In 1777,Benjamin Franklinand his cohorts were severe at work in Francetryingto convince King Louis XVI ’s authorities to assist the very recently establish United States of America fight for independency from Britain . France finally did — a determination that would contribute to the land ’s impending debt crisis and cease up indirectly stoking theFrench Revolution .
Amid all that , Louis XVI was busy maintain up withMarie Antoinette ’s preference for extravagance . In February 1777 , he forked over a modest hazard so the queen could bear the poster on some jewelry she ’d purchase the twelvemonth before . “ To the Queen : down defrayment of 29,000 livres for the diamond watchstrap she corrupt from Boehmer , ” show a personal note unearthed by jewellery historian Vincent Meylan , grant to a Christie’spress departure . The full cost do out to 250,000 livres , paid in part with other gem owned by Marie Antoinette .
The two watchband , comprising 112 diamonds in total , were cherished enough that the king included them in a bureau of valuables that she sent away from the Tuileries Palace during her imprisonment there in 1791 . The recipient role was Count Mercy - Argenteau , the Austrian Empire ’s former ambassador to France , and he hold the box seat sealed until several month after Marie Antoinette’sdeath by guillotinein 1793 . The adamant bracelets were then passed down to the murdered monarch butterfly ’s girl Marie - Thérèse Charlotte de France ( or “ Madame Royale ” ) when she got to Austria in 1796 after beingexiledfrom France . Two decades later , Antoine - Jean Gros paint a portrayal of Madame Royale in which she is likely flaunting the jewels .
And for a few million dollar , you could swank them next . As France 24reports , Christie ’s willauctionoff both bangle in Geneva , Switzerland , on November 9 . The duo is currently owned by “ a European royal class ” and could go for somewhere between $ 2 and $ 4 million — which accounts for thevalue of the gemstonesthemselves and the fact that they used to drop from the wrist of France ’s most famous ( or ill-famed ) queen .
[ h / tFrance 24 ]
