jewellery auction

Photo: Courtesy Christie’s
Renowned British auction house Christie’s is bringing the Briolette of India, a stunning 90-carat diamond necklace carrying 900 years of history, to Dubai from April 28 to 30.
The famed piece of jewelry will be on display at Dubai International Financial Center and is part of The World of Heidi Horten showcase – a showcase presenting the jewelry collection of the late Austrian art collector Heidi Horten. While the 700 jewels within the collection are certainly a sight to behold, the briolette of India is in an entirely separate league.
The teardrop diamond was originally found in the Golconda mines of India, which were once the world’s primary source of diamonds, and has since then found its way into the hands of several prominent historical figures such as Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard the Lionheart (who carried it with him to the third crusade), and is even thought to have been acquired at one point by Napoleon Bonaparte, who gave it to his second wife, Empress Marie-Louise.
Considered by many to be the oldest diamond on record, the Briolette of India is known for its exceptional clarity and is the highest grade of diamond, the D-colored type IIa. The stone was eventually purchased by US jeweler Harry Winston from an Indian Maharaja in the 1950s, and found its way into the collection of Heidi Horton. Held on a chain of marquise and pear-shaped diamonds set in platinum, the piece is quite versatile, with the option of the stone being worn separately or as a shorter necklace.
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