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An important emerald pendant, consisting of an 11.26 carat…
Sale Title:
Auction House:
Auction Location:
Auckland
Date:
20-Sep-2020
Lot No.
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Description:
An important emerald pendant, consisting of an 11.26 carat emerald carved in the shape of a woman's head set in an ornate gold 4.0 x 1.80 cm pendant, accented by twenty-four bezel and grain set round brilliant cut diamonds of estimated total weight 0.60 carats, hung from a vintage German Aurea box chain, accompanied by a pair of emerald earrings set with two emeralds carved in a flower motif of estimated weight 3.85 carats, accented by ten claw set diamonds of estimated total weight 0.18 carats. 18ct gold pendant. 14ct gold earrings. Gold tone chain and earring backs. Written statement of previous owner provided as provenance. This piece has an illustrious history which spans continents, decades and dynasties. The emerald allegedly began its life as a tie pin for the Beloved King Farouk of Egypt (1920-1965), the young King came to the throne at 16 and was fully enamoured with the glamour of the Royal lifestyle. Although he already had thousands of acres of arable land on the banks of the Nile, dozens of palaces and hundreds of cars, he often travelled to Europe for grand shopping sprees. It is said that he ate 600 oysters a week! With a supreme penchant for jewellery in 1951, he bought the pear-shaped 94-carat Star of the East diamond and a fancy-coloured oval-cut diamond from jeweller Harry Winston, but never paid for it! He was also heir to amazing collection of jewels, amassed during the reign of the Muhammed Ali Dynasty which spanned almost 150 years. In 1952 Farouk lost the throne at 32 for ineffective governance. A chance meeting in a Rome nightclub in 1963 meant the emerald tie pin was gifted to the Raja Narendra Singh Sarila (1927-2011) former Prince of the Indian state of Sarila and the aide-de-camp to Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of British India. The pin was then gifted on to the Prince Harry Singh who had spent time with Narendra in the army and they regularly payed polo together in Jaipur. Prince Singh gifted the emerald to his wife who had the emerald set into an 18ct gold setting by a jeweller in Sydney. She also had some earrings fashioned to match. Letters of provenance included.
Estimate:
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Price:
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Category:
Jewellery: Pendants/Lockets