British Noble's 300-Carat Necklace Up for Auction... Expected to Sell Around 3 Billion Won

Created in the 18th century... Composed of 3 lines
Presumed to have been used in the 'Mokgeori Incident'

Photo unrelated to the article. [Source=Pixabay]

A 300-carat diamond necklace worn by a figure attending the coronation of the British queen has been revealed.

According to the UK Guardian on the 23rd (local time), the American auction house Sotheby's will offer the 300-carat necklace, owned by a private individual in the Asia region, for online bidding. The bidding will start on October 25 and the necklace is scheduled to be featured in the 'Royal and Noble' auction held in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 11.

Made in the 18th century, the necklace was publicly displayed in London for the first time in 50 years. It is characterized by three strands of diamonds with diamond tassels on both ends, and the estimated price ranges from 1.8 million USD (approximately 2.4 billion KRW) to 2.8 million USD (approximately 3.7 billion KRW). It will be exhibited not only in London but also in Hong Kong, the United States, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Singapore in the future.

The necklace is known to have been owned by the Anglesey Marquess family in the UK until the 1960s before being sold. A member of the Anglesey Marquess family wore this necklace at the coronations of King George VI in 1937 and Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. After being sold, it was not publicly displayed for about 50 years until it appeared at this auction.

Andres White, Sotheby's head of jewelry, explained, "Jewelry made in the 18th century was often dismantled for repurposing," adding, "It is truly delightful that a British Georgian-era jewel of this carat size remains intact." He further stated, "This jewel has passed through several households. We can start tracing it from the time when the necklace was part of the Anglesey Marquess family's collection in the early 20th century."

Additionally, the Sotheby's chairman speculated that some of the diamonds in the necklace might have been used in the 'Necklace Affair' that occurred before the French Revolution. The Necklace Affair involved Jeanne de Valois-Saint-R?my, Countess de la Motte, who approached Cardinal Louis de Rohan. She deceived him into acting as a proxy buyer by making him believe that Queen Marie Antoinette of France wanted to purchase a necklace made of over 600 diamonds, then stole and dismantled the necklace. This incident severely damaged Marie Antoinette's reputation as being extravagant, leading to her downfall and execution during the French Revolution.