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.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
From Conquest to Deportation
Jeronim Perovic, Hurst
Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
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