Italian royal tiara fetches $1.6 million at Swiss auction

A diamond and pearl tiara passed down through generations of Italy’s royal family sold for 1.5 million Swiss francs ($1.66 million) when it was auctioned in Switzerland on Tuesday.

The price was one of the highest achieved for a tiara in recent years, auctioneers Sotheby’s said following the sale in Geneva. Dating from the second half of the 19th century, the tiara was a wedding gift to Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo upon her marriage in 1867 to Amadeo I of Savoy, later king of Spain.

The tiara features graduated scroll motifs set with diamonds and natural pearls and had an estimated price of $1 million to $1.5 million. “The price achieved today is testament not only to its exceptional craftsmanship and the quality of its materials

which makes it a true work of art,

but also to its historical and emotional resonance,” said Benoit Repellin, head of Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels auction.

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Also sold was the largest Kashmir sapphire to ever appear at auction, a 55.19 carat stone which fetched 3.5 million francs. The gemstone was part of 1930s sapphire and diamond brooch – set alongside another Kashmir sapphire weighing 25.97 carats.

Estimated to fetch $2 million to $3 million, it had belonged to an heiress of the Guinness brewery fortune.

Source: Reuters