The Jewels of the Queen Mother

Anne of Austria had been queen consort of France for 28 years and regent for her son, Louis XIV, for eight years. Through these years, she had amassed an impressive collection of jewellery. Upon her death on 20 January 1666, an inventory of her belongings was drawn up, as per tradition. This allows us to take a look into the jewellery owned by the late queen mother.

The jewellery was appraised by the duo Pittan and Ballin. However, the pieces found in her inventory does not account for all the jewels she owned. For instance, her wedding jewels were lavish but some do not appear to be amongst those listed in the inventory. The inventory of the jewellery which she brought with her into France spanned over 13 pages alone. To truly show the jewels that Anne of Austria would have had at her disposal, I have included such other jewels as well. The reason for such disparity is the trend which is still prevalent today of restyling gemstones into modern pieces, including melting gold down for new jewellery. This would explain why so little of her original jewellery dowry appear to have been intact at her death.

Anne as a widow

Rings

In total, 51 rings were located in her possession

1 ring with brilliants 
1 sapphire and diamond ring
2 rings with yellow diamonds 
6 rings with large rubies
3 spinel rings
5 rings with smaller rubies
3 turquoise rings
2 sapphire rings
1 topaz ring
2 emerald rings
1 diamond ring with the portrait of Louis XIII
1 ring with the portrait of a saint
2 peridot rings
1 amethyst ring
3 portrait rings depicting Henri IV, Louis XIII and the Infanta Isabella
1 carnelian ring
1 lapis lazuli ring
1 diamond ring with unknown gemstone

In total, her ring collection was estimated to be 30.000 livres worth.

Necklaces

1 pearl necklace - simply referred to as "the Queen's necklace". This would be handed down to both Marie Leszczynska and Marie Antoinette. Consisting of 30 large pearls 

1 necklace, estimated at having a total of 300 carats - 5.000 livres

1 long necklace in pure gold, enameled in white, red, green and grey, and set with rubies and diamonds

1 large diamond pendant (likely for the gold necklace)

After she became a widow, Anne reverted to her favourite pieces which appears to have been a set - a semi-parure - of a pearl necklace and a pair of matching pearl earrings. For one, many of her portraits feature her wearing just such a small (but immensely expensive) set.

Earrings

1 pair of diamond earrings with each earring consisting of four large diamonds with smaller diamonds hanging underneath - 50.000 livres

1 pair of earrings consisting of square diamonds with large pear-shaped pearls hanging from the diamonds - 26.000 livres

1 pair of diamond and pearl earrings - 50.000 livres

1 par of earrings of enameled gold set with diamonds

Design for earrings worn by Anne

Bracelets

1 bracelet with diamonds and emeralds - 1.500 livres

1 bracelet with green rock crystals and diamonds - 450 livres

1 bracelet with rubies, diamonds and pearls, unknown value

1 bracelet with carnelians, pearls and diamonds - 300 livres

2 bracelets with carnelians and diamonds - 400 livres

2 bracelets with gilded lapis lazuli and diamonds - 300 livres

1 bracelet of pale blue enamel and small diamonds - 100 livres

2 bracelets of horn material - 80 livres

1 jade bracelet - unknown value

1 bracelet with the king's hair - unknown value

1 bracelet of 14 diamonds and golden bows covered in black enamel - 10.000 livres

1 bracelet of 7 large diamonds mounted on jade - 17.500 livres

1 bracelet of 9 large emeralds and 9 diamonds - 4.800 livres

1 bracelet of twelve different gemstones, each surrounded by three smaller diamonds - 5.500 livres

2 bracelets of 14 peridots each, rubies and diamonds - 1.000 livres

A pair of bracelets, one with amethysts and one with diamonds - 1.200 livres

2 bracelets with 13 large rubies each, adorned with diamonds - 20.000 livres

Anne as Queen of France 

Watches

1 carnelian watch adorned with diamonds and attached to a matching carnelian bracelet - 1100 livres

1 lapis lazuli watch also adorned with diamonds and attachable to one of two matching bracelets

1 watch of turquoise and diamonds

1 watch of blue enamel (likely a match to the bracelet)

1 watch with amethyst, diamonds and emeralds - 1.200 livres

1 watch with amethyst, topaz and diamonds - 1.000 livres

1 watch of filigree - with a matching chain - and adorned with diamonds - 600 livres

1 watch previously belonging to the Spanish ambassador - 100 livres

1 large golden watch - 100 livres

1 small watch, "always worn by the queen" - 100 livres

Being an immensely devout woman, Anne had a penchant for Christian jewels, such as rosaries, cross pendants etc.

Religious jewellery

An emerald cross entirely covered with diamonds - 2.500 livres

A cross with a very large ruby adorned with diamonds - 3.500 livres

A ruby cross with diamonds - 600 livres

A filigree cross covered in yellow diamonds - 2.400 livres

A small sapphire cross with four diamonds - 1.200 livres

A cross with five diamonds - 2.000 livres

A large cross with a centerpiece consisting of a massive lozenge-shaped diamond with three large diamonds hanging beneath - 130.000 livres

Another large cross with a large diamond at its centre, four slightly smaller diamonds and finally four small diamonds - 70.000 livres

A large cross made up of pearls and diamonds - 26.000 livres

A large cross with very large diamonds - estimated at about 250.000 livres

A cross with a crown supported by four diamonds - 5.000 livres

A remarkably colourful cross with diamonds, rubies, topaz, sapphire and emerald - 6.000 livres

Besides these pendants, the queen owned countless rosaries of every imaginable material - from diamonds and gold to chrysolite, turquoise and carnelian. 36 different rosaries were listed in a single inventory which indicates that they were stored at the same place.

Finally, the queen's personal collection included various loose gemstones often of immense value. For instance, Cardinal Mazarin had left her several such pieces in his will, including a very large diamond called the Rose of England and a perfect cabochon from the Far East. Her wedding ring had consisted of a large, square diamond.

Considering the price of some of the items above, it is hardly a surprise that the jewellery which Anne of Austria left to her sons was worth over 1.300.000 livres. They were to be divided between Louis and Philippe, with most pieces going to Philippe. This was Anne's own wish - particularly that Anne's granddaughter through Philippe - was to inherit her jewellery as the king's daughter-in-law would be sufficiently provided for.

Marie Antoinette's Diamond Bracelets

On 9 November 2021, the auction house Christies sold a remarkable pair of diamond bracelets. Christies have sold hundreds of pristine pieces of jewllery over the years but these bracelets are spectacular due to two particular factors. First, the diamonds themselves are stunning. Secondly, they belonged to Marie Antoinette.

Once imprisoned during the French Revolution, the royal family attempted to hide or smuggle out their precious jewellery collections. Marie Antoinette took it upon herself to carefully wrap her jewels in cotton to protect them. Those jewels of the ci-devant queen that did manage to survive the revolution were often broken up - and on occasion sold separately - and thus no longer represent their original shape. That is where these bracelets stand out: they have remained largely intact in more than two centuries.

Photo from Christies' website

Marie Antoinette ordered the bracelets in 1776 for a staggering 250.000 livres; a sum that she would struggle to pay and would eventually turn to her husband, Louis XVI, for help. From the king's meticulous private expenditure book we find several entries of interest. On 18 February 1777, he noted: 

"Paid the Queen, on account of the 162.600 livres which she owes Boehmer for diamond bracelets, 24.000 livres"

Boehmer was the man who created and sold the bracelets to the queen. He was also the man behind the infamous Diamond Necklace which brought the queen's reputation to an all-time low after she was erroneously accused of having attempted to purchase it.

Detail of Wertmuller's portrait
showing the chatelaine

News of the extravagant purchase was immediately spread throughout Europe. One key source were the foreign ambassadors, including the Austrian Comte de Mercy d'Argenteau. It was he who informed Maria Theresia, the queen's mother, which he did on 16 July 1776 in a private letter. In this letter, the ambassador report that the bracelets cost nearly 300.000 livres; he also mentioned that the queen had had to give several of her own diamonds in trade which the jewellers appraised unreasonably low. As so often before, the Austrian Empress had a stern opinion on the matter which she certainly did not attempt to hide in her letter of 2 September 1776. In this written reproach, the mother lecture her daughter that she has "unsettled her finances" by such a lavish purchase. To the rather frugal Empress, such an expense was nothing less but "humiliating", as she made sure to inform her daughter. 

Marie Antoinette is portrayed wearing her bracelets in the portrait of 1785 by Wertmuller. Enjoying a walk with her two children near the Petit Trianon, the queen is adorned with a chatelaine made up of two large diamond bracelets - the very ones purchased in 1776.

The bracelets are made up of 56 large, round diamonds each - four of which are mounted on the clasp while the three at the very centre are larger than the rest. This amounts to a total of 112 diamonds of 140-150 carats.

Marie Thérèse wearing the 
bracelets in 1816

During her imprisonment, Marie Antoinette managed to successfully smuggle out the bracelets. In a twist of fate, the very man she sent these - and other - jewels to were none other than the Comte de Mercy d'Argenteau who stored them in Brussels for a few years. They were then sent to the court of Vienna where they would be handed over to her daughter, Marie Thérèse - the only surviving member of the inner royal family. She would be painted wearing one of them in 1816.

From then, they would remain in the possession of her family until they were finally sold for 7.117.308 euros or 5.974.993 pounds.

To Die For: Madame du Barry's Jewels

Born as an illegitimate commoner, Madame du Barry's rise through the ranks allowed her to dedicate some of her immense fortune to her passion: jewels. And who was better to furnish her with both the means and the object itself than the king?

Throughout her tenure as the royal mistress, Madame du Barry was showered with jewels, gemstones, parures etc. The most famous piece made for her was never seen by Louis XV himself but caused irreparable harm to his predecessor. In 1772, Louis XV commissioned Auguste Boehmer and Paul Bassange to create a superb necklace whose design was considered lavish even by the standards of the time. That very necklace would later become the focal point of the infamous Affair of the Diamond Necklace.

Such a large piece required the very best diamonds and thus it took the two jewellers years to complete their task. Sadly for them, when they finally did the king was dead and the intended recipient banished from court. It was estimated that the necklace had cost the pair 2.000.000 livres - it is hardly a wonder that they desperately tried to sell it to the new queen.

A reconstruction of the necklace designed
by Bassange and Boehmer - it would later
cause the public downfall of Marie
Antoinette

While the tale of the infamous diamond necklace is well-known it is far from the only worthwhile addition to the ci-devant favourite's collection. Even after the death of her royal lover, Madame du Barry continued to amass diamonds from the funds left to her by the king. Still, there can be no doubt that her glory days were between 1769-1774. For instance, in 1772 alone Aubert furnished her with jewels amounting to 91.000 livres. She would later return to Aubert in 1775 when she purchased a magnificent parure worth 390.000 livres.

According H. Welschinger, the accounts left by the leading jewellers in Paris reveal that in the years 1768-1774, she "only" spent 2.000.000 more on jewels than previously. 

Once she had become the king's official mistress, there was little to stem her passion for gemstones. She ordered bejewelled shoe-buckles in various colours so that they would always match her gown. Madame du Barry appears to have used her jewels to literally dazzle the court - especially when she was nervous or eager to show off her position. For instance, when she arrived (unexpectedly) at La Muette she was glittering in brilliants. On another occasion, she received a hitherto unheard-of honour by being allowed to dine with the royal family. Taking advantage of the occasion to further demonstrate both her beauty and influence, she arrived in a gown of cloth-of-gold and jewels allegedly worth 5.000.000 livres.

Besides the staggering number - and price tag - of her jewels, Jeanne knew how to make herself noticed. Before her, the ladies of Versailles had stuck to one colour at a time; as such, it was unthinkable for one to wear more than one colour. Yet, Madame du Barry openly flaunted this unwritten rule and happily matched rubies with emeralds, grey and pink pearls etc.

Madame du Barry

After the death of Louis XV, Madame du Barry continued to have a court income as stipulated by the late king's will. However, her extremely high expenditure soon meant that she was obliged to sell off some of her beloved jewels to keep her creditors at bay. For instance, she parted with two magnificent parures of diamonds and rubies which were so grand that they could only be worn at court - a place she was not likely ever to return to.

It was not just in her accessories that Jeanne's expensive hobby was channelled. She would order gowns with gemstones sewn into the fabric - Rose Bertin supplied her with one which also sported golden sheaves embroidered on blue satin.

Of course, the entire extent of the jewelry collection can hardly be estimated precisely. However, here and there the historical records handed down to us gives an insight into the type of jewels that Jeanne Bécu bought and received as gifts. One of the most valuable documents comes from the lady herself. Upon the theft of her jewels in 1791, Madame du Barry drew up an immense and detailed list - with the help of her jewellers - of the pieces that had been stolen. The list was long and described a collection of such lavish wealth that it understandably invoked anger in a country devastated by extreme poverty. Even today, more than two centuries after the fact, the list shows an impressive collection. Given the sheer length of the list, the various pieces have been grouped (the original list was published by the Goncourt-brothers):

Rings:

• 1 ring of white brilliants with a large diamond
• 3 other rings with brilliants 
• 1 ring with a large, square sapphire stone on which was engraved a cupid; it also had two brilliants 
• 20-25 unspecified rings
• 1 onyx ring with the portrait of Louis XIII with sardonyx details 
• 1 ring of Caesar surrounded by brilliants
• 1 ring with a large, square emerald
• 1 puce-coloured ring
• 1 ring with burnt cornelian on which an image of Bacchus was engraved
• 1 ring with an image of Louis XIV on yellow sardonyx 
• 1 heart-shaped sapphire surrounded by diamonds 

Earrings:

• 1 pair of white brilliants
• 1 pair of chandelier earrings with large brilliants worth 120.000 livres
• 1 pair of chandelier earrings mounted on two shafts of a column of gold and enameled in lapis-lazuli surmounted by two silver turtledoves 
• 1 pair of pearl-shell earrings with the portrait of Louis XIV

Necklaces & Pendants: 

• 1 necklace of 24 brilliants finely mounted
• 1 cross with 16 brilliants
• 1 double-row of pearls containing about 200 pearls and 1 large brilliant at the front; below the brilliant hung a tassel with fringes and knots - all set in brilliants

Watches:

• 1 bejewelled watch
• 1 gold watch by Romilly
• 1 more, but smaller, watch by Romilly surrounded by four diamond hoops with a coat-of-arms on the other side

Bracelets:

• 2 bracelets of unspecified design
• 2 bracelets of six rows of pearls; each bracelet had a large emerald. On one the initials "D B" (du Barry) was engraved, on the other two "Ls" (Louis). The clasps were set with brilliants
• 2 bracelets with four diamonds each

Gemstones & Loose Pearls:

• A heart shaped sapphire originally owned by Louis XIII
• 5 white brilliants
• 2 pendant-shaped brilliants
• 1 large and square brilliant
• 17 diamonds "entirely out of shape" - one had been mounted as a pendant
• 1 long, pin-shaped brilliant
• 1 row of 104 stringed pearls
• 40 diamonds
• 1 lozenge shaped brilliant

Miscellaneous:

• A rose "finely mounted" with no less than 258 brilliants and a large stone in the centre 
• 8 pieces of ribbon in puffs, each with 21 brilliants 
• 1 pair of shoe-buckets of 84 brilliants
• 1 purse of blue silk with brilliants on the clasp and tassel
• 2 portraits of Louis XV
• 1 pair of sleeve-buttons formed of an emerald, sapphire, a yellow diamond and a ruby, all of which were surrounded by rose-coloured brilliants
• 2 strings of watch-guards of 16 links with 3 stones, one being an emerald and two brilliants
• 1 cap with a very large and square brilliant and three large emeralds underneath and a brilliant on each side
• 2 opera glasses with the portrait of Louis XV on the sides; one was enamelled in blue, the other in red, and both had been mounted in gold 

Despite this extensive list, the whole is rounded up with the rather vague "... and many other jewels of very good value".

In all, she had jewels worth 1.500.000 livres stolen which included over 140 large diamonds, 300 large pearls, 3 large sapphires, 7 large emeralds, 700 brilliants - and countless other onyxes, rubies etc. Madame du Barry had often been critisiced for been somewhat indiscriminate when it came to the quality of her jewels. The above-mentioned list does hint that something of the kind was the case. For instance, the official list specifically mentions that 40 of her diamonds were not cut in a good shape - yet she had purchased them.

The inventory of the stolen jewels, 1791

Jeanne Bécu's very love of jewels shone through in her attempt to reach out to the dauphine Marie Antoinette. After the newly-arrived Austrian dauphine had publicly snubbed the king's mistress, the latter decided to try and woo the future queen by sending her diamond earrings. However, she was unsuccessful.

Besides the jewels stolen in 1791, Madame du Barry had had a good deal more. Over the years following the king's death she had often had to sell some of her jewels to pay off debts - either her own or those of her relatives. Yet, we do know that she owned several other pieces including:

• A ring of arborized agate surrounded by brilliants worth 480 livres was delivered to her in 1769 and paid for by the king
• A watch adorned by diamonds worth 5.400 livres and made by Lepaute 

Once she had been sentenced to death, she allegedly confessed to having buried several chests of valuables in the grounds of Louveciennes. Besides diverse plates and silverware, the condemned lady claimed that the following could be found in the ground:

• A chain of diamonds with two tassels
• Two earrings of diamonds; each had 9-10 stones of which the front ones were very large
• A ruby ring with white diamonds
• A necklace with five pearls set in gold
• A collar of pearls 
• A diamond ring
• A "beautiful" engraved stone mounted on chains of gold to make a necklace
• Two necklaces of coral, one of which was mounted on gold
• An emerald ring with white diamonds

... And a portrait of Louis XV in a gold frame.

Following her execution, the remnants of her collection was sold at auction by Sothesby's in 1795. The auction fetched what amounts to 1.281.210,99 euros (1.093.302,26 pounds 1.502.251,88 US dollars). This alone goes to show the sheer size and value of her original collection.

Selling the Queen's Jewels: Marie Antoinette's Jewels Sold

Hosted by Sothesby's, the jewels belonging to the Bourbon-Parma family were sold in 2018. These included jewels that once adorned the Queen of Fashion herself - Marie Antoinette. But how did the ill-fated queen's jewels end up there?

Most of the royal family's Crown Jewels were sold by the revolutionaries and often broken up into pieces. However, the beleaguered royal family did manage to smuggle out some pieces which were sent to the queen's nephew, the Emperor of Austria-Hungary. From there, they passed through the hands of several royal families before finally ending up on the auction block at Sothesby's. As such, it should be remembered, that the diamonds, pearls and other precious stones are not necessarily in the original design - almost the contrary. It was not uncommon to have diamonds reset in modern patterns; besides the smuggling itself would occasionally require pieces to be broken up.

Nevertheless, these were the magnificent jewels whose origin can be traced back directly to Marie Antoinette or others connected with the court of Versailles (NOTE: unless stated otherwise, the photos were taken by Sothesby's to whom credit goes).

A superb diamond parure

In order to create this stunning diamond parure, a great deal of exquisite stones were needed; many of which came from the collections of persons connected with Versailles. The five largest stones are believed to have been the property of Marie Antoinette while others belonged to her daughter, Madame Royale, and the Duc de Berry.

Price realised: 855.000 CHF (724.128 pounds)

A pearl necklace with clasp

While the (detachable) rows of pearls are impressive in themselves, it is the clasp that warrants closer attention. Once, Marie Antoinette had a matching pair of bracelets with that very clasp and also six rows of pearls. It is a pretty good example of how a piece can be altered into a new purpose.

Price realised: 100.000 CHF (84.693 pounds) 

Three diamond rings

These rings must have meant something special to Madame Royale, as they were left to her by her mother, Marie Antoinette. The first ring is mounted with diamonds and contains a profile miniature of the late queen herself. 

Price realised: 250.000 CHF (211.733 pounds)

The second ring shows Marie Antoinette's monogram set in diamonds. The ring also contains another, more personal remnant of the queen: a lock of her hair. Undoubtedly, that is why the ring was sold for such an exuberant amount.

Price realised: 447.000 CHF (378.579 pounds)

The last shows the letters MD for Monseiur le Dauphin, Madame Royale's grand-father (he is better known as Louis-Ferdinand). Naturally, Louis-Ferdinand and Madame Royale would never meet but it must have been a reminder of the family that she had lost. It had once been in the possession of Marie-Josèphe de Saxe, mother of Louis XVI.

Price realised: 125.000 CHF (105.866 pounds)

The queen's pearls

This is one of the pieces that is closest to its original form. When Marie Antoinette owned the necklace, it was longer and included the pearls from both images. They were later split up to form the two separate necklaces we see today. The necklace contains no less 119 pearls (of which just three are freshwater pearls).

The clasp of the first, three-rowed necklace is in the shape of a star and is set in diamonds. The clasp was added later, so it is not a part of the original piece.

Price realised for the first: 2.295.000 CHF (1.943.713 pounds)

Price realised for the second: 447.000 CHF (378.579 pounds)

These earrings are also made up of pearls that belonged to the same necklace as the ones above. It has later been set with diamonds. All four pearls were saltwater and the "new" design is from the early 19th century.

Price realised: 447.000 CHF (378.579 pounds)

However, that is not the end of the pearl necklace! The original piece was adorned with a pearl pendant which is now an individual brooch but otherwise in the same fashion as before. The large pearl dangles from a bow of smaller diamonds which again are suspended from a large, oval diamond.

This piece was one of the most expensive at the auction and fetched a record price of 36.427.000 CHF! For those of us who do not usually deal with Swiss francs this is 30.851.260 pounds.

In case you are having a hard time imagining the original piece in all its glory, Sotheby's attached the following image: 

A diamond brooch

The trend of bow-shaped brooches was popular throughout most of the latter half of the 18th century. This particular diamond bow belonged to Marie Antoinette. The large, yellow diamond is detachable. Originally, the brooch was a part of a set including possibly a tiara.

Price realised: 2.115.000 (1.791.265 pounds)

A golden pocket-watch

This golden pocket watch looks rather modern compared to the other pieces. When opened, it displays the queen's initials, MA, and three fleurs-de-lys. Besides the gold, the watch is adorned with many small pearls and blue enamel. It would have hung from a chain.

Price realised: 250.000 CHF (211.733 pounds).

The entire auction included 100 lots - some of the pieces have not been seen in public for more than 200 years, as they have been privately owned. The ten pieces that originally belonged to Marie Antoinette sold for a total of 33.740.293 pounds!

Worthy of a Queen: Marie Antoinette's Bridal Gifts

The wedding between the French Dauphin, Louis Auguste, and the Austrian arch-duchess, Marie Antoinette, was an immense event in the 1770's. On a political scale, it brought the hereditary enemies of France and the Austrian Empire together as allies. At Versailles, the court once more had an official leading lady which it had sorely lacked since the deaths of Marie Leszczynska and Marie Josèphe of Saxony. And for the two principal characters, it would impact the rest of their lives.

Naturally, such an event had to be augmented by suitable presents for the young dauphine. On their wedding day - 16 May 1770 - the ceremony took place in the morning. In the afternoon, the new Dauphine of France was taken to her official chambers where she was presented with the gifts from her new grandfather-in-law.

A gorgeously carved cabinet was presented which was filled to the brim with priceless jewellery and precious stones. The cabinet itself was a worthy present. It stands (for it still occupies a place in the queen's bedchamber) 1,83 cm tall and has a width of a 1,07 cm; the lining is of red velvet. The marvellous piece was the result of the combined effort of Bélanger, Bocciardi, Evalde and Gouthière. The Duc d'Aumont had found the architect Bélanger who built the piece of furniture but the Duc did not count on the expense. He had specifically stated that the piece was not to exceed 8.000 lives - however, the finished product amounted to 22.653 livres - or around 1.000.000 euros.

The cabinet would be sold off in 1790 by the National Assembly.

The design for the original cabinet

The contents of the dauphine's new cabinet were not all meant for her. She was expected to distribute the abundance of snuff-boxes, watches, cases of gold and enamel (adorned with diamonds), jewellery, scissors, golden  flacons and perfume bottles. These were duly given by the bride to her attendants and were kept by them as a momentum of the day. Amongst the gifts given to the entourage of the dauphine were 32 watches; of these some were given to the Comtesse de Noailles, the Duc d'Aumont, the Marquise de Duras, the Duc de Villequier etc. Each recipient was carefully chosen by the Director of the Menus-Plaisirs and was meticulously noted down months prior to the wedding.

In total, the cost of these presents amounted to 160.076 livres - note, that his is not including the cost of the presents personally provided by the king for Marie Antoinette herself.

For the dauphine herself, Marie Antoinette received several beautifully adorned fans. One of them was encrusted with diamonds and emeralds which glistened marvellously in the candlelight. She also received a watch and chain studded with diamonds and in-laid with blue enamel, diamonds and pearls which had belonged to Marie Josèphe and a superb pearl necklace brought to France by Anne of Austria. As the First Lady of Versailles, the king also granted her several parures which had belonged to Marie Leszczynska.

These two pieces belongs to the Victoria and Albert
museum (which also produced this photo). These were
produced in 1770 and bears a monogram of MA -
historically, these have been associated with
Marie Antoinette

Another present to be found within the cabinet was a gold bow with Marie Antoinette's monogram written in precious stones. It was estimated to be worth 22.000 livres.

The king was not the only one who showered the newly-weds with presents. Both Louis and Marie were the recipients of countless gifts from the royal family and the aristocracy. The Princesse de Lamballe presented the young Austrian with a cloak which was embroidered with allegorical figures representing love, fertility and fecundity. 

Not only persons strove to pay tribute to the future queen. The porcelain factory Sèvres had crafted another jewellery case of a smaller size, but more delicate taste which also survives to this day. The sides are adorned with the signature porcelain plaques painted with pink flowers.

It should be said that Marie Antoinette did not arrive in France empty-handed. Her mother, Maria Theresia of Austria, had also done her bit to show the extravagance of the Austrian court. For instance, Marie Antoinette's wedding gown was studded with diamonds which the Empress had supplied her daughter with. Another present was a pair of paintings by the Dutch Jan van Huysum depicting flowers, insects and fruits. She would later give them to the Princesse de Lamballe. 

The cost of the dauphine's wedding presents were of a truly royal proportion. A total of 162.576 livres was spent by the jewellers, watchmakers and craftsmen - in today's money? 8.000.000 euro or 7,4 million pounds.

The Marquise Cut

At first it was solely diamonds that were cut in the Marquise fashion but later on the trend spread to other precious stones such as sapphires, rubies and emeralds. One of the reasons for why it became so popular - and still is - could be that the oval shape makes a woman's finger look long and slender. But it is a challenge for jewellers to make. The most common issue with the shape is the danger of creating "the bow-tie". I know it does not sound terrifying but "the bow-tie" is the unwanted effect of reduced colour around the middle.

Apparently, Louis XV ordered his court jeweller to create a jewel that resembled the mouth of Madame de Pompadour! This shape would come to be known as "the Marquise" (or the Navette) which first appeared in Paris in 1745. A Marquise cut diamond should ideally have 56 facets although it varied from stone to stone.

Madame de Pompadour