Grand Duchess Stephanie’s Stunning Royal Sapphires

Royal auction lovers, rejoice! We’ve got some major royal jewels coming up for sale in May. We’re going to be highlighting some of the grandest pieces over the next few days, starting with an extensive parure of diamond and sapphire jewels with French imperial heritage.

This nine-piece suite of sapphire and diamond jewels is being sold as separate lots by Christie’s in Geneva on May 12. The set is designed around a classic motif: large sapphires surrounded by diamond clusters. The parure includes a tiara, a necklace, a bracelet, a pair of earrings, two pendants, two brooches, and a ring.

The parure’s original owner comes from a very famous royal family. Stéphanie de Beauharnais was a cousin of Alexandre de Beauharnais, the first husband of Empress Joséphine of France. When Joséphine’s second husband, Napoléon Bonaparte, was crowned emperor in 1804, Stéphanie found herself at the heart of the new imperial family. Her “uncle,” Napoléon, soon arranged a grand marriage for her. After adopting Stéphanie, raising her to imperial status, and giving her the title of Princesse Française, he brokered a match for her with Prince Karl of Baden, heir to that region’s throne. Karl wasn’t thrilled—he had apparently wanted to marry Princess Augusta of Bavaria—but the marriage went ahead in 1806. (Napoléon had plans for Princess Augusta, too: she was married to his stepson, Eugène de Beauharnais. They became the Duke and Duchess of Leuchtenberg.)

As a reward for Karl’s decision, Napoléon elevated his grandfather to the title of Grand Duke of Baden. Karl inherited that title in 1811, after which he and Stéphanie began living together and had several children. Grand Duchess Stéphanie had a jewelry box filled with pieces suitable for a grand duchess and imperial princess, including today’s sapphire parure and the delicate Baden Seed Pearl Tiara.

Stéphanie’s descendants have managed to keep the sapphire and diamond parure in the family until the present day. It was inherited in 1860 by her second daughter, Princess Josephine, who had married Prince Karl Anton of Hohenzollern in 1834. They had six children, including King Carol I of Romania, Queen Stephanie of Portugal, and the Countess of Flanders. 

The sapphires were inherited by Josephine and Karl Anton’s eldest son, Leopold, in 1900; in turn, he bequeathed them to his eldest son, William, in 1905. The lot notes provided by Christie’s end the documented chain of inheritance there, using the phrase “thence by descent” to describe later ownership. Now, one of the descendants of Prince William of Hohenzollern is selling the jewels.

As I mentioned earlier, the parure has been broken up for sale as individual lots rather than being offered as a complete set. The first item, Lot 136, is the sapphire and diamond necklace. The notes describe the piece as an early nineteenth century jewel, made of gold and set with “octagonal step-cut sapphires, rose and old-cut diamonds.” Diamond anthemions, which were especially popular in the first decades of the nineteenth century, are also integrated into the design and are linked by diamond swag festoons. The auction estimate for the necklace is set at around $198,000-352,000 USD.

The second jewel, Lot 137, is the sapphire and diamond ring. (Very similar to an iconic royal ring we’ve discussed here recently!) The ring, which is a size 6 1/2, is also made of gold and set with an “octagonal step-cut sapphire, single and old-cut diamonds.” It’s expected to bring between $11,000-20,000 USD.

The sapphire and diamond bracelet from the parure, which features eight linked clusters, is Lot 138. Like the other pieces in the set, it is made of gold and features “octagonal step-cut sapphires” and “old-cut diamonds.” Christie’s has set the piece’s estimate at between $11,000-19,000 USD.

These gorgeous diamond and sapphire earrings are the fourth lot (Lot 139) from the set. The lot notes describe the earrings as having “pear and cushion-shaped sapphires” and “old-cut diamonds” set in gold. Intriguingly, three of the four sapphires are said to be from Sri Lanka (but not the fourth!). These have a higher auction estimate: between $33,000-50,000 USD.

This lovely diamond and sapphire brooch is being offered as Lot 140 in the auction. (It reminds me a little bit of the Connaught Sapphire Brooch.) Though its design is a bit different, it’s said to have been made at the same time as the rest of the suite, and composed of gold set with “octagonal step-cut sapphire, rose and old-cut diamonds.” Its auction estimate is between $5500-11,000 USD.

This classic sapphire and diamond cluster brooch, a design cousin of the famous Albert Brooch, is Lot 141. Like the other pieces in the set, it is made of gold set with an “oval-shaped sapphire” and “old-cut diamonds.” The sapphire in this jewel was also sourced from Sri Lanka. The estimate is set at $27,500-44,000 USD.

The set also features a pair of diamond and sapphire pendants. The first, Lot 142, features an “octagonal step-cut sapphire” and “old-cut diamonds” set in gold. It’s expected to bring between $16,500-27,500 USD.

The second diamond and sapphire pendant from the set (Lot 143), features old-cut diamonds surrounding an oval-shaped sapphire. Like its sister pendant, it is estimated to fetch between $16,500-27,500 USD.

And the final item from the parure, the diamond and sapphire tiara, is presented as lot 144. The base of the tiara is wrapped in brown velvet, likely to match the hair color of its most recent wearer, for added comfort. The notes describe the piece, which is made of gold, as containing “octagonal step-cut and oval-shaped sapphires” as well as “rose and old-cut diamonds.” Diamond anthemion elements, echoing the design of the suite’s necklace, are placed between the sapphire clusters. This is the big draw from the set: it’s expected to bring a whopping price, estimated between $154,000-275,000 USD.