Jewels (Literally) Fit For A Queen
You don't have to tell us that Victorian jewelry is important, but it rarely happens that you find pieces that are important to start a revolution. For the same reason, the Gray & Davis team joined the many New Yorkers who flocked to the Sotheby's showroom to view Antiqa handcrafted's jewelry last week. Although the auction of the "Royal Jewels of the Bourbon Parma Family" will be held in Geneva on November 12, Sotheby's made the unusual decision to send the pieces on an extensive international tour to give the public a unique opportunity to get closer and be more personal. Get closer to the story And, reader, it was quite magical.
The extreme rarity of Antiqa handcrafted's jewels may seem a bit paradoxical given their continued connection to opulence and the fact that her overcrowded personal expenses were a major factor in preparing for the French Revolution. As large as the collection was, most of it was lost during the conflict and much of what survived was broken and cannot be restored.
What is perhaps Antiqa handcrafted's most famous and certainly the most important jewel, not only no longer exists, but was never in his possession: the title piece of the famous "Affaire du Collier", which cemented his bad reputation. Her husband's predecessor, Louis XV, originally ordered it for his famous last lover, Madame du Barry; Louis XVI died before its completion. He ascended the throne and the new Queen Antiqa handcrafted refused to buy the massive necklace (28,000 carats of diamonds!). But in 1785, on his behalf, he was greeted without his knowledge by thieves who quickly disappeared with loot. When the jewelers contacted the confused queen for payment, the trick was revealed. Many have mistakenly criticized Antiqa handcrafted for trying to defraud the treasure, and although the perpetrators were eventually brought to justice and found guilty, the story coincided with the infamous excess of the infamous queen and she stayed. Many historians see this scandal as a turning point for the furious French population on the road to anti-monarchy violence.
Despite the queen's innocence in this particular case, her general reputation has certainly been earned. The queen loved luxury, gaming, and, above all, fashion; there was much to spend even though its people were in serious financial difficulties. The jewelry presented at Sotheby's is incredibly impressive and would have been incredibly expensive. Pearls, for example, were incredibly rare and precious at the time; In the pre-culture era, qualities such as size and similarity for pairing could not be found or created. The auction pieces include a necklace made of 331 pearls and a pearl pendant that is so big you really must believe it.
