A royal find. One of Princess Diana‘s most iconic necklaces — a pearl and diamond stunner she wore just months before she died — is up for sale, and auctioneers are expecting $12 million for the piece!
The Swan Lake Suite necklace, named for the ballet Diana saw while wearing it, was crafted by the then Crown Jeweler, Garrard, using diamonds and South Sea pearls. It also boasts a pair of matching earrings, though the late princess never got to wear them, as they weren’t finished in time for the June 1997 event at London’s Royal Albert Hall (one of her last public engagements).
Diana, who died from wounds sustained in a car crash in Paris later that summer, famously teamed the sparkler with a sky-blue cocktail dress with bows on each strap, plus matching slingbacks and a clutch.
Of course, the stunning design isn’t the only one of Diana’s baubles to re-emerge as of late. In December, Duchess Kate brought out Prince William‘s mom’s favorite pearl tiara for the queen’s annual reception at Buckingham Palace. The Cambridge Lover’s Knot, which features swinging pearls in diamond-studded arches, was a gift from Queen Mary to Queen Elizabeth II, who later gifted it to Diana for her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981. It was returned to the royal family when Diana and Charles divorced in 1996.