Natural Pearl Tiara up for Auction

Natural Pearl Tiara up for Auction

Following the record for a tiara established by Sotheby’s Geneva last May1, the forthcoming auction will include The Murat Tiara, an impressive pearl and diamond jewel created in 1920 by Joseph Chaumet for the marriage of Prince Alexandre Murat (1889 – 1926) to Yvonne Gillois (1894 – 1961) (est. CHF 1,375,000 ‐ 2,285,000/ $1,500,000 – 2,500,000).

Prince Alexandre Murat, through his ancestry with Joachim Murat (1767 – 1815) who married Caroline Bonaparte, Napoleon’s sister, was associated with one of the most glorious periods of French history. The heroic cavalry charges of Joachim Murat, an inn‐keeper’s son from Gascony, contributed to the victories of Iéna, Eylau and Austerlitz and from 1808‐1814 he and Caroline were popular rulers of the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily. The diadem boasts one of the largest natural pearls ever recorded, at 303.37 grains.

As stated by the SSEF laboratory, “the main pearl in the center is outstanding in its size and one of the most important pearls certified so far at the SSEF” and “natural pearls of this size, quality and with a documented historic provenance are very rare and thus the described tiara with three large pearls represents a very exceptional treasure”. In addition to the Beau Sancy, the sale will feature several jewels with royal provenance. Among them is a necklace suspending a detachable pear‐shaped D colour diamond weighing 41.40 carats and coming from the collection of a member of a royal family.

More about natural pearl tiara up for auction.