Marie Antoinette Diamond Bracelet to Be Auctioned

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Yuri] A pair of diamond bracelets that belonged to Marie Antoinette, who met her end at the guillotine during the turmoil of the French Revolution, is going up for auction.

According to AFP on the 7th (local time), auction house Christie's will offer two diamond bracelets owned by Marie Antoinette at an auction in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 9.

Each bracelet features 56 diamonds ranging from 1 to 4 carats arranged in three rows, with a total estimated diamond weight of 140 to 150 carats. Christie's expects the winning bid for the two bracelets to range from a minimum of $2 million (approximately 2.3 billion KRW) to as much as $4 million (approximately 4.7 billion KRW). Christie's stated, "The price reflects not only the intrinsic value of the diamonds but also the possibility of actually wearing jewelry that belonged to the famous queen, Marie Antoinette."

There is also a possibility that the bracelets could sell for a much higher price. In November 2018, a diamond and pearl pendant owned by Marie Antoinette was auctioned at Sotheby's with an estimated price of $2 million (approximately 2.3 billion KRW), but the final winning bid including fees reached $36,247,000 (approximately 42.3 billion KRW).

Marie Antoinette was the daughter of Maria Theresa, who ruled the Habsburg Monarchy, and married Louis XVI of France at the age of 14, becoming queen. Christie's explained that these bracelets were ordered and purchased in 1776, two years after Marie Antoinette ascended to the throne as queen. They were sold for 250,000 livres, an astronomical sum at the time (the currency of France then). Thirteen years later, the French Revolution broke out, and she was executed at the age of 37 in 1791.

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