An ancient regime jewel

Rare royal and imperial jewels are to be auctioned next Thursday at Sotheby's in London.

A huge bow-brooch formerly in the collection of the French crown jewels, commissioned by Napoleon III for the Empress Eugenie, was created by Parisian jeweller Kramer in 1855.

It was worn by the Empress as the centrepiece of a girdle, with a pair of similarly-designed shoulder brooches connected by four chains of cushion-shaped diamonds. Designed as a ribbon bow, it has five supporting pampilles. Two cords of diamonds in three rows culminate in two large tassels with rose and cushion-shaped diamonds throughout. The French crown jewels were sold at auction in Paris in 1887 by order of the French Republic's government following the fall of the Second Empire.

The brooch was separated from the diamond-belt and matching shoulder-knots, and auctioned with an estimate of 35,000 French francs (€5,335). A copy of the 1887 catalogue, also being auctioned by Sotheby's, documents that the bow was set with 2,438 brilliants, weighing 140.51 carats.

It sold for 42,200 French francs to a dealer listed as Schlessinger, who bought it for Mrs William B. Astor. The brooch became known as "Mrs Astor's diamond stomacher", and remained in the Astor family until the early 1990s. It is estimated at £120,000 sterling (€195,440) to £150,000. Asked to comment on the piece, Mr Martin Bernon, a fine art specialist at O'Reilly's auctioneers, Francis Street, Dublin, couldn't help emitting an audible "wow!" at the mention of 140 carats.

"It sounds lovely. The 140 carats is a lot. Its provenance would be something of great interest. It would be very attractive to an American collector to acquire this piece because it has the provenance of the Second Empire and the Astor provenance. The Astors, you could say, were a 19th century version of the Kennedys."

Another outstanding lot comprises royal jewels found wrapped in tea towels and kitchen paper, locked in a Los Angeles bank vault since 1956. A rare 19th century peridot (a semi-precious stone) and diamond parure, comprising a tiara, necklace and pair of earrings, it was worn by Archduchess Isabella of Austria, nee Princess de Croy, at the coronation of Austrian Emperor Karl I as king of Hungary.

The estate of the late Countess Maria Electa von Coudenhove-Kalergi is selling the parure. The countess, who was known in California simply as Marina Calergi, never wore the jewels, finding them incompatible with her simple lifestyle.

Ms Daniella Mascetti, director of Sotheby's jewellery department, said of the royal parure: "It is extremely rare to find parures of such importance still complete, as time, family division, accidental loss and economic necessity have resulted in the dispersal or alteration of many such fine pieces." The set would make "a stunning addition to any woman's wardrobe or to private collectors alike".

The parure is believed to have been designed and made by imperial jewellers Kochert in Vienna. The tiara is designed as a graduated band of seven floral and foliate scrolls set with cushion-shaped diamonds held in claw-settings. The necklace features a graduating chain of 10 clusters, each with a step-cut peridot in a raised claw-set mount ornamented with rose diamonds.

Diamond floral motifs support a detachable fringe of seven pear-shaped peridots and diamonds. The dramatic earrings are designed as a peridot and diamond cluster supporting a detachable floral spray motif. Each suspends a pendant of large cushion-shaped diamonds in a pearshaped drop with a peridot swing centre. The parure is estimated at £120,000 to £150,000.

Web: www.sothebys.com

jmarms@irish-times.ie