The Attallah Cross, a piece of jewellery owned by the late Princess Diana, sold for $197,453 to Kim Kardashian.
The amethyst cross was sought out by four bidders in the last five minutes of Sotheby’s recent Royal and Noble sale.
The Sotheby’s sale presented a collection of outstanding objects and heirlooms with aristocratic provenance.
The cross used to be owned by the late Naim Attallah who was a former group chief executive of Asprey & Garrard.
At the auction, it landed in the hands of a representative for Kardashian at over double its pre-auction estimate.
The Attallah cross, made distinct by its flowery design details, is a pendant created in the 1920s by court jewellers Garrard, which Princess Diana had a particular fondness for and most famously wore in October 1987.
Kim Kardashian has bought Princess Diana’s iconic diamond cross necklace for $197k. pic.twitter.com/SEXqZYjVn5
— Pop Base (@PopBase) January 18, 2023
The cross was bought by Naim Attallah CBE, from Garrard in the 1980s.
Through his friendship with Diana, he loaned it to her several times over a number of years to wear at events.
It is understood that the cross was only worn by the princess and was never seen in public again after her death.
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 is said to have a diamond weight of approximately 5.25 carats and measures approximately 136 x 95mm.
In the 80s, Diana became known for bold fashion choices, away from the subdued style she had hitherto favoured.
Diana had a long-standing relationship with Garrard, having selected her engagement ring from them in 1981.
Over the years, she would collaborate with Garrard and wear pieces from the jewellery house on many occasions.
