Lot 377
  • 377

Historic and highly important fancy dark grey-blue diamond jewel

Estimate
3,500,000 - 5,000,000 CHF
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Description

  • diamond, gold, silver
Set with a pear-shaped fancy dark grey-blue diamond weighing 6.16 carats, within a frame of pinched-collet set cushion-shaped diamonds, fitting detachable, fitted case with a plaque mentioning the provenance of the stone. 

Condition

Accompanied by GIA report no. 5181115824, stating that the pear-shaped diamond, weighing 6.16 carats, measuring 15.78 x 10.89 x 5.61mm, is Fancy Dark Grey-Blue, Natural Colour, SI1 Clarity. Remaining diamonds bright and lively. Scratches and tarnish to the metal consistent with age and use. Gross weight approximately 6 grams. Fitted case.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Please note that colour, clarity and weight of gemstones are statements of opinion only and not statements of fact by Sotheby's. We do not guarantee, and are not responsible for any certificate from a gemological laboratory that may accompany the property. We do not guarantee that watches are in working order. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue, in particular to the Notice regarding the treatment and condition of gemstones.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

The Farnese Blue Diamond Three Centuries of History

 

Discovering an unknown historical diamond such as the Farnese Blue happens once in a lifetime. Apart from its beauty, the stone symbolises 300 years of history. It has travelled around Europe during these three centuries. And all this time, it was hidden away in a royal jewellery box. Except for close relatives, and of course the family jewellers, no one knew about its existence. 

Where does it come from? That is the question. The first historical record  dates from 1714-15. In 1714, Philip V (1683-1756), King of Spain married an Italian princess: Elisabeth Farnese (1692-1766). Both were members of illustrious European royal houses. Philip was one the Sun King's grandsons. Born a French prince, he became King of Spain in 1700. That year the Spanish line of the House of Habsburg came to an end when King Charles II died in Madrid. Having no children, his immense estates were meant to go to his sister's descendants. Unfortunately, that sister, the Infanta Marie Thérèse, had married Louis XIV of France. The idea of uniting two of the most powerful states of Europe under a single king was considered too risky, so it was decided that the oldest of Louis XIV and Marie Thérèse's grandsons, Louis, Duke of Burgundy, would inherit the French Crown. The youngest, Philippe, Duke of Anjou, would become the King of Spain, founding the line of the Spanish Bourbon Kings, which is still on the throne today. Europe, especially Austria and England, found it difficult to accept such a decision, as it still gave France an enormous edge of power. The War of Spanish Succession started in 1701, and would last twelve years. In 1713, the Utrecht Treaty acknowledged the French succession, providing that France and Spain would never be united. 

The next year, Philip V's first wife, Marie Louise of Savoy, died at the age 25. Spain needed a new queen, but for the same political reasons she had to be chosen very carefully. She could not be French, or Austrian, or even English. She had to be Catholic, and preferably a member of a minor royal house. Elisabeth Farnese was the perfect choice. She was the daughter of the Duke of Parma. Her family's estates were rather small. Furthermore, her father was dead, and her uncle had no sons, so the line was close to extinction. She was 22 years old, not especially pretty, but pleasant enough. The marriage was celebrated in Parma on the 25th of August 1714. 

The Spanish finances were in a very bad state, owing to the debts accumulated during the long years of war. In order to provide a suitable dowry for the new queen, the Spanish government sent word to the governors of all the Spanish colonies in the East and West, ordering them to send  wedding gifts to Madrid. It took one year to assemble the treasures. In August 1715 the Golden Fleet sailed from Cuba: twelve ships carrying hundreds of gold bullion and a case of enormous emeralds. Unfortunately, after 10 days at sea, a hurricane destroyed most of the fleet in the Gulf of Florida, with only one ship escaping. The story goes that the emeralds were lost in one of the sunken ships. But one diamond found its way to Spain: a pear-shaped blue diamond offered to the new Spanish Queen by the governor of the Philippine Islands. 

That provenance is mentioned on a silver plaque which is included in the diamond's box. It reads in French : "Remarkable blue brilliant. This historical stone was offered by the Philippine Islands to Elisabeth Farnese, Queen of Spain, wife of Philip V, great grandfather of the Comte of Villafranca, current owner of that stone".  The last line gives us the clue of the transmission of the diamond. Comte of Villafranca was the title taken in 1849 by Charles II of Bourbon, ex-king of Etruria, ex-duke of Lucca, ex-duke of Parma (1799-1883). This prince was born on the 22nd of December 1799. Elisabeth Farnese, was his great-great-grandmother. 

The marriage between Elisabeth Farnese and the King of Spain was a happy one. She gave him four sons and three daughters. It seems Elisabeth had a favourite child: the Infant Philip, born in 1720. Being a younger son, there was no chance that he would succeed to the Spanish crown. Elisabeth took it upon herself to find him a crown of his own. The Farnese line being extinct, she organised the succession of her ancestor’s duchy so that Philip would inherit it, which he  finally did in 1745. Four years later, he left Spain to take possession of his small kingdom. It is highly probable that his mother gave him the blue diamond around this time. After all, the stone had been given to the Queen by the islands with which he shared a name. 

From Philip, the first Duke of Parma of the Bourbon line, the stone went to his son, Ferdinand, the second Duke of Parma (1751-1802). The first years of the 19th century were a very tumultuous time for royal Europe. When Ferdinand died, Napoleon simply annexed the Duchy of Parma. Ferdinand’s son, Louis (1773-1803) received a small kingdom in compensation. He became King of Etruria with Florence as its capital. His reign was very short as he died in 1803. His only son, Charles II, at the age of four, inherited the Crown of Etruria, but lost it four years later when Napoleon decided to annex the kingdom. After the fall of the French Emperor in 1814, Charles II should have received his grandfather’s duchy, but the congress of Vienna decided differently. Parma was awarded to Napoleon’s ex-wife, the Empress Marie Louise. In compensation, Charles of Bourbon, received the Duchy of Lucca. He had to wait until the death of Marie-Louise in 1847, to get his ancestral duchy back. And it turned out to be for a very short time. 

1848 was a crucial year in the history of Europe. The entire continent was aflame after the French Revolution of the “Trois Glorieuses”, which marked the end of the Bourbon-Orleans monarchy in France. Parma was not spared. In March 1849, Charles II decided to abdicate and leave the crown to his son, Charles III (1823-1854). He then took the title of Comte de Villafranca. His decision was a wise one. His son Charles III, was murdered in the streets of his capital in 1854. The Comte de Villafranca lived a very long life, dying in 1883, leaving the blue diamond to his grandson, Robert (1848-1907). After the assassination of his father, he became the last reigning Duke of Parma. He was six years old and the Regency was in the very capable hands of his mother, Duchess Louise (1819-1864) a granddaughter of Charles X of France. But her wise rule was not enough to stop the “Risorgimento”, the  unification of Italy was on its way, and in 1859, Duchess Louise and the young Duke Robert left Parma forever. Robert lived most of his life in Austria. Like the other Italian Princes of Tuscany, Modena and  Naples, he found refuge in the estates of his cousin, Emperor Franz Joseph (1830-1916). Although he had lost his crown he was still a very rich man. He married twice and each of his wives gave him 12 children. 

One of his sons from his first marriage, Prince Elie (1880-1959), married the Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria (1882-1940) in 1903. In her jewellery inventory, which she wrote herself, Maria Anna of Austria Bourbon-Parma mentioned a diamond tiara, which had been made up out of a diamond belt that had been given to her as a wedding gift by her brothers and sisters-in-law. This tiara had an amazing history as the diamonds set in it came from Queen Marie Antoinette of France (1755-1793), through her daughter, Madame Royale, Duchesse of Angoulême (1778-1851) who had left the tiara to her niece, Louise of France, Duchess of Parma. In her inventory Princess Maria Anna explained that, at one point, the blue diamond was mounted on the tiara. She certainly wore it this way at the resplendent balls for which the Habsburg court was famous. The fall of the Austrian Empire in 1918 marked the end of that fabulous world. And it is an interesting coincidence that 100 years later, the blue diamond comes back into the light. This auction may be the only chance to admire this very rare and historical stone, before it disappears once again to become the star piece of a new collection. 

 

Vincent Meylan

 

Vincent Meylan is a French journalist and historian. He has written many books about jewellery: Boucheron : The Secret Archives; Van Cleef & Arpels : Treasures and Legends;  Mellerio : Jewellers to the Queen of Europe; Bulgari : The treasures of Rome.

Philip V of Bourbon, Duke of Anjou, King of Spain, King of Naples and Sicily (19 December 1683 in Versailles, France – 9 July 1746 in Madrid, Spain)

Married in 1714 Elisabeth (Isabel) Farnese, Princess of Parma and Piacenza, Queen of Spain, daughter of Odoardo II Farnese and Dorothea Sophia von Pfalz-Neuburg (25 October 1692 in Parma – 11 July 1766 in Madrid)

 

Philip of Bourbon, Infant of Spain, Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla (15 March 1720 – 18 July 1765)

Married in 1739 Louise Elisabeth of Bourbon, daughter of Louis XV, King of France, and Marie Leszczynska (14 August 1727 – 6 December 1759)

 

Ferdinand of Bourbon, Infant of Spain, Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla (20 January 1751 – 9 October 1802)

Married in 1769 Maria Amalia of Habsburg-Lothringen, Archduchess of Austria, daughter of François Etienne de Lorraine, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, and Maria Theresia of Habsburg, Empress of the Holy Roman Empire (26 February 1746 – 18 June 1804)

 

Louis of Bourbon, Prince of Parma, King of Etruria (5 July 1773 – 27 May 1803)

Married in 1795 Maria Louise of Bourbon, daughter of Carlos IV of Bourbon, King of Spain, and Marie Louise of Bourbon (6 July 1782-1824)

 

Carlo II of Bourbon, King of Etruria, Duke of Lucca, Duke of Piacenza and Parma (22 December 1799-16 April 1883)

Married in 1820 Maria Teresa of Savoy, daughter of Victor Emmanuel of Savoy, King of Sardinia, and Maria Theresia of Austria-Este, Archduchess of Austria-Este, Princess of Modena (19 September 1803 – 16 June 1879)

 

Carlo III of Bourbon, Infant of Spain, Duke of Parma, Duke of Piacenza (14 January 1823-26 March 1854)

Married in 1845 Louise de Bourbon, Princess of France, daughter of Charles Ferdinand of Bourbon, Duke of Berry, and Maria Caroline of Bourbon, Princess of Two Sicilies, adoptive daughter of her aunt, Marie-Thérèse de Bourbon, Duchess of Angouleme (21 September 1819-1 February 1864)

 

Robert of Bourbon, Duke of Parma, Duke of Piacenza (9 July 1848-16 November 1907)

Married in 1869 Pia of Bourbon, Princess of Two Sicilies, daughter of Ferdinando II of Borbon, King of Two Sicilies, and Maria Theresia of Habsburg-Lothringen, Archduchess of Austria (2 August 1849 – 29 September 1882).

Married in 1884 Maria Antonia de Bragança, Infante of Portugal, daughter of Miguel I de Bragança, King of Portugal, and Adelheid, Princess zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (28 November 1862 – 14 May 1959)

 

Elie of Borbon, Duke of Parma, Duke of Piacenza (23 July 1880 – 27 June 1959)

Married in 1903 Maria Anna of Habsburg-Lothringen, Archduchess of Austria, daughter of Friedrich of Habsburg-Lothringen, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Teschen, and Isabelle, Princess de Croÿ (6 January 1882 – 25 February 1940)

 

Then by descent.

This historic and magnificent fancy dark grey-blue diamond was given by the Philippine Islands to Isabel Farnese (1692-1766), Princess of Parma and Piacenza, Queen of Spain, wife of Philip V (1683-1746), King of Spain, grandson of Louis XIV, King of France.

 

This historic provenance is mentioned in the fitted case on a small plaque engraved: “Remarquable brilliant bleu. Cette pierre historique a été offerte par les îles Philippines à Elisabeth Farnese, reine d’Espagne, femme de Philippe V, trisaïeul de Monseigneur le Comte de Villafranca auquel cette pierre appartient“ [Exceptional blue diamond. This historic stone was given by the Philippine Islands to Isabel Farnese, Queen of Spain, wife of Philip V, great grandfather of the Count of Villafranca to whom this stone belongs].

 

It is further specified on the list of jewellery established by Maria Anna of Austria, wife of Elie of Bourbon Parma. It is indeed written: “Un gros diamant bleu, dans un étui en cuir brun, et monté comme épingle de cravate. Pour le moment, il fait partie du grand diadème en diamants, qui m’appartient personnellement (voir la liste B des Bijoux) mais il est resté dans son ancienne monture et peut toujours se reporter comme épingle. Cette pierre historique a été offerte par les Iles Philippines à Elisabeth Farnèse, Reine d’Espagne, femme de Philippe V, petit-fils de Louis XIV, Roi de France, et trisaïeul du Duc Charles II de Parme, Duc de Lucques, Comte de Villa-Franca, qui l’a léguée à son petit-fils, le Duc Robert I de Parme“ [A large blue diamond, in a brown leather case, and mounted as a tie pin. For the moment, it is part of the large diamond tiara, which I personally own (cf. list B of the jewels) but it is in its original mount and can still be worn as a pin. This historic stone was given by the Philippine Islands to Isabel Farnese, Queen of Spain, wife of Philip V, grandson of Louis XIV, King of France, and great grandfather of Duke Charles II of Parma, Duke of Lucques, Count of Villa-Franca, who further bequeathed it to his grandson, Duke Robert I of Parma].

 

List B of the family jewels, established by Maria Anna of Habsburg, Archduchess of Austria, wife of Elias of Borbon, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, also mentioned the large tiara: “Un grand écrin en cuir rouge foncé avec monogramme M.A. et couronne, contenant un grand diadème en diamants. Ce diadème peut être porté aussi comme ceinture ou comme petit diadème et collier. Le diamant bleu qui s’y trouve fait partie des bijoux de famille (Liste A). Ce diadème monté comme ceinture provient tel quel de la Reine Marie-Antoinette et a été légué par Marie-Thérèse de France, Duchesse d’Angoulême, Comtesse de Marnes, à sa nièce et fille adoptive, Louise de France, Duchesse de Parme, qui l’a laissé à son fils Robert I, Duc de Parme. Celui-ci en fit cadeau à sa femme, la Duchesse Marie-Pie. Le diadème ou ceinture me fut donné, comme cadeau de noce, par mes beaux-frères et sœurs, fils et filles de la Duchesse Marie-Pie (y compris un écrin avec carcasse pour petit diadème)” [A large red leather case with the initials M.A. and a crown, containing a large diamond tiara. This tiara can also be worn as a belt, or a small diadem and a necklace. The blue diamond which is part of it is from the family jewels (list A). This tiara, mounted as a belt, comes as it is from Queen Marie Antoinette and was given by Marie-Thérèse of France, Duchess of Angouleme, Countess of Marnes, to her niece and adoptive daughter, Louise of France, Duchess of Parma, who passed it onto her son, Robert I, Duke of Parma. He gifted it to his wife, the Duchess Maria-Pia. The tiara, or belt , was given to me as a wedding gift, by my brothers and sisters-in-law, the Duchess Maria-Pia’s children].

 

Traced back to the 18th century, this historic and exquisite diamond has remained in the same family ever since and has been worn by Royal family members of Spain, France, Italy, and Austria.



Accompanied by GIA report no. 5181115824, stating that the diamond is Fancy Dark Grey-Blue, Natural Colour, SI1 Clarity.