Mysterious Cartier Pearls and Catherine the Great

A mysterious string of pearls, which may have once belonged to Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, will be auctioned at Bonhams New York in December. Billionaire Horace Elgin Dodge purchased Automotive necklace from Cartier in Paris in 1920, his wife Anna Thomson Dodge at the incredible price of $ 825,000 - about $ 8 million dollars today.

Original Cartier bill says that "five rows of pearls, which consists of 389 grains weight of 4305 grains" was accompanied by "closure enamel representing Catherine, Empress of Russia" and "two diamond alternate clasps." Several newspaper reports have suggested that the 20 pearls actually once a part, Catherine, Anna Thomson Dodge's heirs maintain that Horace bought the pearls, Cartier, on this basis.

Now reduced to three strands is comprised of 224 pearls and two Cartier diamond clasps necklace (above) is estimated at $ 500,000 - 700 000 USD, - a considerable sum to be sure, but much less than Horace was to origin of pay. The cause of the impairment is less to do with the reduction of threads that fashion and jewelry exchange in a dynamic market.

In 1920, before the advent of cultured pearls, were extremely rare and valuable, much more than diamonds. Today, pearls have become more common, while the diamonds are precious, but the true connoisseur appreciates Dodge series, which is made from all natural pearls.