A pink diamond dating back to the 18th century and linked to the French royal dynasty will be auctioned by Christie’ s on June 17 at the Rockefeller Center venue in New York City. The stone, known as the “Marie-Thérèse diamond,” 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, where other historic pieces will be featured, and is one of the most prominent offerings of the 2025 edition. Cut in the shape of a kite and with purple-pink hues, the diamond has a weight of 10.38 carats. Christie’s estimates that it is worth between $3 million and $5 million. The stone’s provenance is attributed 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. Queen Marie Antoinette reportedly entrusted her most precious jewels to her trusted hairdresser the night before the escape attempt. The goal was to preserve them and retrieve them once they were safe. After her execution in 1793, her daughter Marie-Thérèse was sent to Austria, her mother’s country of origin. There, some of her mother’s jewelry, hidden for years and then recovered, was returned to her.
“It has everything you could want in a piece of jewelry,” says Rahul Kadakia, Christie’s international head of jewelry. “The stone, probably from India’s precious Golconda region, has several shades of soft colors, purples and pinks flashing from different angles. And it has been transformed into a masterpiece by JAR, all while bringing the splendor of the royal provenance.”
It is not confirmed that the diamond now at auction was part of that specific collection entrusted to the hairdresser. In any case, according to historical reconstructions, the stone actually belonged to Marie-Thérèse d’Angoulême. After her, it was inherited by her niece, Duchess Marie-Thérèse de Chambord, and later acquired by Queen Marie-Thérèse of Bavaria. In a testamentary passage, the Bavarian queen mentions it as “a solitary pink diamond of Aunt Chambord.” Over time, the diamond passed through several generations of European nobility until it was sold in 1996. The current owner subsequently commissioned Joel Arthur Rosenthal, known in the industry as JAR, to create 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 such as 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 is structured on a double pavé band, set with diamonds, and features above the center stone a decoration composed of 17 diamonds resembling a crown.
“It is a modern design by JAR, yet if you look closely, it resembles a crown,” says Kadakia. “It took into consideration the real history of the stone while making it of the moment.”
The figure of Marie Antoinette has long assumed an almost emblematic status in relation to fashion and luxury. During her time at Versailles, the queen distinguished herself by her passion for jewelry. Necklaces, bracelets, tiaras, and hair ornaments were part of an extraordinary collection of rare and precious stones such as pearls, rubies, sapphires, and diamonds. Some of the most important pieces were commissioned from court jewelers, such as Boehmer and Bassenge, and even financed through loans from her husband, Louis XVI, as in the case of a pair of diamond bracelets. After the revolution, several of these jewels were stolen, hidden or sold. Some were rediscovered and today are part of museum collections. These include a pair of pear-shaped diamond earrings currently housed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. In 2021, Christie’s again sold a pair of diamond bracelets that belonged to the queen.
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| At auction at Christie's, Marie Antoinette's pink diamond: estimated between $3 million and $5 million |
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