A dazzling artifact of royal history steps into the spotlight today at Christie’s New York, where the Magnificent Jewels sale will feature the extraordinary Marie-Thérèse Pink Diamond — a 10.38-carat fancy purple-pink kite-shaped diamond believed to have once belonged to Marie Antoinette’s daughter, Duchess Marie-Thérèse of Angoulême.
Estimated to fetch between $3 million and $5 million, the stone is set in a remarkable ring designed by legendary jeweler Joel Arthur Rosenthal, known professionally as JAR.
The diamond’s journey is as glittering as its appearance. According to historical accounts and Christie’s own provenance records, Queen Marie Antoinette carefully wrapped her most treasured jewels and entrusted them to her coiffeur, Léonard Autié, on the eve of her ill-fated 1791 flight from Paris during the French Revolution. These heirlooms — including rubies, pearls and diamonds —were quietly shipped to Vienna for safekeeping, though the queen and King Louis XVI never escaped.
Among the jewels believed to have reached Austria was this magnificent pink diamond, which was later passed down to Marie Antoinette’s only surviving child, Duchess Marie-Thérèse, and eventually to her niece, Duchess Marie-Thérèse de Chambord. A will from Queen Marie Theresa of Bavaria later referred to the diamond as “a pink solitaire diamond from Aunt Chambord,” confirming its long-held royal provenance.
In 1996, the diamond resurfaced at auction in Geneva, offered by a member of a European royal family. Then set in a hair ornament presented in a velvet case bearing the Austrian Imperial Warrant, the gem disappeared from public view for nearly 30 years — until now.
Today, it reemerges transformed. Commissioned by the current owner, JAR has masterfully reimagined the diamond into a ring that blends heritage with haute design. The centerpiece stone rests beneath a fleur-de-lis crafted from 17 diamonds, a subtle nod to its French royal roots. It sits atop a double pavé diamond band rendered in blackened platinum — signature touches from the elusive Parisian jeweler known for his exclusivity and artistry.
“This is more than a jewel,” says Rahul Kadakia, International Head of Jewelry at Christie’s. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a piece of European history, brought forward into modern elegance by one of the greatest jewelry designers of our time.”
Graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) as a natural Fancy Purple-Pink with SI1 clarity, the stone was likely unearthed in India’s fabled Golconda region, the source of some of the world’s most legendary diamonds.
As the hammer falls later today at Rockefeller Center, collectors and connoisseurs alike will be watching closely. The Marie-Thérèse Pink is not only a rare gem by nature — but also a glittering bridge between the grandeur of the French court and the artistry of contemporary haute joaillerie.
Credits: Jewelry images courtesy of Christie's. Illustration of Marie Antoinette by The Jeweler Blog using Microsoft’s AI image generator.