner for a record sum of 3.7 million
euros, the highest price ever paid by an institution for items of jewelry.
The purchase was executed through their agents Humphrey Butler and S. J.
Phillips of London, and Thomas Faerber of Geneva. Humphrey Butler had
in the year 2002, negotiated the purchase of the Duchess d'Angouleme tiara
from its owner, for the Louvre Museum. The celebrated Marie-Louise Necklace
and Earrings are today on display in Paris, in the Galerie d'Apollon of the
Louvre Museum.
Related :-
Marie Therese Duchess d' Angouleme Emerald and Diamond Tiara
Queen Victorias Emerald and Diamond Tiara
Grand
Duchess of Vladimir Tiara
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References
1.The French Crown Jewels - B. Morel (1988)
2.Two
Centuries of Fine Jewelry - Diana Scarlsbrick and R. Hurel (1998)
3.
Napoleon Series web article - France's Royal and Imperial Crown Jewels :
1792-2005 by Stephen Miller'
4. Marjorie Merriweather Post - From
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
5.Tiara - Diana Scarisbrick (2000)
6.Timeless Tiaras - Diana Scarisbrick
(2003)
7.Encyclopedia Britannica - 2006
