Above a rare picture of Jayne Wrightsman.
One of the spectacular pieces of Mrs. Wrightsman’s famous jewelry collection was a multi-strand natural pearl, emerald and diamond necklace.
It is not known who made this item. The design is of traditional Indian jewels. The seven-strand necklace composed of 311 pearls measuring approximately 14.0 by 13.8 mm to 7.4 by 7.3 mm, spaced by numerous fluted and round emerald beads and decorative openwork gold rondelles of Indian inspiration, accented throughout by numerous round and rose-cut diamonds, suspending emerald taviz and briolettes, suspending a pear-shaped cabochon emerald drop weighing approximately 97.00 carats, length 15 inches. The necklace sold for $518,500 at auction.
A rosary onced owned by the Royal Family of Saxe.
The Saxon Royal Family Queen Maria Antoinette of Saxony, born Princess of Bavaria (1805-1877), married to King Friedrich August of Saxony(1797-1854), thence by descent to Prince Ernst Heinrich (1896-1971), third son of King Friedrich August III, the last King of Saxony. The jewel was formerly in the Grünes Gewölbe, Dresden.
In its original form, this rosary suspended an emerald pendant carved with the Annuncation, the reverse of which contained a particle of the True Cross inscribed Lig. S+