In the days of the bicentenary of Napoleon's death, the jewels that belonged to his adopted daughter come back to light. "An extraordinary coincidence", Christie 'expert Lucas Biehler said announcing the sale of the spectacular sapphire and diamond set from the collection of Stephanie de Beauharnais, Grand Duchess of Baden, as part of the "Magnificent Jewels" auction on 12 May in Geneva. The nine pieces, including a diadem, a necklace, a pair of earrings, two pendants, brooches, a ring and a bracelet, testify to the splendor of the court of the general and first emperor of the French before the defeat at Waterloo. The jewels will be offered at auction as individual lots with the necklace estimated at between 160,000 and 290,000 Swiss francs.
A total of 38 sapphires from Sri Lanka were used to create this set in the early 19th century.
The "of exceptional quality" collection also includes the important sapphire crown of Mary II, Queen of Portugal, with a remarkable Burmese sapphire in the center. Napoleon died in exile in Sant'Alena on May 5, 1821.
"It is possible that on his deathbed he was thinking of his children," writes Christie's presenting the jewels. Born into a noble family in Versailles at the beginning of the French Revolution, Stephanie was the daughter of a cousin of Alexandre Beauharnais, the first husband of Josephine Tascher de la Pagerie who in 1796 would marry Napoleon. Young and beautiful, Stephanie had been invited by her aunt to court shortly after the wedding. Napoleon, who at the time did not have a legitimate heir, adopted the girl, who was orphaned as a child, granting her apartments in the Tuileries palace and the title of Imperial Highness.
The marriage with Prince Charles of Baden was a diplomatic blow that guaranteed France a strategic alliance with Germany. The wedding was celebrated in Paris in 1806: among the treasures of the dowry, a diamond and emerald necklace, a personal gift from the emperor today to Victoria and Albert. A note accompanying the jewelry auctioned at Christie's reveals that the set was previously owned by Horthense de Beauharnais, the daughter of Josephine and Alexandre. Hortense and Stephanie were close friends especially after the untimely death of the Prince of Biden in 1818 and the Napoleon Archive in Paris holds 80 of their letters. The son of Hortense was then crowned emperor of the French in 1952 with the title of Napoleon the Third and Stephanie returned to court,welcome to the Tuileries after years in Germany. After his death in 1860 his jewels frono divided among the heirs. The diamond and sapphire parure passed to her daughter Josephine Hohenzollern Sigmarinen, and then through the family, rarely seen in public to this day. (HANDLE).
