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| November/December 2004 |
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Natural Pearl Necklace Sets Record A two-strand, natural-pearl necklace sold for a record price of $3.1 million at the Christie's Geneva Jewellery Sale in November. "I have not felt such an atmosphere in the room for many years," said François Curiel, director of Christie's international jewellery department and auctioneer for the sale. The necklace contained 88 natural pearls ranging in size from 8.5 mm to 16.3 mm, strung with a diamond clasp that was marked "Mtd. Cartier," meaning it was mounted by Cartier. Christie's was not able to release any additional information on the history or the origin of the piece. The high bid was more than double the previous world-record price for a natural-pearl necklace, a single-strand piece that once belonged to Marie Antoinette and later found its way into the collection of actress Barbara Hutton. That necklace sold for just under $1.5 million at the Christie's Geneva auction in November 1999. The world's largest natural pearls have historically come from the Persian Gulf, where pearls were collected even before recorded history. At the beginning of the 20th century, the region was responsible for producing around half of the world's pearls, and continues to produce a small quantity of natural pearls today. |
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