As Christie's Geneva gears up to put a heart-shaped diamond on the block in May, the auction house has revealed a series of famous jewellery lots from past sales. These pieces are rendered all the more precious because they are tokens of love and, as such, have been collated to coincide with Valentine's Day.
Belle Epoque emerald brooch
When Jagjit Singh, an Indian maharaja of Kapurthala and a known linguaphile, laid eyes on flamenco dancer Anita Delgado in Madrid, he was smitten. He arranged to meet her in Paris, where he taught her French so he could express his love for her, then Delgado went on to become Maharani Prem Kaur Sahiba after the pair married in 1908. After she also mastered Urdu, she expressed an admiration for a crescent-shaped Colombian emerald that adorned the king's beloved elephant. He immediately presented it to her, reworked as a Belle Epoque-style emerald and diamond brooch, which was auctioned in 2019 for $491,000.
Heart-shaped locket
Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, was known for her love of precious stones: by remounting several crown jewels to her liking, she helped to promote the reputation and craftsmanship of French haute joaillerie. And yet one of her most prized pieces was not one designed for grand court occasions, but rather a heart-shaped locket with a secret compartment. A gift from Napoleon III sometime in the 1850s, the locket was fitted with a glazed compartment on the back, which reputedly contained a lock of her husband's hair. It fetched $57,000 at auction in 2019.
Ping Pong diamonds
Across the Swiss Alps, in Gstaad, another jewellery connoisseur, Elizabeth Taylor, was enjoying a game of ping pong in her chalet with Richard Burton in 1970. Burton told his wife that if she could beat him by 10 points, he'd "buy her a perfect diamond". After losing by 30 points, the Welsh actor headed into town on a playful quest to find "the smallest diamond". He returned with three rings each with a one-eighth of a carat diamond, which came to be known as the Ping Pong diamonds. Taylor paired them with the famed, and conceivably larger, 69-carat Taylor-Burton diamond. Legend has it that when admirers remarked on Taylor's magnificent diamond, she'd instead flash the stacked Ping Pong diamond rings and say: "Isn't it perfect?" The trio sold for $134,500 in 2011.
Faberge tiara
In Germany, Frederick Francis IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, had a Faberge tiara designed for his bride-to-be, Princess Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland, in 1904. The aquamarine headpiece was adorned with the quintessential motifs of love: cupid's arrows and forget-me-not flowers. As luck would have it, the piece was not ready by the time the big day came around, and the princess ended up wearing the traditional Hanoverian nuptial crown. She was, however, inseparable from the tiara once it arrived a month later. In 2019, it sold for $1.2 million.
Emerald and diamond brooch
Jewels as a token of love aren't limited to couples, either. On the wedding day of Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin to Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia, the groom's father gifted the Grand Duchess Vladimir (who was since called Maria Pavlovna) an opulent brooch with diamonds and a pear-shaped 75.61-carat emerald. Perhaps as impressive as its weight is the stone's provenance: it belonged to Catherine the Great, Russia's longest-ruling female leader, and had passed through the hands of five tsars before Alexander II gave it to his daughter-in-law. It sold for $4.8m in 2019.
While these pieces may well come to the auction block again, for now, Christie's Superb Diamond Pendant, the brilliant-cut, heart-shaped, 53.53-carat diamond is yours to bid on during the Geneva sale on May 12, for an estimated price range of $2m to $3m.
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
2252 - Dh50
6025 - Dh20
6027 - Dh100
6026 - Dh200
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
RESULTS
Lightweight (female)
Sara El Bakkali bt Anisha Kadka
Bantamweight
Mohammed Adil Al Debi bt Moaz Abdelgawad
Welterweight
Amir Boureslan bt Mahmoud Zanouny
Featherweight
Mohammed Al Katheeri bt Abrorbek Madaminbekov
Super featherweight
Ibrahem Bilal bt Emad Arafa
Middleweight
Ahmed Abdolaziz bt Imad Essassi
Bantamweight (female)
Ilham Bourakkadi bt Milena Martinou
Welterweight
Mohamed Mardi bt Noureddine El Agouti
Middleweight
Nabil Ouach bt Ymad Atrous
Welterweight
Nouredine Samir bt Marlon Ribeiro
Super welterweight
Brad Stanton bt Mohamed El Boukhari
The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
SPECS
Mini John Cooper Works Clubman and Mini John Cooper Works Countryman
Engine: two-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 306hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: JCW Clubman, Dh220,500; JCW Countryman, Dh225,500
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
RESULTS
2.15pm: Al Marwan Group Holding – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner: SS Jalmod, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
2.45pm: Sharjah Equine Hospital – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Ghallieah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout
3.15pm: Al Marwan Group Holding – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Inthar, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi
3.45pm: Al Ain Stud Emirates Breeders Trophy – Conditions (PA) Dh50,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: MH Rahal, Richard Mullen, Elise Jeanne
4.25pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup – Prestige Handicap (PA) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: JAP Aneed, Ray Dawson, Irfan Ellahi
4.45pm: Sharjah Equine Hospital – Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Edaraat, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
Empires%20of%20the%20Steppes%3A%20A%20History%20of%20the%20Nomadic%20Tribes%20Who%20Shaped%20Civilization
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKenneth%20W%20Harl%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHanover%20Square%20Press%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EPages%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E576%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
All Black 39-12 British & Irish Lions
