Editor’s Note
This article details the upcoming auction of a rare 18th-century pink diamond with a storied provenance, once belonging to Marie Antoinette’s daughter. The piece, recently reset by JAR, represents a unique fusion of royal history and modern artistry.
A rare 18th-century pink diamond, once owned by the daughter of Marie Antoinette, will be auctioned on June 17 at Christie’s in New York. The ring, newly set by jeweler JAR, tells a story intertwining monarchies, dynastic heritage, and contemporary craftsmanship.
An 18th-century pink diamond linked to the French royal family will be auctioned on June 17 at the Rockefeller Center in New York by Christie’s. Known as the “Marie-Thérèse Diamond,” the stone is named after Marie-Thérèse d’Angoulême, the only surviving daughter of Queen Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. The jewel is the star of the upcoming Magnificent Jewels auction, which will also feature other historical pieces, and is one of the highlights of the 2025 edition. The diamond, cut in the shape of a dragon with violet-pink hues, weighs 10.38 carats. According to Christie’s estimates, it is valued between $3 and $5 million.
The stone’s provenance dates back to the mid-18th century, and its history, intertwined with the turmoil of the French monarchy, has its roots in the royal family’s failed escape from Paris in 1791. Reports indicate that Queen Marie Antoinette entrusted her most valuable jewels to her trusted hairdresser on the night before the escape attempt. He was to keep them and return them once they were safe. After her execution in 1793, her daughter Marie-Thérèse was sent to Austria, her mother’s homeland. There, she received back a portion of her mother’s jewelry, which had been hidden for years.
It is not confirmed that the diamond now up for auction belonged to the specific collection entrusted to the hairdresser. However, according to historical reconstructions, the stone did indeed belong to Marie-Thérèse d’Angoulême. It was inherited from her by her niece, the Duchess Marie-Thérèse de Chambord, and later acquired by Queen Marie-Thérèse of Bavaria. In a will, the Bavarian queen mentions it as “a solitary pink diamond from Aunt Chambord.” Over time, the diamond passed through several generations of European nobility until it was sold in 1996. The current owner commissioned Joel Arthur Rosenthal, known in the industry as JAR, to design a new setting. Rosenthal is considered one of the most influential figures in contemporary jewelry, known for his sculptural designs and use of unconventional color palettes. He produces only a limited number of pieces each year, and his name is associated with clients like Elizabeth Taylor and Diane von Furstenberg. In 2014, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York dedicated a retrospective to him, an unprecedented event for a living jeweler. The ring he designed for the Marie-Thérèse Diamond consists of a double pavé band set with diamonds and features a decoration of 17 diamonds above the central stone, resembling a crown.
Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, Marie-Antoinette dit “à la Rose” (1783; Oil on canvas, 130 x 87 cm Versailles, Palace of Versailles, Musée de l’Histoire de France).
