"Some of the diamonds in the piece are believed to stem from the jewel at the centre of the Affair of the Diamond Necklace, a scandal in the 1780s that further tarnished the reputation of France's last queen, Marie Antoinette, and boosted support for the coming French Revolution."
"There is obviously a niche in the market for historical jewels with fabulous provenance. People are not only buying the object, but they're buying all the history that is attached to it," he said.
"This spectacular antique jewel is an incredible survivor of history, it said in a statement prior to the sale. Describing the Georgian-era piece as rare and highly important, Sotheby's said it had likely been created in the decade preceding the French Revolution."
"The unidentified buyer, who placed her bid over the phone, was ecstatic, Andres White Correal, chair of the Sotheby's jewellery department, told AFP. She was ready to fight and she did, he said, adding that it had been an electric night."
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