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Napoleon/Josephine engagement ring

Timeless.
 
The story is incredibly romantic and to think a poor soldier could afford such a ring. It is beautiful!
 
I can't believe that with its provenance that the price is reasonable!
 
That was a good story! and the ring is really quite reasonable, I agree Minous!
 
Beautiful!! I wonder how much it will go for!?
 
I absolutely LOVE this ring!
 
Hard to imagine that's all it will end up bringing. What a piece of history!

--- Laurie
 
As a former History major (with high level classes on the French Revolution and Napoleon), I'm drooling over here... positively envious of whoever will own this ring. The love story of Napoleon and Josephine is one for the ages - although a sad one, too. At the time he gave her this ring, he likely would have been absolutely besotted, while she would have been a bit more ambivalent towards him. That pattern would remain for awhile after they married. Unfortunately, once she realized what she had and how much she loved him, it was basically too late. He was tired of loving her more than she loved him, and he needed an heir. They remained very close for the rest of their lives, though, and he never loved his second wife in the same way.

That's an oversimplification, but it really is an interesting story if anyone wants to go read more!

p.s. Napoleon wrote Josephine some *really* raunchy love letters that have been preserved for the ages.. they're blush-worthy. We don't know what happened to her replies - did she just not write back as often, or were they simply destroyed by war/age/etc?

I want that ring!
 
I read a biography of her a few years ago and it was a real page turner. Who knew?
She was born on Martinique and her family had a sugar plantation. People on the island put sugar in practically everything so they had horrible teeth. That's why she has a closed-mouth smile in all of her portraits. She was ashamed of how they looked.
Who is selling that amazing ring? I could not imagine parting with it for all the tea in China.
 
The auction site says the ring was among Empress Eugenie's jewels at Farnborough, England, where she lived after her husband, Napoleon III, died in exile in England. Eugenie died in 1920; their only son was killed in the Zulu Wars in 1879.

Eugenie left the Farnborough house & its contents to her husband's nephew & titular head of the House of Bonaparte, Prince Victor Bonaparte, grandson of Napoleon I's brother Jerome. According to Osenat, the auctioneers, the ring has remained in the family, passed on by direct descent. No info as to who, specifically, consigned it, but no mention of anyone else in its provenance.

Wikipedia mentions that much of Eugenie's wonderful jewel collection was later owned by Aimee de Heeren, a Brazilian socialite of whom Eugenie was a friend. She died in 2006 at the age of 103 -- swimming in the Atlantic every day till a year before her death! -- but since she isn't named in Osenat's little blurb, this ring does not appear to have been hers at any time.

I wouldn't part with it either, not for anything -- in fact, I'd wear it!

--- Laurie
 
I'm not surprised either. It's a wonderful piece of history and a gorgeous ring! It's in my inspiration folder.
 
That's more like it! It restores my faith in humanity's appreciation for a good love story and history. Yay!!
 
Auction house estimates don't include historical premiums (or premiums for previous owners, like Liz Taylor's jewels) so they will always be low on this kind of piece.
 
I bet Elizabeth would've bid if she was still alive. She loved pieces like this and she had the bucks.
 
Lady_Disdain|1364259675|3413344 said:
Auction house estimates don't include historical premiums (or premiums for previous owners, like Liz Taylor's jewels) so they will always be low on this kind of piece.
Click to expand...

Good to know. Then on what basis do they set price - on materials and workmanship alone?
 
I love this ring, too. So romantic.
 
minousbijoux|1364264543|3413418 said:
Lady_Disdain|1364259675|3413344 said:
Auction house estimates don't include historical premiums (or premiums for previous owners, like Liz Taylor's jewels) so they will always be low on this kind of piece.
Click to expand...

Good to know. Then on what basis do they set price - on materials and workmanship alone?
Click to expand...

As far as I know, that is it. Perhaps some posters may have more information, but I understand that auction houses are reluctant to assign such intangible value, specially to pieces where there are no comparables, like this amazing ring.
 
Lucky new owner and the going price is more in line with what I would expect it to go for.
 
What a stunning piece!
 
All right.. which one of you bought it? Fess up! :)

$1.17 million (total including commissions)!
 
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