The jewel in the crown
On 19 June the Maharajas and Mughal Magnificence sale at Christie’s will auction almost 400 pieces of spectacular Indian jewellery and bejewelled objects in what the auction house describes as “the most important jewelry sale since Elizabeth Taylor’s collection was auctioned in 2011.”
Spanning five centuries the Al Thani collection showcases the history of Indian jewelled art, much of with royal provenance having been passed down through generations of Maharjas. Its sheer scale, charts new territory for Christie’s and pieces such the 1907 Diamond Turban Ornament and gemstones yet to be turned into jewels, including a 52.58-carat D-colour, Internally Flawless diamond known as the ‘Mirror of Paradise’, are so valuable that museums, the natural home for these world-important pieces, cannot afford to acquire them at such short notice.
Which means, in turn, that the New York auction, to feature pieces by prestigious houses including Cartier, Bulgari and Mauboussin and revered contemporary jewellers JAR and Viren Bhagat, will be a melee of the world’s super wealthy to see who can bag first them for their personal collection.
