The French Crown Jewels; the Objects of the Coronations of the Kings and Queens of France, Followed By a History of the French Crown Jewels from Francois I Up to the Present Time
Antwerp: Fonds Morcator, 1988. First Edition. Thick Folio. Item #031643
Color frontispiece, 417 pages. A beautiful volume on Napoleon's matching suite of ruby and diamond jewelry that he ordered in 1810 has a history as colorful and brilliant as the gemstones it contained. First worn by Empress Marie-Louise, some of the jewels ended up decorating a New York socialite at a controversial ball in 1897. Now rubies from the suite have been resurfacing at recent auctions. Among the most intriguing jewels in the world are pieces formerly in the collection of the French Crown Jewels. Nearly all the jewels were sold during an auction the French government conducted in 1887, and only a few of them survive in original condition. Several of the larger items were broken up before the auction so the stones could be sold individually. Others have been dismantled in the years since, and several of the diamonds have been recut. Several of the jewels that survived are matching pieces set with rubies and diamonds, originally part of a sumptuous parure (matching suite) that Napoleon bought in 1810. The histories of these pieces are as rich as the rubies themselves. One owner was Cornelia Bradley-Martin, who played a colorful part in New York's social history during the 1890s. Her story, overlooked by previous jewelry historians, is detailed here. Bound in ¼ white cloth over blue cloth decorated with a coat-of-arms in gilt, spine lettering gilt, in near fine dust jacket. Very scarce to find in near fine condition with the original dust jacket.
Price: $275.00