French crown jewel sold for 1.5m pounds

2001-06-21 12:38

London - A large diamond brooch that was once part of the French crown jewels went under the hammer for almost 1.5 million pounds (two million dollars, 2.45 million euros) in London Wednesday.

Napoleon III commissioned the huge bow brooch for the Empress Eugenie and it was created by the Parisian jeweller Kramer in 1855.

It was the highlight of a jewellery auction which took just over 4 million pounds at Sotheby's auction house.

The brooch was sold for exactly 1,433,500 pounds.

It was worn by the empress as the central part of a girdle round her waist and designed to match similar brooches on her shoulders.

The French crown jewels were split up and sold by order of the Republican government in 1887 and the brooch was brought by Mrs William Astor, a leading American socialite.

It remained in the family until the early 1990s. - Sapa-AFP

- SAPA