R arely has the sale of a jewel caused such interest across both the fashion and art worlds. The Attallah Cross – a large amethyst and diamond cross made by Garrard, circa 1920, and famously worn by Diana, Princess of Wales – received feverish coverage in the global press before it appeared in the Royal & Noble auction on 18 January.
And the excitement only grew when it was revealed that none other than reality star and fashion icon Kim Kardashian had eventually outbid the competition to pay £163,800 with fees for the piece – well above the £80-120,000 estimate.
Head of jewellery at Sotheby's London Kristian Spofforth says 'Jewellery owned or worn by the late Princess Diana very rarely comes on to the market, especially a piece such as the Attallah Cross, which is so colourful, bold and distinctive.
'To some extent, this unusual pendant is symbolic of the princess's growing self-assurance in her sartorial and jewellery choices, at that particular moment in her life.'
Kristian Spofforth, Head of Jewellery
'To some extent, this unusual pendant is symbolic of the princess's growing self-assurance in her sartorial and jewellery choices, at that particular moment in her life.'
Anyone who is surprised that such a baroque piece should be bought by Kardashian hasn’t been paying attention. Because over the past few years she has stepped out in some exceptional vintage pieces, with peerless provenance.
(Photo by James Devaney/GC Images)
Take her controversial appearance at the 2022 Met Gala, when she wore the sheer crystal-encrusted gown in which Marilyn Monroe sang Happy Birthday to John F. Kennedy in 1962. (Kardashian wore it only for a few minutes on the entrance steps, replacing it with a replica for the rest of the evening.)
Even more notable is her considerable collection of mid-90s gowns by the likes of Jean Paul Gaultier, Azzedine Alaïa, Thierry Mugler and Versace – including some museum-quality rarities, such as Alexander McQueen’s 2003 Oyster dress.
The connection? Well, when in 1987 Diana first borrowed the Attallah Cross from Garrard’s MD Naim Attallah, wearing it with a spectacular Tudor-style Catherine Walker dress, she was a step ahead of one of the defining trends of the 90s: oversized crosses. A staple of the decade, Lacroix, Chanel, Gaultier, Versace and more added elaborate costume crosses to their collections – though none had the exquisite amethyst glow of the Attallah, which Diana wore again and again.
So with the trend-setting Kardashian combining those 90s vintage frocks and this extraordinary piece, it’s a fair bet we’ll see jewelled crosses adorning catwalks and red carpets again very soon.