355 Colorful Gems Imitate Embroidered Fabric in Fabergé Brooch From 1913

A colorful array of 355 gemstones imitate embroidered fabric in a Fabergé brooch that will be auctioned by Christie's London on November 29. The auction house set the presale high estimate at $122,000.

Christie's noted that the "incredibly delicate and rare brooch is one of the most imaginative and recognizable designs produced by Fabergé."

Peter Carl Fabergé and his company famously designed a series of 50 bejeweled eggs for the Russian Imperial Family from 1885 to 1917. Alexander III and Nicholas II commissioned many of the “Imperial” eggs as Easter gifts for their wives and mothers. The meticulously crafted objets d’art were produced up until the Russian Revolution, when the Fabergé family fled Russia.

Designed in St. Petersburg circa 1913, the piece seen above measures only 4.3 cm across (about 1 5/8 inches). Despite its small size, the platinum trellis-work panel contains 640 holes — 40 across and 16 down. More than half of them are set with diamonds, rubies, topaz, sapphires, demantoids, garnets and emeralds in a Russian-influenced floral motif. The perimeter of the brooch is framed by diamonds, but many of the holes just inside the perimeter are left empty to create a sense of dimension and negative space.

Fabergé artisans cut each of the square holes by hand and each gemstone had to be calibré-cut in such a way that it would perfectly fit into its designated space of approximately 1mm x 1mm.

According to Christie's, the same technique was employed for the Imperial Mosaic Egg presented by Nicholas II to his wife Alexandra Feodorovna in 1914. That egg is now part of the Royal Collection.

The Mosaic Egg was designed by Alma Pihl (1888-1976), who had deep ties with the Fabergé organization. Her father, Oscar Pihl, was head of Fabergé’s jewelry workshop in Moscow and her grandfather, August Holmström, was a Fabergé workmaster. According to jewelry-industry lore, Alma Pihl was inspired to produce the floral embroidery motif after watching her mother-in-law do needlework by the fireside.

Most recently, the piece was owned by Harry Woolf, a London-based businessman, who began to collect Fabergé items in the early 1970s. Christie's November 29 auction is titled "A Selection of Fabergé Masterpieces from the Harry Woolf Collection."

Credits: Images courtesy of Christie's.

Smithsonian's 'Steamboat' Tourmaline Is an Amazing Example of October’s Birthstone

Hailing from San Diego County, CA, and standing 11 inches tall is “The Steamboat” tourmaline — a truly amazing example of October's birthstone.

The specimen’s two parallel crystals — which resemble steamboat stacks — display a range of vibrant colors that start at vivid reddish-pink at the bottom and transition to a bright bluish-green at the top. The tourmaline crystals rise out of a base of Cleavelandite, which is perched atop a large quartz crystal "hull."

Frank Barlow Schuyler is credited with discovering the fascinating formation at the Tourmaline King Mine in 1907. Three years earlier, Schuyler and a partner, D.G. Harrington, literally stumbled upon an enormous pocket of tourmaline crystals while searching for pegmatite in the Pala Chief Mountains.

Schuyler soon discovered that the tourmaline-rich pocket extended 30 feet in length and 10 feet wide, a single zone that would yield about eight tons of beautiful pink tourmaline. Schuyler would eventually sell most of the bounty to the Imperial Chinese government for $187.50 per pound. The $3 million worth of tourmaline that was pulled from the mine more than a century ago would be worth more than $86 million in today's dollars.

By 1915, Schuyler was still riding the wave of his tourmaline-based good fortune. At the Panama Pacific International Exhibition in San Francisco, the owner of the Tourmaline King Mine marketed his gems with the slogan, “Wear a tourmaline for luck.”

The “Steamboat” tourmaline was later purchased by master engineer Washington A. Roebling, who included it in his collection of 16,000 mineral specimens. Roebling was most famous for supervising the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Roebling’s son, John A. Roebling II, donated “The Steamboat” to the Smithsonian Institution, where it is has been on permanent display at the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals, which is part of the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.

According to the Smithsonian, the tourmaline family consists of more than 30 distinct minerals, but only one — elbaite — accounts for nearly all of the tourmaline gemstones. Varieties of gem-quality elbaite include rubellite (red-pink), indicolite (blue), Paraiba (neon greenish-blue) and the multicolored watermelon (pink surrounded by green).

Tourmaline shares the spotlight with opal as the official birthstones for the month of October.

Credits: Photos by Dane A. Penland / Smithsonian.

Olympic Tennis Star Monica Puig Shows Off Engagement Ring on Instagram

Monica Puig, the 2016 Olympic gold medalist in women's tennis, has a lot to smile about despite having to bow out of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to multiple surgeries. The Puerto Rican athlete announced with a series of Instagram photos that she got engaged over the weekend to fellow athlete Nathan Rakitt.

The jagged mountains of Lost Dutchman State Park in Arizona served as a majestic backdrop for a romantic proposal that saw Rakitt going down and one knee and presenting his girlfriend with what we believe is a princess-cut diamond ring.

"He said: Ready to jump?! I SAID YES!!!!!!" Puig wrote on Instagram. She punctuated her caption with two emojis: a red heart and a diamond ring.

Rakitt shared the same photos on his Instagram and exclaimed, "SHE SAID YES!!!!!!!"

Puig added a closeup photo on her ring to her Instagram story and captioned it, "Ninety percent sure I'm still dreaming."

A second image on her Instagram story showed the athlete in a workout room. She's grasping her morning coffee and aiming her new ring at the camera. She wrote, “Actin totally different this morning" and added three diamond ring emojis.

The tennis star also cleverly established a catchy wedding hashtag — #RacketsToRakitts — that links her profession to her new fiancé's last name.

Puig has been battling a series of injuries that prevented her from defending her Olympic crown. She had elbow surgery in December of 2020 and went under the knife again in June 2021 to have her rotator cuff and bicep tendon repaired.

Still, the 28-year-old told ESPN.com that her goal is to compete at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

It's not clear how long the couple has been dating, but People.com reported that Puig began commenting on the 28-year-old Rakitt's Instagram posts in December of 2020.

This past April, the relationship seemed to advance to the next level on Instagram, where the couple traded sweet comments, each punctuated by a red heart emoji. Rakitt posted a photo of him and Puig and captioned it, "This girl." She commented, "I love you."

Credits: Images via Instagram / monicaace93 and Instagram / nrakitt.

Music Friday: Victoria Justice Expresses Empowerment in Her Debut Single, 'Gold'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fun songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today former Nickelodeon star Victoria Justice expresses female empowerment in her 2013 debut single, “Gold.”

In the song, a girl is trying to tell a long-time buddy that she’d like to be more than just friends.

She sings, "Hey, boy, whatcha gonna do / If you want me like I want you, then man up and make your move / I’m Gold, Gold."

Justice explained to Artistdirect how the word "gold" in the lyrics is intended to convey empowerment, not conceit.

"It's not like I'm saying, 'I'm gold. You should love me because I'm amazing and awesome.' It's more like, 'I feel empowered about myself. I feel good as a woman. I have self-respect. You should go for me!'"

Called the “perfect summer tune” by MTV Buzzworthy, “Gold” combines flirtatious, confident lyrics with an upbeat, carefree vibe.

The 28-year-old Justice became a household name in 2010 when she starred on the hit Nickelodeon series Victorious. With the release of her debut single, she followed the leads of fellow Nickelodeon alumnae Ariana Grande and Miranda Cosgrove, who also transitioned from acting to music.

Born in Hollywood, FL, in 1993, Victoria Dawn Justice made her acting debut as a 10-year-old on The WB comedy series, Gilmore Girls. Two years later, she landed the role of Lola Martinez on Nickelodeon's comedy-drama series, Zoey 101. From 2010 to 2013, she played Tori Vega on Victorious.

After releasing "Gold" in 2013, Justice took a seven-year hiatus from the music industry, returning in December 2020 with her single, "Treat Myself."

Trivia: Justice's love interest in the official video for "Gold" is played by Colton Haynes, who starred in the MTV series, Teen Wolf.

Please check out the video of Justice performing "Gold." The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Gold”
Written by Tove Nilsson, Peter Thomas, Jason Weiss, Sam Shrieve, Ben Camp, Jakob Jerlström and Ludvig Söderberg. Performed by Victoria Justice.

I’ve tried to let it go
But these butterflies I can’t ignore
‘Cause every time that I look at you
Know we’re in a catch-22
We’ve been friends for so long but I
Need to tell you what’s on my mind
I’m sick and tired of playing games
‘Cause I know that you feel the same

I know you inside out, so I’m asking now
Take a chance on me
How much clearer can I be?

Hey, boy, whatcha gonna do
If you want me like I want you, then man up and make your move
I’m Gold, Gold
You, me, good as can be, want to be more than your company
So bet your money on me
I’m Gold, Gold

Do I really need to spell it out?
My heart skips when you’re around
I got everything that you need
So come on baby get close to me
So confused that I’m not surprised
From greater bells, and rolled the dice
Know all your moves, don’t know why I fall
Should put me out, but I want it all

I know you inside out, so I’m asking now
Take a chance on me
How much clearer can I be?

Hey, boy, whatcha gonna do
If you want me like I want you, then man up and make your move
I’m Gold, Gold
You, me, good as can be, want to be more than your company
So bet your money on me
I’m Gold, Gold

Na ra ta la la
I’m Gold, Gold
Na ra ta la la
I’m Gold, Gold

Been to cool just to tell you straight out, but by now I wish you figured it out, I wish you figured it, I wish you figured it, I wish ya
You’re not a fool you see what I’m about, so by now I think you figured it out, I think you figured it out, I think you figured it out, I think ya!

Hey, boy, whatcha gonna do
If you want me like I want you, then man up and make your move
I’m Gold, Gold
You, me, good as can be, want to be more than your company
So bet your money on me
I’m Gold, Gold

Na ra ta la la
I’m Gold, Gold
Na ra ta la la
I’m Gold, Gold

Credits: Screen capture via YouTube.com.

Diamond Riches May Be Hiding in the Seabed Off the Coast of Greenland

Are diamond riches hiding in the seabed just off Greenland's southwest coast? Mining giant De Beers wants to know.

Multiple news agencies have confirmed that De Beers commissioned a survey to measure the viability of off-shore diamond mining near the town of Maniitsoq. De Beers would capture those diamonds using the same ship-based processing technology employed successfully near the coast of Namibia.

A De Beers spokesperson told Rapaport News that the early-stage research was intended to understand the region's topography.

The initial study was conducted by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), which is part of the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities.

Reuters reported that diamond deposits — formed under the intense pressure and heat of volcanoes — are known to be present onshore in west Greenland.

Off-shore diamonds are particularly prized because of their high value.

Ninety-five percent of the diamonds pulled from the seabed near Namibia, for example, are classified as gem quality. This compares to just 20% of gem-quality diamonds coming from De Beers’s top mine in Botswana. Some experts surmise that the diamonds in the ocean have endured such a pounding for so long that only the gem-quality ones could remain intact.

The initial survey in Greenland was conducted at a depth of 50 to 200 meters. The GEUS told Reuters that it would take months to analyze its data.

Off the coast of Namibia, Debmarine — a 50/50 joint venture between the Republic of Namibia and the De Beers Group — operates a fleet of ocean-based mining vessels that comb the ocean floor at a depth of up to 400 feet using advanced drilling technology.

Dredged gravel is pumped to the ships, where sophisticated X-ray machines and other diamond-sorting devices separate the gems from the gravel, and leftover material is returned to the sea bed. Recovered diamonds are securely sealed in containers, loaded into steel briefcases and flown by helicopter to De Beers's land-based facilities.

The newest ship in the Debmarine fleet will have the capacity to extract 500,000 carats annually.

Credits: Southwest Greenland coast image by Algkalv, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Map by Google Maps. Diamond recovery vessel image courtesy of Debmarine-Namibia.

Danish Metal Detectorist Stumbles Upon 1,500-Year-Old Gold Treasures

A novice treasure hunter using his metal detector for the first time recently stumbled upon one of the largest, richest and most beautiful hoards of gold artifacts in Danish history.

Ole Ginnerup Schytz was looking for a place to try out his new metal detector, so he asked an old classmate if he could explore his property in Vindelev. Within a few hours, Schytz had literally struck gold — although he initially believed the crunched up, muddied metal he pulled from the ground was "the lid on a can of sour herring."

The lucky metal detectorist continued to strike gold at the site, netting 22 pieces dating back 1,500 years to pre-Viking times. The hoard weighed a total of 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds).

The site was subsequently excavated by archaeologists from Vejlemuseerne, in collaboration with experts from the Danish National Museum. The project was funded by Denmark's Agency for Culture and Palaces.

Archaeologists determined that the treasure was buried in a longhouse that was likely owned by an Iron Age chieftain.

"Only a member of the absolute cream of society would have been able to collect a treasure like the one found here," explained Mads Ravn, Head of Research at Vejlemuseerne.

The Vindelev Hoard consists of saucer-sized, beautifully decorated medallions, also known as bracteates. The recovery also included Roman coins that had been made into jewelry.

The burial of the gold may have been connected to a climate disaster that struck in the year 536 AD. Ash clouds from a large volcanic eruption resulted in many years of crop failure and famine.

According to many researchers, the catastrophe of 536 AD caused the inhabitants of what is now Denmark to reject the old rulers and bury lots of gold during this period — perhaps to to save it from enemies, or possibly to appease the gods.

In less than four months, the Vindelev Hoard will be presented to the public as part of Vejlemuseerne's large Viking exhibition, which opens on February 3, 2022.

Credits: Top two images courtesy of Vejle Museums. Bottom two images courtesy of Conservation Center Vejle.

Birthstone of the Month: This Black Opal From Nevada Weighs 2,585 Carats

A gift from engineer and philanthropist John A. Roebling II to the Smithsonian in 1926, this 2,585-carat opal specimen is an extraordinary example of October's official birthstone.

More than 95% of the world’s gem-quality opals originate in Australia and the finest black opals are commonly sourced at Lightning Ridge — an Aussie mining area that has been yielding top-quality opals since 1903.

But, what's unique about the opal seen in the photo, above, is not only its size, but its origin. It was discovered in Virgin Valley, a dry and isolated area of southeastern Nevada just 15 miles from the Arizona border.

The Smithsonian explained that "The Roebling Opal" formed in an unusual way. Scientists believe that this now-arid area was once the location of a large lake and lush forests. The area was devastated by volcanic eruptions that buried the area under layer upon layer of ash. Over time, silica-rich water collected in voids that remained after buried tree limbs had rotted away. In some cases, opals from Virgin Valley resemble casts of the original tree parts.

Opals with a vivid play-of-color and a black or other dark body color are called black opals. The Roebling Opal is a black opal with flashes of blue and green play-of-color. Other varieties of October's birthstone include white opals, boulder opals, crystal opals and fire opals.

An opal’s silica structure contains 3% to 20% water, according to the American Gem Society. The value of a fine opal is based on a number of factors, including brightness, color, pattern, body tone and consistency (how it looks from multiple angles).

While Australia remains the primary source of fine opal production, the October birthstone is also mined in Mexico, Brazil, Honduras, Ethiopia, the Czech Republic and parts of the U.S., including Nevada and Idaho.

Today's featured stone had been owned by John A. Roebling II, who was named for his famous grandfather, the original designer of the Brooklyn Bridge.

John A. Roebling is credited with being the mastermind behind one of most impressive engineering feats of the 19th century — a suspension bridge that would span 1,595.5 feet, linking Brooklyn and Manhattan. The 14-year project was started in 1869, the same year Roebling would pass away at the age of 63.

Roebling’s son, Washington, supervised the construction of his dad’s vision, with the assistance of his wife, Emily. On May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was unveiled to the world during a celebration attended by President Chester A. Arthur. More than 150,000 people earned the privilege of crossing the bridge on opening day

Besides being a world-class engineer, Washington Roebling was an avid collector of rocks and minerals. Upon his death in 1926, Roebling’s collection of 16,000 specimens and an endowment of $150,000 for its maintenance were donated by his son, John A. Roebling II, to the Smithsonian Institution.

The collection, which included the The Roebling Opal, has become an integral part of the National Gem Collection.

Credit: Photo by Chip Clark / Smithsonian.

Retiree Finds 4.38-Carat Yellow Diamond at Arkansas Park Within 1 Hour of Searching

It took retiree Noreen Wredberg less than one hour to score the largest diamond of the year at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas.

The Granite Bay, CA, native spotted the 4.38-carat yellow diamond sitting on top of the ground in a plowed field that is actually the eroded surface of an extinct, diamond-bearing volcanic pipe. It is also the only public diamond mine where novice prospectors get to keep what they find.

She and her husband, Michael, had been touring Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas when they realized that the Crater of Diamonds State Park was only 60 miles away on US Route 70.

“I first saw the park featured on a TV show several years ago,” Noreen said. “When I realized we weren’t too far away, I knew we had to come!”

The couple arrived at Crater of Diamonds on Thursday, September 23, a sunny, but cool, fall morning. They started to search in a shaded area near the mine entrance, but her husband suggested they venture farther out to the middle of the field where it was sunnier and warmer.

His suggestion paid off about 40 minutes later when Noreen noticed the sparkling gem while walking just north of a central pathway of the search area.

“I didn’t know it was a diamond then," she said, "but it was clean and shiny, so I picked it up!”

The Wredbergs had timed their visit perfectly because it had rained heavily two days earlier.

“We plow the search area periodically to loosen the soil and promote natural erosion," said Park Interpreter Waymon Cox. "Diamonds are somewhat heavy for their size and lack static electricity, so dirt doesn’t stick to them. When rain uncovers a larger diamond and the sun comes out, its reflective surface is often easy to see.”

Michael brought his wife's find to the park’s Diamond Discovery Center for identification. After examining the stone, park staff informed Michael that he was in possession of a very large yellow diamond.

Park Superintendent Caleb Howell said, “When I first saw this diamond under the microscope, I thought, ‘Wow, what a beautiful shape and color!’ Mrs. Wredberg’s diamond weighs more than four carats and is about the size of a jellybean, with a pear shape and a lemonade yellow color.”

Noreen was surprised and excited when park staff gave her the news a few minutes later, saying, “We really didn’t think we would find one, let alone something that big!”

The Californians named their gem "Lucy's Diamond" in honor of their kitten, which is mostly grey in color with slight hints of yellow.

Noreen has yet to decide if the gem will stay in its natural state or be made into a faceted diamond.

“I don’t even know what it’s worth yet," she said. "It’s all new to me!”

As of this publication, 258 diamonds have been registered at Crater of Diamonds State Park in 2021, weighing more than 46 carats in total. Visitors have found more than 33,000 diamonds since the Crater of Diamonds opened as an Arkansas State Park in 1972.

Credits: Images courtesy of Arkansas State Parks.

Music Friday: Giant-Sized Emerald Stars in Eddy Grant’s 1984 Hit, ‘Romancing the Stone’

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today we feature Eddy Grant’s 1984 hit, “Romancing the Stone,” which he wrote as the title song of what would become the international blockbuster movie starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and a giant-sized emerald that ends up in the belly of a crocodile.

Grant sings, “I have found a love so precious, like an emerald so bold / It’s a firelight escaping from the jeweler’s hold.”

Although the song reached #26 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Chart, an apparent dispute between the music artist and the movie’s producers left nearly all of the title song on the cutting room floor and completely off the soundtrack album. Only a remnant of the song — a guitar solo — can be heard in the scene where Douglas and Turner's characters, Jack and Joan, enter Juan's house in the jungle.

In this action-adventure romantic comedy that grossed more than $115 million worldwide, all the main characters are in pursuit of “El Corazon,” a huge faceted emerald. ("El Corazon" in Spanish translates to "The Heart" in English.)

In the final scene of the movie, Jack is wearing boots made from crocodile skin as he lounges on his new yacht. He jokes that the crocodile that swallowed "El Corazon" got a "fatal case of indigestion."

Grant’s original video for the song featured scenes from the film. Later, the video was re-edited with no Romancing the Stone clips.

Grant eventually included “Romancing the Stone” as the first track of his 1984 album Going for Broke. The artist is best known for his 1983 hit, “Electric Avenue,” which reached #2 on the U.S. Billboard Top 100 chart.

Born in Guyana in 1948, Edmond Montague Grant was inspired to pursue a music career after seeing a live performance of rock and roll pioneer Chuck Berry.

The international success of the singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist earned him a Lifetime Achievement Award from the government of Guyana along with a 2005 postage stamp featuring his likeness.

Check out the original music video of Grant performing "Romancing the Stone." The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Romancing the Stone”
Written and performed by Eddy Grant.

I’m romancing the stone, never leaving your poor heart alone
Every night and every day gonna love the hurtin’ away
I’m romancing the stone, never leaving your poor heart alone
Every night and every day gonna love the hurtin’ away

Tonight, tonight I’m falling where the peaceful waters flow
Where the unicorn’s the last one at the water hole
I have found a love so precious, like an emerald so bold
It’s a firelight escaping from the jeweler’s hold

I’m romancing the stone, never leaving your poor heart alone
Every night and every day gonna love the hurtin’ away
I’m romancing the stone, never leaving your poor heart alone
Every night and every day gonna love the hurtin’ away

Oh and in the heat of rapture when I feel the cold winds blow
Through the broken glass, I’ll see at last the sweet desire in you
I will climb up on my pulpit and I’ll preach a sermon, you
On the mountain roads, in Harlem, feel my jeweler’s hold

I’m romancing the stone, never leaving your poor heart alone
Every night and every day gonna love the hurtin’ away
I’m romancing the stone, never leaving your poor heart alone
Every night and every day gonna love the hurtin’ away

Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com.

Marie Antoinette's Diamond Bracelets to Hit the Auction Block at Christie's Geneva

With a revolution raging in France in March 1791, Queen Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI prepared for their escape. The queen spent an evening carefully wrapping her most precious jewels in cotton and then packed them neatly into a wooden chest. The diamond, ruby and pearl treasures were secretly shipped to Vienna in the care of Count Mercy-Argentau, a loyal retainer to the queen.

While the jewels made it to Austria, the royals did not.

Both Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were imprisoned and executed by guillotine in 1793. In February 1794, Emperor Francis II of Austria ordered the chest to be opened in Brussels and an inventory to be made.

Two magnificent bracelets that the Queen had purchased in 1776 were listed as Item No. 6 — "A pair of bracelets where three diamonds, with the biggest set in the middle, form two barrettes; the two barrettes serve as clasps, each comprising four diamonds and 96 collet-set diamonds."

On November 9, 2021, Christie's Geneva will be offering those bracelets — now known as "The Marie Antoinette Diamonds" — as Lot 1 of its Magnificent Jewels Auction to be held at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues.

Over the past 245 years, the ill-fated Queen's bracelets have remained largely unchanged from the time she wore them.

"Of the pieces with a traceable provenance back to the Queen of France," noted Christie's, "these extraordinary bracelets are the only example to include diamonds belonging to her and to retain the exact design described in the Brussels inventory. While it is possible that the bracelets might have been remounted at a later stage, no changes were made to the overall composition and the number of diamonds, except for those on the clasp, were kept identical as per the inventory."

Christie's has set the pre-sale estimate for the bracelets, which include a total of 112 diamonds, at $2 million to $4 million.

According to Christie's, a 21-year-old Marie Antoinette had been Queen of France for only two years but was already recognized as the queen of elegance and style in 1776. She had a particular affection for fine jewelry, especially diamonds.

When she had an opportunity to purchase two diamond bracelets from Boehmer, she arranged for a down payment of 29,000 livres toward the total sum of 250,000 livres, which represented a small fortune at the time. Eventually, the bill was paid partly in gemstones from the Queen’s collection and partly with funds the Queen received from King Louis XVI.

Jewelry historian Vincent Meylan recently discovered a document dated February of 1777 among the personal papers of King Louis XVI. It stated, "To the Queen: down payment of 29,000 livres for the diamond bracelets she bought from Boehmer."

Three years after the Queen's death, the bracelets were claimed by Marie-Thérèse, Madame Royale, the surviving daughter of Marie-Antoinette.

In an 1816 portrait by Antoine-Jean Gros, Madame Royale is wearing a pair of diamond bracelets consistent with the Brussels inventory. Madame Royale died childless in 1851. Her will stated that the entirety of her jewelry collection – including Marie Antoinette's jewels – was to be divided among her nephew and two nieces: Count of Chambord, Countess of Chambord and Duchess of Parma.

The Marie Antoinette bracelets were brought to Christie's by an unnamed royal descendent.

Credits: Jewelry image courtesy of Christie's. Marie Antoinette portrait by Joseph Ducreux, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Marie Therese portrait by Antoine-Jean Gros, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.