Sotheby's Bourbon Parma Family Jewels Auction Yields $53.1 Million Thanks to Marie-Antoinette ...

Earlier this year, I broke the news here about the Royal Jewels from the Bourbon Parma Family going up for sale at Sotheby's One piece, a special pearl owned by Queen Marie-Antoinette, broke the world record for a natural pearl sold at auction - going for $36.2 million The biggest-ticket item, the 18th century natural pearl pendant that sold for $362 million, was originally estimated to sell for about $1 to $2 million.

The entire auction was initially expected to draw about $7 million in sales, but set a world record, for being the largest royal jewelry sale ever Heretofore, the record was $50.3 million garnered at the Duchess of Windsor auction nearly three decades ago in 1987 Of the final total auction sales of $531 million, 10 pieces owned by the famous queen comprised the majority, at $427 million.

Other pieces up for sale in the auction included jewels owned by later generations of the Bourbon Parma family. . Source