The pink diamond may have been part of a cache of jewelry that Marie Antoinette gave to her hairdresser for safekeeping before attempting to flee Paris during the French Revolution.
Public DomainA 1775 painting of Marie Antoinette by Jean-Baptiste André Gautier-Dagoty.
Marie Antoinette was no stranger to luxury. Considered today as an icon of style, she was constantly adorned in a variety of jewels, from rubies to pearls to diamonds.
Now, a pink, 10.38-carat diamond that’s believed to have once been owned by the famous French queen is heading to auction — and it’s expected to fetch up to $5 million.
The diamond is now part of a ring designed by jeweler Joel Arthur Rosenthal, also known as JAR. Rahul Kadakia, the international head of jewelry at Christie’s, said in a statement that the ring is “everything you could want in a piece of jewelry.”
The History Of Marie Antoinette’s Jewels
As the French Revolution raged in Paris in 1791, King Louis XVI, his wife Marie Antoinette, and their children attempted to flee the city.
Before they left, the queen allegedly gave some of her jewelry to her hairdresser in hopes of keeping it safe. She had already smuggled some other pearls and gemstones out of France and into Austria, according to Smithsonian magazine.
Christie’sThe “Marie-Thérèse Pink” is a 10.38-carat pink diamond that was likely mined in the Golconda region of India.
Unfortunately, Marie Antoinette wouldn’t live to see what would become of her jewels. The royal family’s escape was unsuccessful, and they were imprisoned until both the king and queen were executed by guillotine in 1793.
Their daughter, Marie-Thérèse, was the only one of their children to survive the French Revolution. In 1795, she was allowed to return to Austria and live in exile, and she was reunited with many of her mother’s jewels. The pink diamond may have been one of them.
How The Pink Diamond Is Still Making History
Marie-Thérèse later passed the diamond down to her niece, and it eventually ended up in the hands of Queen Maria Theresa of Bavaria. The pink stone remained among the royals until 1996, when it was sold to a private owner.
This new owner commissioned JAR to design a ring with the diamond as the centerpiece. It is surrounded by other diamonds in the shape of a fleur-de-lis, the symbol of the House of Bourbon. According to Kadakia, the style echoes the imagery of a crown.
Christie’sThe diamond was made into a ring by jeweler Joel Arthur Rosenthal, also known as JAR.
“The stone — likely from the prized Indian region of Golconda — has several shades of soft colors, flashing purple and pink from different angles,” Kadakia said. “And it’s been transformed into a masterpiece by JAR, all while carrying the splendor of royal provenance.”
“This extraordinary, documented, and continuous royal lineage makes the diamond not only a natural wonder but a living testament to European history,” Kadakia continued.
The ring is expected to sell for between $3 million and $5 million when it is put up for auction by Christie’s on June 17, 2025. However, it may bring in more than experts have estimated. Association with Marie Antoinette has proven to be powerful in the past, with two bracelets of the queen’s going for triple their initial estimated value in 2021.
It remains to be seen what the “Marie-Thérèse Pink” will sell for, but its connection to royalty will certainly continue to make it a coveted piece of European history.
After reading about Marie Antoinette’s pink diamond, discover the life story of Empress Elisabeth of Austria. Then, learn about the cursed history of the Hope Diamond.
