A necklace from the 18th century with almost 500 diamonds of a total of 300 carats was sold tonight for 4,5 million euros at an auction in Geneva.
The forgotten piece of jewelry, which survived the centuries intact, was estimated before the sale at 1,8 to 2,8 million dollars, according to the auction house Sotheby's.
To further add to the appeal of the necklace, it has been reported that some of its diamonds are believed to have come from the jewelery collection of Queen Marie Antoinette of France,
The necklace has three thick rows of diamonds, was owned by several aristocratic families and was worn in public twice - at the coronation of Britain's King George VI in 1937 and the coronation of his daughter Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
The auction house said little is known about the jeweler who made it and the first buyer. She added that the lavish necklace was probably intended for royal families and high nobility.
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