A HUGE DIAMOND worn by Marie de Medici during her coronation as the queen of France in 1610 has sold for $9.7 million (€7.6 million) at auction.
The diamond, first owned by de Medici but since passed through royal families around Europe, was sold by the Royal House of Prussia through Sotheby’s in Geneva and was bought by an anonymous bidder.
Known as ‘Le Beau Sancy’, the diamond is described in a jewel classification report cited by Sotheby’s as an example of the most chemically-pure type of diamonds.
The auction house listed the jewel as a “modified pear double rose-cut diamond weighing 34.98 carats”. The diamond fetched double its reserve price.
In the centuries following the French queen’s coronation, the diamond has passed from Marie de Medici to royals families in the Netherlands, England and Prussia.
Here Sotheby’s David Bennett describes the diamond’s clarity, unique cut and how it got its name:
(Video uploaded by SothebysTV)
