Kim Kardashian has paid £163,800 ($197,453) for the Attallah Cross, said to have been lovingly favoured by Princess Diana, at a Sotheby’s auction in London.
The reality-TV star was one of four bidders for the unique piece of jewellery, which ended up in the hands of her representative f more than double its pre-auction £80,000 estimate.
The cross used to be owned by the former group chief executive of Asprey and Garrard, the late Naim Attallah CBE.
The Attallah Cross, in a fleuree style and distinct for its flowery design details, is a pendant created in 1920s by court jewellers Garrard.
Princess Diana had a particular fondness for the valuable piece of jewellery and famously wore it in October 1987, paired with a Catherine Walker dress, to a charity gala.
The cross was bought by Naim Attallah from Garrard in the 1980s and through his friendship with Princess Diana, he was able to lend it to her several times to wear at events.
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It is understood that the cross was only ever worn by the princess, and after her death, it was never seen in public again until now.
“Princess Diana and my father were friends and I remember that she often came to see him at the historic Garrard store on Regent Street, where his office was, and she would ask to borrow the pendant on several occasions – she really loved the piece,” said Ramsay Attallah, owner of the cross until Kardashian bought it on Wednesday.
The cross-shaped pendant, thought to be a one-off private commission by Garrard for one of their regular clients is a bold and colourful piece set with square-cut amethysts and accented by circular-cut diamonds.
The cross has a total diamond weight of about 5.25 carats and measures about 136mm by 95mm.
Princess Diana’s confidence grew during the 1980s as she became known for increasingly bold fashion choices, moving away from the more romantic and subdued style she had earlier favoured.
She had a long-standing relationship with Garrard, having selected her engagement ring from them in 1981.
Over the years she would collaborate with the company and wear pieces from the illustrious jewellery house on many occasions, including after her divorce.
In her last public appearance, she wore what has come to be known as the Swan Lake necklace, a diamond and South Sea pearl necklace which they made in collaboration with her.
“Jewellery owned or worn by the late Princess Diana very rarely comes on to the market, especially a piece such as the Attallah Cross, which is so colourful, bold and distinctive,” said Kristian Spofforth, head of jewellery at Sotheby’s London.
“To some extent, this unusual pendant is symbolic of the Princess’s growing self-assurance in her sartorial and jewellery choices, at that particular moment in her life.”
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