The Court Jeweller

Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

The Bonaparte Olive Wreath Tiara

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Princess Marie Bonaparte and her daughter, Princess Eugenie of Greece, 1953 (Photo 12/Alamy)

What do you get when you combine a classic tiara design, a renowned jeweler, and one of the most fascinating princesses of the twentieth century? The answer, of course, is today’s tiara: the olive wreath diadem created by Cartier for Princess Marie Bonaparte.

Philip de Laszlo’s portrait of Princess Marie, ca. 1921 (Wikimedia Commons)

Descended from Lucien Bonaparte, one of the younger brothers of Napoleon, Princess Marie was born into the imperial line of the French monarchy. She was also the granddaughter of François Blanc, the French entrepreneur who developed real estate and casinos, including the famous Monte-Carlo Casino in Monaco. With Bonaparte blood and Blanc money, Marie was both a princess and an heiress. Such a celebrated heritage required major jewels, and one of the most significant pieces in Marie’s collection was this olive wreath tiara. It was a part of Marie’s trousseau when she married Prince George of Greece and Denmark, one of the sons of King George I of the Hellenes, in 1907.

Princess Marie wears the tiara, ca. 1907 (Wikimedia Commons)

The tiara was designed by Cartier as a wreath of pave-set diamond olive leaves studded with eleven cushion-shaped diamond “olives.” Those eleven diamonds can be swapped for other stones. Originally, the “olives” were apparently set with emeralds; Marie also switched out the emeralds for rubies on occasion. The show-stopper of the piece was the enormous pear-shaped diamond that was mounted at the center of the piece. The wreath design was meant deliberately to evoke the tiaras worn by the Bonaparte women during Napoleon’s reign, paying tribute to Marie’s French imperial heritage. The olive wreath motif also made it a perfect tiara for a princess marrying into the Greek royal family.

Princess Marie Bonaparte and her daughter, Princess Eugenie of Greece, at the 1953 coronation (Photo 12/Alamy)

Marie’s marriage to George was complicated, to say the least. (I’ll let you all read up on the specifics. Let’s just say that George and his uncle, Prince Valdemar of Denmark, were lovers.) Marie’s anxieties about her relationships led her to psychoanalysis and Sigmund Freud, with whom she had a deep and long-lasting friendship. She became so committed to the practice that she even offered to psychoanalyze the man who sat beside her at the 1953 coronation of her niece-by-marriage, Queen Elizabeth II of United Kingdom. (Marie’s seatmate was François Mitterand, the future president of France. They reportedly paid zero attention to the actual crowning that was happening in the Abbey.) Marie just so happened to be wearing the ruby version of the olive wreath tiara on that day, too, but she’d flipped it upside down and replaced the pear-shaped diamond with a diamond star for the occasion.

The Bonaparte Olive Wreath Tiara displayed in Canberra, 2018 (Photo generously shared by Javier)

Princess Marie died in 1962, and about thirty years later, her tiara went up for auction. The central diamond was missing from the tiara at that point, and the alternative emerald and ruby stones were also apparently not included in the sale. The tiara was purchased in 1999 by the Albion Art Institute. They replaced the pear-shaped diamond, and now the tiara is shown in exhibitions around the world.

Note: This is an updated version of an earlier post, with new text and images.

Princess Natalia Paley’s Jewelry at Sotheby’s

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Sotheby’s

It’s been a banner year for major royal jewelry auctions, with several important pieces coming up for sale especially in recent months. The excitement continues in December with the sale of a collection of jewelry that belonged to a Romanov: Princess Natalia Paley.

Sotheby’s

Princess Natalia was the daughter of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia, who was in turn an uncle of Emperor Nicholas II. Her mother was Grand Duke Paul’s second wife, Olga Karnovich; their marriage was morganatic, but in 1915, Olga was granted the title of Princess Paley by Nicholas II. The title also extended to Natalia, as well as her brother, Prince Vladimir, and her sister, Princess Irina. From Grand Duke Paul’s first marriage, Natalia also had more half-siblings: Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna (the Younger) and Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich.

Both Grand Duke Paul and Prince Vladimir died during the Russian Revolution, but Natalia escaped, settling in France with her mother and sister. She became a fashion model and married twice: first to French designer Lucien Lelong, and then to American theater director John C. Wilson. She became a naturalized American citizen in 1941, and she lived in New York until her death four decades later. A collection of Natalia’s jewelry was inherited by Wilson’s niece, Barbara Macauley. Another group of jewels from that collection was sold in 2009, shortly before Macauley’s death, and now another large selection of pieces is being offered for sale.

Sotheby’s

Natalia’s social circle included a wide range of creatives, including several jewelry designers. These relationships enriched her impressive twentieth-century jewelry collection, and several of these pieces are being auctioned by Sotheby’s in a pair of sales on December 9-10.

The December 9 auction includes two lots of jewelry that belonged to Natalia. The first is this gold, diamond, and zircon ring was made by one of Natalia’s friends, the designer (and Italian aristocrat) Fulco di Verdura. He worked for Chanel until 1934, when he and Natalia traveled together to the United States. There, he established his own firm, Verdura, in 1939.

Sotheby’s

The ring, which Sotheby’s describes as “a band of channel-set zircon baguettes, flanked by bezel-set single-cut diamonds, extending to a border of fluted gold” was made in 1947. The auction house expects it to sell for between $5,000-7,000 USD.

Sotheby’s

The December 9 auction also includes this unusual suite of gold, diamond, and enamel jewels, made in France in the 1880s. The set includes a bracelet, a pair of earrings, and a brooch.

Sotheby’s

The gold bracelet is set with “three rose-cut diamonds, within a geometric pattern applied with black enamel lines and latticework,” as are the matching brooch and earrings, which also feature suspended rose-cut diamonds. Sotheby’s expects the suite to fetch between $3,000-5,000 USD.

Sotheby’s

On December 10, a large number of Natalia’s jewels will be offered for sale. The first lot is this incredibly unique silver and moonstone necklace, made by the socialite Millicent Rogers. An enthusiastic collector and champion of Southwestern art and design, Rogers also made pieces of Southwestern-inspired jewelry. Sotheby’s believes that this necklace was probably a personal gift from Rogers to Natalia.

Sotheby’s

The necklace, described as “a large hammered silver plaque suspending a fringe of smaller silver plaques bezel-set with cabochon moonstones, on a hammered silver chain,” is expected to bring between $2,000-3,000 USD at auction.

Sotheby’s

Another of Natalia’s favorite jewelry purveyors was Cartier, and several pieces from the firm are included in the sale. This gold, diamond, and emerald bracelet is made with a buckle design. It dates to around 1940.

Sotheby’s

Sotheby’s explains that the bracelet is “composed of coiled gold links, the terminals set with a square-cut cabochon emerald and a sugarloaf emerald, accented with old mine and single-cut diamonds.” They expect the piece to bring a whopping $50,000-75,000 USD.

Sotheby’s

One of the most captivating pieces in the entire sale is this charming citrine and peridot chestnut brooch. The piece is unsigned, but Sotheby’s writes that it was made by René Boivin. (You might remember the Boivin name from one of our book club selections, Diving for Starfish.)

Sotheby’s

No creation date for the brooch is offered; instead, Sotheby’s simply describes it as “a stylized chestnut, pavé-set with round and oval-shaped peridots, opening on calibré-cut citrines.” The firm was best known for producing whimsical brooches in the ’30s and ’40s, when Boivin’s widow, Jeanne, was at the helm, employing talented jewelers like Suzanne Belperron and Juliette Moutarde. Sotheby’s expects the chestnut brooch to fetch between $7,500-10,000 USD.

Sotheby’s

This fantastic nineteenth-century tarra is another highlight of the collection. The ornament, which was meant to be worn on a turban, was made using seed pearls, enamel, emeralds, diamonds, and other pale gems.

Sotheby’s

Here’s another interesting view of the ornament, which Sotheby’s describes as “a gold and silver bird topped with a flower, applied with polychrome enamel, and set with antique rose and table-cut diamonds and other near colorless gemstones, the eyes set with cabochon emeralds, suspending a seed pearl tassel terminating in emerald beads.”

Sotheby’s

Just before her marriage to John Wilson in 1937, Natalia wore the turra as a brooch in an engagement portrait. Sotheby’s has shown the ornament in the same way on their model as a helpful reference. They expect the piece to bring between $3,000-5,000 USD.

Sotheby’s

The December 10 auction also includes several more pieces by Verdura, including this striking gold, aquamarine, and emerald brooch. It was made around 1940, in the early days of Verdura’s firm.

Sotheby’s

This image gives you a better understanding of the size of the clip brooch, which is described as “a cluster of aquamarine and emerald cabochons mounted behind a stylized basket of gold ropework.” Sotheby’s estimates that it will sell for between $15,000-20,000 USD.

Sotheby’s

Verdura also made these fantastic dogwood-inspired jewels for Natalia in 1943. The brooch and matching earrings are set with pink tourmalines and yellow sapphires.

Sotheby’s

The lot notes describe the set as a “clip-brooch of floral design, set with pink tourmaline cabochon petals, and with variously-cut yellow sapphires at the center, and decorative gold work, together with a pair of matching earclips.” The auction estimate for the set is between $20,000-30,000 USD.

Sotheby’s

When Fulco di Verdura worked for Chanel, a cuff bracelet set with Maltese crosses became one of the signature items from their collaboration. Natalia owned two Verdura Maltese cross brooches, including this diamond and emerald example.

Sotheby’s

Made in 1966, this clip brooch is “a stylized Maltese cross, pavé-set with round diamonds, the center embellished with emerald cabochons.” It’s expected to bring between $20,000-30,000 USD.

Sotheby’s

The second Verdura Maltese cross brooch is this piece, which Sotheby’s describes as “highly stylized.” Although it has a distinct mid-century modern flair, it was made a bit earlier, around 1940.

Sotheby’s

The brooch is described as “composed of polished gold, the center with woven platinum bands pavé-set with round and single-cut diamonds.” The center bands share a bit of a resemblance with a pound sign or even a hashtag, making this perhaps a perfect piece for an ultra-glamorous Twitter user. Sotheby’s thinks this one will sell for between $7,500-10,000 USD.

Sotheby’s

Two magnificent rings from Natalia’s collection are also included in the sale. The first is this stunning diamond ring from Verdura, made in the 1940s.

Sotheby’s

The 6-carat marquise diamond (graded G color and VVS2 clarity by the GIA) is “shouldered by round diamonds.” It’s expected to fetch between $80,000-120,000 USD.

Sotheby’s

The other ring is this mesmerizing sapphire and diamond bauble from Cartier. The emerald-cut Ceylon sapphire weighs in at a whopping 15.92 carats.

Sotheby’s

The lot notes explain that the sapphire is “flanked by two bullet-shaped diamonds.” It’s estimated to sell for between $60,000-80,000 USD.

Sotheby’s

The final lot from the collection is probably my favorite: a classic double clip brooch from Cartier, set with diamonds and sapphires. The piece was made in the 1930s, when the fashion for clip brooches was reaching its heights.

Sotheby’s

Sotheby’s explains that the brooch is “set with old European, single-cut and baguette diamonds” and “embellished with emerald-cut, calibré-cut and baguette sapphires.” Its auction estimate is set at between $12,000-15,000 USD.

Which royal ladies do you hope are bidding for pieces in these auctions?

The Countess of Craven’s Rubies Sold

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Christie’s

Last week, we talked about the jewels once owned by the late Lady Granard, several of which were up for sale at Christie’s. That same sale also included numerous other intriguing pieces of jewelry, including this diamond and ruby necklace — which may particularly fascinating royal legacy.

Christie’s

The necklace is described in the lot notes from Christie’s as a “mid-19th century ruby and diamond necklace,” made of “oval-shaped rubies, old-cut diamonds, silver and gold.” They date the necklace to the 1850s, and they note that it was offered for sale in the November 12 auction by “a European family.”

Cornelia, Countess of Craven, ca. 1914 (Grand Ladies Site)

The necklace has had at least one illustrious former owner. Cornelia, Countess of Craven, received the necklace from her parents. Like Beatrice Granard, Cornelia was one of the buccaneers, a group of wealthy American heiresses who married into the British aristocracy at the turn of the twentieth-century. Cornelia’s parents were Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Martin of New York, who were famous for throwing the lavish Bradley-Martin Ball at the Waldorf in 1898. Five years earlier, in 1893, sixteen-year-old Cornelia had married the 4th Earl of Craven and become Countess of Craven.

Christie’s

The lot notes also include a nugget of interesting information. In describing the attire worn by Cornelia’s mother, Mrs. Bradley Martin, to the famous 1898 ball, Christie’s notes that she wore “a fabulous ruby and diamond necklace, rumoured to have been the one that previously belonged to Madame Royale, Duchess of Angoulême.”

Replicas of the original Nitot ruby jewels made for Empress Marie Louise, recently displayed in Monaco (and shared with us by Royal Warren(t), who owns the copyright to this image!)

The Duchess of Angoulême’s parure of ruby jewels dated to 1816, but the rubies themselves had previously been set in a suite of jewels that belonged to another French royal woman: Empress Marie Louise, the second wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. Her ruby parure was made for her by Nitot, and the stones were later reused by Bapst to create a parure for the Duchess of Angoulême (who was the only surviving child of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette). We recently discussed the Nitot parure here on the site — the photograph above showcases garnet-set replicas of the original jewels.

Madame Royale: Princess Marie Therese of France, Duchess of Angouleme by Caminade, 1827 (Wikimedia Commons)

The Angoulême rubies stayed in France even after the Duchess went into exile, and they were later worn by Empress Eugenie. Along with the rest of the crown jewels, the rubies were sold at auction in 1887. There’s no clear record of where they ended up, but we know that part of the set — the ruby tiara — was later owned by none other than Cornelia, Countess of Craven. Did the necklace end up with her, too? We don’t know whether the Angoulême necklace and the Bradley-Martin Ball necklace and Cornelia Craven’s necklace were all versions of the same piece of jewelry — or at least set with the same gemstones — but the lot notes certainly seem to want us to entertain the possibility.

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The Angoulême ruby tiara was famously auctioned at Sotheby’s in 1961 with the rest of Cornelia Craven’s jewelry, following her death earlier that year. (The sale was an enormous one — one paper described it as “one of the biggest jewel sales ever held in Britain.”) The tiara was described as having belonged to the Empress Eugenie, and it sold for $92,000. The ruby and diamond bracelets from the Angoulême parure (also owned by Cornelia) were auctioned in the same sale as well; today, they’re in the Louvre. But the necklace, which we know was also sold in that same auction, was not described as coming from Empress Eugenie’s collection, which makes me think it was more likely a separate piece, not originally associated with the Angoulême rubies at all.

Christie’s

Anyway, here’s what we know for sure: this ruby necklace was sold at Sotheby’s in 1961, following Cornelia Craven’s death — and it was sold again last week, on November 12 at Christie’s in Geneva. Auction estimates for the piece this time around were set at 350,000-550,000 Swiss francs (which are currently roughly equivalent to US dollars). When the hammer fell, the necklace brought home even more money than anticipated, selling for 615,000 Swiss francs (including the buyer’s premium).