The Attallah Cross—a pendant worn by Princess Diana made of square-cut amethysts accentuated by circular diamonds—sold for $197,453 at auction in London today. The lucky owner, who bested three other bidders? Kim Kardashian.
“This is a bold piece of jewelry by its size, color, and style, which cannot fail to make a vibrant statement—whether it be of faith or fashion, or indeed both,” said Kristian Spofforth, Sotheby’s London’s head of jewelry, in a press release. “We are delighted that this piece has found a new lease of life within the hands of another globally famous name.” The final sale price from Kardashian is more than double its pre-auction value.
It’s not the first time Kardashian has scored an iconic piece of fashion history. At last year’s Met Gala, the star famously and controversially wore the dress Marilyn Monroe wore to sing “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy, which was loaned to her for the red carpet from the Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum. That same night, she wore a Norman Norrell design worn by Monroe to the 1962 Golden Globes. Kardashian found the green sequined gown through Heritage Auctions. In 2021, she also purchased an outfit worn by Janet Jackson in her “If” music video for $25,000. This Sotheby’s win, however, marks her first time publicly bidding on archival jewelry associated with the British royal family.
The Attallah cross was first created back in the 1920s by Garrard, one of Princess Diana’s most-worn jewelers. The pendant was bought in the 1980s by Naim Attallah, a friend of Princess Diana’s, who loaned it to the royal for several appearances. Most notably, Diana wore the piece in October 1987, when she paired it with a Catherine Walker dress to a Birthright charity gala in London. The necklace was reportedly only ever worn by her. “When I was growing up, we’d always have it on the table for Christmas lunch, but it was never worn by anyone other than Diana and it hasn’t been seen in public since she died,” said Ramsay Attallah, the son of Naim, back in December.
Garrard, who made the Attallah, made many other pieces for Princess Diana over the years as well. In addition to selecting her oval sapphire engagement ring from the label in 1981, she also wore Gerrard’s Swan Lake necklace made of diamond and South Sea pearls for her last known public appearance, a performance of Swan Lake at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 1997. The necklace was put up for sale in 2021 for $12.1 million, though there were no bidders.
Princess Diana’s Attallah necklace is not the only piece from the royal’s collection going up for auction this month. An aubergine velvet ballgown worn by the royal for an official portrait in 1991 and a Vanity Fair spread in 1997 will go up for sale at Sotheby’s as well. It matches the amethysts on the cross, should Kardashian want to buy that as well.
Source: People
