The Fleurée cross is set with square-cut amethyst and accented by circular-cut diamonds. The necklace worn by Diana, Princess of Wales in the 1980s is expected to fetch up to £120,000 at auction.
Princess of Wales, became noted for her daring dress choices in the late 1980s, reflecting her growing independence in her life. During this time, Garrard lent her this distinctive and eye-catching early 20th-century amethyst and diamond cross to wear with an exquisite baroque style purple and black velvet Catherine Walker & Co gown to a function held at the jewellers in support of Birthright, a charity that works to protect human rights during pregnancy and childbirth.
Her new look was a bold change from her earlier, more romantic outfits. Catherine Walker & Co, a bespoke atelier in Chelsea, was a favourite of Diana and is now popular among other members of the Royal Family. When working with Diana, Princess of Wales, they sought to develop outfits that are “appropriate for the role they are performing and… match up to the authority they have,” according to Said Cyrus, one of Catherine Walker & Co.’s founders.
Diana had a long history with Garrard, having chosen her well-known sapphire and diamond engagement ring from the then-Royal Jeweller in 1981. As Ramsay Attallah, whose father, Naim Attallah, CBE (1931-2021), was joint managing director and subsequently group chief executive of Asprey & Garrard, said, she would go on to collaborate with Garrard, borrowing her favourite amethyst and diamond cross on many more occasions.
Garrard witnessed continuing expansion and prosperity under his patronage, retaining crown jewellers until 2007. As a close friend of the Princess, Attallah obtained the cross immediately after her death, and it has remained with the family ever since, unused.
Sotheby’s is pleased to offer this extremely rare piece of royal history as part of the Royal and Noble sale.
GETTY IMAGES/TIM GRAHAM PHOTO LIBRARY
77 Diamonds managing director Tobias Kormind says: “In the week another royal necklace is hitting the headlines and evoking memories of Diana in many hearts, this regal amethyst and diamond cross pendant was last worn in 1987 by Diana, Princess of Wales, at the peak of her beauty as she embraced a bolder, more confident style, could attract a flurry of interest given its accessible price point relative to other royal jewels with an illustrious history.
The piece has limited intrinsic value because amethysts are not the most precious of gemstones, and at 77 Diamonds we would charge under £7,000 to remake something in a similar style to this pendant. I attribute the very high estimate from Sotheby’s to the simple fact that it is a Gerrard jewel from the 1920’s which was worn by Princess Diana and so few pieces of jewellery worn by Princess Diana to have ever come up at auction. Given how topical the royals are at the moment, the auction house could succeed in capturing the zeitgeist around Princess Diana’s legacy.
Jewellery with illustrious royal associations has a history of attracting high prices at auction. In November 2021, a pair of diamond bracelets hidden by French Queen Marie Antoinette to keep them safe during the French Revolution, sold at Christie’s Geneva for £7.04m, soaring past the pre-sale estimate.”
THE AUCTION DETAILS
Sotheby’s Auction
Royal & Noble: Lot 140
Friday, January 6, at 2 p.m. UK time and runs until Wednesday, January 18, at 4.30 p.m.
Estimate: 80,000 - 120,000 GBP. Lot closes: January 18, 08:19 AM (PST)
