Sotheby’s Geneva to auction “The Queen Maria-José Ruby Ring”
GENEVA, October 2015 – This November, Sotheby’s Geneva is thrilled to offer “The Queen Maria-José Ruby Ring”, an exceptional ruby and diamond ring formerly part of the personal collection of the last Queen of Italy, Maria-José (1906-2001).
The superb jewel has impeccable provenance: it was a gift from Italian bibliophile Tammaro de Marinis on the occasion of Maria-José’s wedding to Crown Prince Umberto in 1930.
The stunning ring is set with an exquisite Burmese ruby weighing 8.48 carats, and boasting the most sought-after hue for rubies: “pigeon’s blood”.
This sensational piece will be offered during Sotheby’s auction of Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels on 11 November 2015, with a pre-sale estimate of $6-9 million (CHF 5.75 – 8.6 million).
David Bennett, Worldwide Chairman of Sotheby’s International Jewellery Division, said: “The “Queen Maria-José Ruby Ring” is a magnificent jewel of exceptional quality with truly outstanding royal provenance.
“Its “pigeon’s blood” colour is sumptuous – the perfect jewel for a queen – and the jewel’s history, coming from the jewellery collection of Queen Maria-José, of course adds enormously to its romantic appeal.”
