See the Gorgeous $225,000 Princess Diana Heirloom That Just Sold at an Art Fair
An exquisite Edwardian diamond tiara valued at $225,000 that belonged to an ancestor of Princess Diana has sold at an art fair.
The tiara, set with more than 800 diamonds, was given to Lady Delia Spencer, great aunt to Diana, by her father the 6th Earl Spencer on her 1914 wedding day.
On Thursday, hours after it was shown at the world’s biggest art and antiques fair, TEFAF, in Holland, it was snapped up — though jewelers Hancocks London won’t reveal who bought it and the price at which it sold.
“The tiara is a wonderful example of superb craftsmanship with a unique provenance,” said Guy Burton of Hancocks.
Lady Delia married the Hon. Sidney Peel, grandson of the Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel, in 1914. The diamonds on the piece are estimated to weigh a total of 48 carats, and the tiara is held on its frame by tiny wing-topped screws, so that it may be removed. It can then be divided, with the central three sections becoming a choker necklace and the two outer sections joining to form a bracelet.
Another piece that the Mayfair-based jewlery firm has for sale at the fair is the so-called “Orchestra” bracelet once owned by child star Shirley Temple. The ruby, diamond and platinum piece dates from around 1940 and is attributed to Beverly Hills jeweler William Ruser.
The bracelet is shows a row of eight orchestral musicians with the conductor at the center, as each musician plays instruments from timpani, cello, grand piano and harp. It is valued at $70,000). “Ruser’s pieces were worn by numerous starlets on and off-screen,” Burton adds. “This and many other of his creations are regarded as masterpieces of American jewelry.”
Source: PEOPLE COM
Tags: Tiara, Princess Diana, Jewelry, Tiara, Heirloom, Art Fair, TEFAF, Hooland, Hancocks, London, Diamonds, Ruby, Platinum
