Throughout history, jewelry has served monarchs, aristocrats and high society families both as an element of decoration and as a representation of power and wealth. Now, these famous jewels are highly protected because of their high value. If you are a fan of history curiosities, we leave you a selection of mythical titlejewelstitle.
5 mythical jewels of history
The 5 jewels of history that we have selected are so wonderful and valuable that they will dazzle anyone. Do you want to know which ones they are? Keep reading!
INDEX:
1. The Hope Diamond
1. The Hope Diamond
This 112 carat blue diamond is the most valuable in the world. It is said that it belonged to the goddess Sita and, as it was stolen from her temple, a curse would fall on whoever had it. Its first owner was the Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, who took it from the Golconda to Paris.
From there, it passed through the hands of the King of France Louis XIV, the government official Nicolas Fouquet, the successor of King Louis XVI, his wife Marie Antoinette, the Princess of Lamballe, a revolutionary named Guillot, Catherine the Great, the King of England George IV and many more, forming a total of 24 historically important and not so important characters, who died tragically. Strokes, diseases, starvation, heart attacks, loss of fortune, suicides, violence and other forms that affected all of them after possessing the famous diamond.
The jewel is currently housed at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. It was purchased and donated to the museum in 1949 by Hary Winston, a diamond expert. It was purchased and donated to the museum in 1949 by Hary Winston, a diamond expert. But he too was not spared from the curse, as he was run over and killed shortly thereafter.
2. The Pilgrim Pearl
La Peregrina is the most famous pearl in the world and was discovered in the Gulf of Panama at the end of the 16th century. It is characterized by its large size and a perfect teardrop shape, a particularity very difficult to find. This piece is very famous in the Royal House of Spain, as it has come to belong to King Philip II and also to Queen Mary Tudor, Isabella of Bourbon or Isabella I of Portugal, queens who were infatuated with it. It also passed through the hands of Napoleon III and Eugenia Montijo, the Andalusian woman who made Napoleon fall in love with her, also had the good fortune to adorn her body with this iconiciconic. Finally, it belonged to the beautiful actress Elizabeth Taylor and, after her death in 2011, the Pilgrim was auctioned to an anonymous buyer for 11.8 million dollars. It is undoubtedly one of the most precious of famous jewels.
3. Marie Antoinette's necklace
In third place in our list of mythical jewels we have the necklace of Marie Antoinette, the queen who ruled France and Navarre during the 18th century. The piece has 648 diamonds and is another of the most beautiful and expensive famous jewels in the world.
King Louis XV had commissioned it from his mistress Madame du Burry, but she died before the jewel was finished. Therefore, the Bishop of Rohan acquires it and instructs the jeweler to collect it from Marie Antoinette. But the is given to the Countess of Valois, the bishop's mistress. Transferred to London, the piece is disassembled and sold in pieces, so Marie Antoinette never got to have the necklace.
4. Lady Di's ring
The ring that Princess Diana chose when Charles of Wales proposed to her is incredibly iconic among the jewels of history. Today, it belongs to Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales. William of Wales, Diana's firstborn son, proposed to Kate with this ring as a tribute to his mother. Multiple replicas have been made of this jewel of 18 carat blue sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds. Thus, it has become a very desired engagement and one of the most famous jewels globally.
5. Pink Star Diamond
This intense pink diamond was found in Africa in 1999, but was only shown to the public in 2003 as it took about two years to cut. It is said to have belonged to Mathilde Bonaparte, a niece of Napoleon Bonaparte and member of the Russian royal family. As of today, it belongs to an Asian buyer who acquired the jewel for $71.2 million at Sotheby's auction house in 2017. As of 2023, it remains the world's most expensive auctioned .
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA), has graded this magnificent 59.6 carat, 2.69 by 2.06 centimeter, oval-shaped, totally pure diamond with the highest color and quality grade. It is also among the top 2% of Type Ila diamonds, which are the most chemically pure and have impressive optical clarity.
