Cover Marie Antoinette's diamond bracelets have been sold by Christie's (Photo: Getty Images)

Two bracelets owned by Marie Antoinette achieve double their US$4 million top estimate

Two diamond bracelets owned by Marie Antoinette have sold for a jaw-dropping US$8 million.

Born an Austrian archduchess, Marie Antoinette (1755-1793) became France’s final queen when she married Louis XVI.

The couple had been married for six years and ruled as king and queen for two when Marie Antoinette acquired the bracelets in 1776. After the country’s revolution, she was executed by guillotine in 1793, and the bracelets were inherited by her surviving daughter, Madame Royale.

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Above The bracelets are set with 112 stones (Photo: Christie's)
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Above They can be joined together and worn as a necklace (Photo: Christie's)

The spectacular bracelets are set with 112 stones and can be joined together and worn as a necklace. They achieved well above their US$4 million top estimate, and aren’t the first of the French queen’s belongings to do so. Just last year, a single slipper worn by Marie Antoinette sold for over US$50,000, four times the estimate.

Titled “The Marie Antoinette Diamonds”, they were the first lot in the Magnificent Jewels sale happening at Christie’s Geneva.

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