A most superb post! Thanks Beth and Maridje for reminding us of these treasures.

As many people have noted, the Château de Fontainebleau is a very fitting place to display the historic jewels now in the Al-Thani collection.

I will probably be able to see it "live" in a few days...

On a sidenote, there are ongoing discussions between the French authorities and the Qatar Sheiks to present a selection of the extensive Al-Thani collection in Paris, at the Hôtel de la Marine (on the Place de la Concorde) which appropriately housed the Garde-Meuble before the Revolution, an institution that was responsible for guarding the Crown Jewels.


It seems the necklace was significantly lengthened after the Marchionness acquired it. I just love how Lady Churchill wore it.

Otherwise, it is incredible it survived unscathed to this day (think of the terrible fate of the Sapphire parure from the French Crown Jewels).

The tiara is also a very beautiful, yet unusual, one.


The 2015 Sotheby's auction was definitely a significant one!

http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com/2015/10/royal-jewels-of-day-october-20.html