The two-strand natural pearl necklace, popularly called the Baroda pearls have fetched Christie’s auction a record sum of $7.096 million. The pearl set also included matching earrings, brooch and ring.
The set was sold to an Asian buyer, whose identity has been kept a secret.
The one-of-its-kind necklace has 68 of the finest and largest pearls from the seven-strand natural-pearl necklace that once was a part of the cornerstone of the Royal Treasury of the Maharaja of Baroda.
The pearls were sold during the ‘Magnificent Jewels’ auction held on April 25, which fetched more than $39 million with 90 percent of stuff sold out.
The auction also set a world record for the highest per-carat price ever paid for a sapphire, with a cushion-cut, 22.66-carat Kashmir sapphire selling for $3.064 million.
Christie’s Head of Jewelry Rahul Kadaki said,
This auction marks a turning point in the jewelry world where original designs, rarity and provenance prove to be just as important as the quality of the gem.
