Queen Maria-Cristina of Spain's diamond stomacher to be sold at auctionArchived Message
Posted by Arthur on April 9, 2015, 1:34 am
In Point de vue published yesterday (8 April), our fellow poster, and jewel expert, Vincent Meylan, reports that Christie's will sell, in May, (probably at the Geneva's 'Magnificent Jewels' sale, on 13th May) a huge diamond stomacher, which once belonged to Maria-Christina of Habsburg-Teschen, the second wife of King Alfonso XII of Spain, and mother of King Alfonso XIII.
This stomacher was part of a diamond parure (also including a tiara, a riviere of big diamonds and two diamond bracelets) presented to Maria-Christina as a wedding gift by King Alfonso XII.
The stomacher later belonged to Baroness Tita Thyssen (Archduchess Francesca of Habsburg's step-mother), who is apparently the seller of this jewel.
The whereabouts of this jewel after Maria-Christina's death are not well-known. In his article, Vincent Meylan suggests (without certainty, though), that the jewel could have been inherited by the Bavarian descendants of the Queen's second daughter, Infanta Maria-Teresa (1882-1912), wife of Prince/Infante Ferdinand-Maria of Bavaria.
There is in Point de vue a splendid HQ pic of the stomacher, but I can not find this picture on Christie's website.
Here are more pictures of the stomacher - of which I very much doubt that king Felipe VI will ever try to buy it back, unfortunately...