Christie's to auction exceptional 'Baroda Pearls'
March 23, 2007
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| The Baroda Pearls necklace features two strands of 68 graduated pearls, all impeccably matched in color, luster and shape, joined by a Cartier cushion-cut diamond clasp. |
New York—The
Baroda Pearls, billed by Christie's as the "most important natural-pearl necklace to ever be seen at auction," will anchor the company's upcoming Magnificent Jewels auction.
The auction will take place in New York on April 25.
The Baroda Pearls is a two-strand natural-pearl necklace strung with 68 of the finest and largest pearls from the seven-strand natural-pearl necklace that once formed the cornerstone of the Royal Treasury of the Maharaja of Baroda. The necklace is estimated at $7 million to $9 million.
The Maharaja of Baroda, Khande Rao Gawkwar, is considered among the most prominent jewelry collectors of the 19th century, according to Christie's.
Over the centuries, the Indian Maharajas displayed lavish taste and an eagerness for vast quantities of pearls, which they felt symbolized their wealth and power, to adorn their crown jewels. In addition to the Baroda necklace, the Maharajas had an ornamental belt featuring one hundred rows of pearls.
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