At Auction - Emeralds From An Empress

Coming up at Sotheby's Geneva a magnificent emerald and diamond tiara that belonged to the Spanish born Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III.

From National Jeweler
The tiara was created with 11 pear-shaped rare Colombian emeralds that collectively weigh over 500 carats, and is estimated to sell for between $5 and $10 million.

The emeralds are thought to have been included in the personal collection of Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, before the tiara was created for Princess Katharina Henckel von Donnersmarck circa 1900.

As was fitting of an Empress, she had an extraordinary collection of jewels including spectacular natural pearls, such as those shown in her coronation tiara which is now at the Louvre.

In spite of her exquisite collection we can see from this early pastoral portrait that the young Eugenie had a simpler side.

Later, painted in full Romantic pose contemplating the sea at Biarritz , we see her without jewelry when away from the court at Paris. (thank you Dash for the image)

Her splendid royal life of the Second Empire came to an abrupt end after the defeat of France in the Franco Prussian war. Eugenie and Napoleon III spent the rest of their lives in England.