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The French Crown Jewels: Natural Pearl Earrings
- These are French Crown Jewel earrings with uninterrupted royal provenance from Queen Marie-Amélie
- The earrings center perfectly matched natural saltwater drop pearls, rarer than diamonds at the time
- The pair was later enhanced with diamonds by Mellerio dits Meller, jeweler to the French Crown
- View the Dossier
- Get complete item description here
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Queen Amélie was born into the convergence of Europe's greatest dynasties—the daughter of Marie Caroline of Austria, who was the beloved sister of Marie Antoinette. Through the Bourbon and Habsburg houses,. . .
Queen Amélie was born into the convergence of Europe's greatest dynasties—the daughter of Marie Caroline of Austria, who was the beloved sister of Marie Antoinette. Through the Bourbon and Habsburg houses, Amélie inherited the ceremonial magnificence of the ancien régime, complete with jewels sourced from the world's finest mines and refined by the world's most esteemed ateliers. These earrings descended through the Bourbon-Orléans line and survived as one of the few jewels to escape the dispersal of the most significant royal jewelry collection ever assembled. At the time of their creation, these extraordinary pearls were far more valuable than diamonds.
Each earring centers a perfectly matched natural saltwater drop pearl of remarkable proportions: measuring 10.95 x 11.05 x 14.80mm and 10.85 x 10.90 x 14.90mm, respectively. During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, natural pearls of this caliber represented the most esteemed gemstones in royal collections—prized above diamonds for their rarity and perfection. This is evidenced by the record-setting result achieved by a baroque pearl believed to have belonged to Marie Antoinette, which realized over $36 million at auction recently. Matched pairs of this quality were reserved only for the most prestigious royal collections.
The earrings were originally crafted in the classic court style. They were later enhanced with surrounds of old-cut diamonds by Mellerio dits Meller, the official jeweler to the French Crown, adapting them to nineteenth-century court standards while preserving their royal drop form.
The provenance is documented in Les Joyaux de la Couronne de France (p. 327). The earrings are accompanied by an SSEF certificate featuring a period painting of Queen Amélie wearing them, as well as a letter from Jean d'Orléans documenting their descent through his grandmother, Princess Isabelle. This documentation is supported by period photographs and a complete genealogical record of the Bourbon-Orléans succession.
1 1/4" length
View the Dossier
Provenance:
Marie-Caroline of Austria
Queen Marie-Amélie of France, the last Queen of France
François d’Orléans
Françoise d’Orléans, Duchess of Chartres
Isabelle d’Orléans
Isabelle d’Orléans-Braganza
Private Collection, Switzerland
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
| Period: | 18th Century |
| Origin: | France |
| Type: | Earrings |
| Stones: | Diamonds;Pearl |
Buy With Confidence
For over a century, we've placed important art, rare jewels and exceptional objects with more than 14,000 collectors worldwide, and have been recognized by trusted publications including Robb Report, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and more.
On Approval
Examine select works in person before you commit
125% Guarantee
Full credit plus 5% annual appreciation for five years
Trusted Expertise
Over two centuries of combined experience across our specialists
