World Famous Necklaces Maintain a Timeless Appeal
Adorning the neck with jewelry is one of the most ancient forms of accessorizing for both men and women. From earliest recorded history, jewelry necklaces have been fashioned from rocks, wood, shells, cloth, and metal. At their most extravagant, necklaces formed with precious gems have served to up-end dynasties and sometimes gain much notoriety. At the heart of every priceless jewelry necklace is its timeless appeal.
A Queen, a Necklace and a Scandal
Known as the "Affair of the Diamond Necklace," Queen Marie Antoinette was implicated in a crime to swindle the crown jewelers of the cost of a very expensive 2800-carat diamond necklace. The scandal, which added fire to already disillusioned French subjects, eventually culminated, along with other events, in the French Revolution.
The subject in matter was said to contain a row of 17 large diamonds arranged in an elaborate design of festoons, pendants and tassels. And while it was offered to Louis XVI and his wife Antoinette, she refused to purchase the piece. Some theorize her refusal came with a statement that the money should be spent on equipping a man-of-war. Others say that the Queen refused the jewelry necklace because it had been originally designed for a French courtesan greatly disliked by Antoinette.
The crown jewelers, facing bankruptcy for the unpaid necklace tried several times again to sell the piece to the Queen. Each time, she refused. Their attempts to sell the piece outside of France were also unsuccessful. Through a series of ensuing and complicated events, a scandal around the necklace was created which eventually led the French public to assume the Queen had perpetrated an extravagant fraud for her own frivolous ends. While in reality she had nothing to do with the scandal, Marie Antoinette's already declining popularity led her subjects to believe the Queen must be involved, proving her to be self-involved and vain – out of touch with the interests of her people.
It's believed the diamond necklace was taken to London never to be seen again by those who had perpetrated the crime. Mostly likely, the jewelry necklace was broken up and sold.
Symbols of Status and Power
As was tradition during the reign of the Indian Majarajahs, men wore the elaborate jewelry indicating their status and power. Believed to instill respect and fear, a majarajah would make appearances on ceremonial occasions clothed in royal robes and an array of incredible jewelry, including jewelry necklaces of rubies, diamonds, pearls and emeralds.
A jewelry connoisseur and collector of gems, the Majarajah Jamsahib of Nawanagar had inherited a portion of his amazing collection, while other pieces were created by Jacques Cartier, the famous jeweler with whom he had a close working relationship. Notable pieces included an emerald and pearl necklace inherited from his ancestors; an art deco emerald and diamond necklace designed by Jacques Cartier; and an emerald collar also designed by Cartier.
After his death in 1933, many of the valuable jewelry necklaces were passed on to successors and remained within the family. However, the emerald and pearl necklace virtually disappeared into thin air. Seventy-two years later, it reappeared at a Christie's Auction House in London. The jewelry necklace had been designated for sale. Due to the policy of secrecy at Christie's the exact circumstances of the necklaces reappearance are unknown.
Fixed for sale in the fall of 2005, Christie's announced the jewelry necklace was a most important historic piece of Indian jewelry. Christie's director of jewelry commented that he had never seen another complete Maharajah necklace. Once alerted about the impending sale, descendants of the Maharajah expressed concern and the jewelry necklace was taken off auction. One can assume they were interested in purchasing the heirloom back from the present owner if the necklace could be proven legitimate.
Hope or Curse?
While many believed the Hope Diamond necklace to be cursed, this breathtaking intense dark blue stone proved to be a most advantageous purchase for jeweler Harry Winston. Many experts agree the 45.52-carat jewelry necklace was cut from the French Blue diamond, once owned and worn by Louis XIV. Stolen from the State Treasury in 1792, the piece made it to London and was eventually sold to Mrs. Evelyn Walsh McLean in 1910. In 1949, Harry Winston purchased the McLean jewels from the estate. Son Ronald Winston once said, "The Hope Diamond was my father's most proud purchase. It is the most iconic diamond in the universe. In 1958, the jewelry necklace was donated to the Smithsonian Institution, where it is the most popular jewel on display.
Lewis Jewelers is proud to carry the full line of Pandora Jewelry. Pandora bracelets, Pandora charms and Pandora beads are only a part of the collection. For more information, contact Lewis Jewelers, 2000 West Stadium Blvd., Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48103, 877-88-LEWIS or visit LewisJewelers.com.
