Princess Diana was known for wearing some iconic pieces of jewelry when she was Princess of Wales. One of the boldest pieces she ever wore was the Attalah crucifix pendant created by former crown jeweler Garrard. And, it just sold at auction for an incredible $200,000 to a Hollywood A-lister.
Princess Diana’s jewelry rarely comes to market
According to the fine jewelry experts at UK retailer Steven Stone, it’s incredibly rare for a piece of jewelry once worn by Princess Diana to hit the marketplace. But, it did recently happen when the Attalah crucifix pendant led Sotheby’s annual Royal and Noble sale in mid-January.
A sentimental piece not seen since Diana’s passing, the elaborate gold, silver, amethyst, and diamond pendant is in the shape of a cross and is believed to be created in the early 20th century by Garrard.
Formerly belonging to Naim Atallah — a friend of Diana’s and former manager of Asprey who purchased the pendant in the 1980s — she loaned it to the Princess of Wales on multiple occasions.
The iconic cross pendant sold to a Hollywood A-lister at auction for $200K
Because a piece worn by Diana is so rarely available at auction, it’s not a huge surprise that the pendant sold for a staggering £163,800 ($202,522). According to Steven Stone’s creative director Maxwell Stone, it’s actually worth a lot more than that.
“Though amethyst traditionally represents the privilege of royalty, Diana’s choice to wear the pendant with an unusually long chain encapsulates her knack for showcasing her collection of royal jewels in a unique way, unafraid to go against tradition and alter lavish pieces,” Stone said.
“Whilst it’s tricky to put a price on such a remarkable piece, I’d estimate the pendant to be worth $370,800 (£300,000) – nearly double what it sold for.”
So, which A-lister was able to drop that kind of cash for a single pendant? The answer is: Kim Kardashian. According to Page Six, four bidders competed for the piece in the last five minutes of the Royal & Noble sale. It ended up with a Kardashian rep “at more than double its pre-auction estimate.”
Sotheby’s is ‘delighted’ that Princess Diana’s iconic cross pendant was sold to Kim Kardashian
A press release from Sotheby’s indicates the auction house is happy that the piece of jewelry found a new home with Kim Kardashian.
“We are delighted that this piece has found a new lease of life within the hands of another globally famous name,” Kristian Spofforth, the head of jewelry at Sotheby’s London, shared in a statement.
“It is understood that the cross was only ever worn by the princess, and following her death, it was never seen in public again until now,” the press release reads.
Diana famously wore the cross at a 1987 charity gala in London when she paired it with a matching black and purple velvet Catherine Walker dress.
Amethysts traditionally represent the privilege of royalty, but the Princess of Wales always put her own spin on the piece. She would wear the cross pendant with an unusually long chain — sometimes with her own strand of pearls.
