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The single-strand Cartier necklace that belonged to Queen Mary
One might call the coincidence a modern duel of royalty’s feistiest fashionistas.
And while Sancroft-Baker says he hopes the Queen’s luminous gems, which likely derived from the warm waters off the coast of Panama, end up gracing the collarbone of a Frenchwoman, reps from both auction houses say much of the presale enthusiasm has been of the emerging-market ilk. “We’ve been fielding tremendous interest from Asia and the Middle East,” Hubbard says. Whatever their ultimate destinations, the treasures of both women are certain to delight their new owners with inherent beauty and provenance alike. As Hubbard says, “Who doesn’t want a piece of a great story?”
