À la Mode

Eugenie de Montijo, empress of the french, dressed à la Marie Antoinette, Winterhalter, 1854.

What About?

In 1869 in Turkey, on her way to attend the opening of the Suez Canal in Egypt, built by her cousin Ferdinand de Lesseps, Eugénie de Montijo, the french empress was invited by Sultan Abdülaziz I to visit Beylerbeyi Palace. The story goes that immediately after arriving in there and despite her rang, the Empress had her face unexpectedly slapped by the sultan's mother for daring to enter the palace on his arm. The diplomatic incident was instantly stifled.

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Purchase of the Empress Eugénie's Great Diamond Cluster

In 1855, Kramer, Empress Eugenie's jeweler, made a large belt for the Empress, studded with 4,485 diamonds. That same year, the magnificant piece was shown at the Exposition Universelle in Paris. It's existence, however, was brief. By 1864, the belt had been dismantled, but the central piece was preserved. It consisted of a large, delicated arranged cluster, from which hang two tassels and five pendants.

The Great Cluster of the Empress Eugénie is not only of primary historical interest, it is also a masterpiece of the jeweler's art. It is a perfect illustration of the Second Empire style, particularly the passion for passementerie. This extraordinary piece will find a perfect home in the Louvre.