Throughout much of her life, Princess Diana’s passion was for jewelry designs made from pearls. One memorable moment was when she wore a diamond-encrusted pearl necklace on June 3, 1997, while attending a performance of Swan Lake at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Paired with the necklace was a sparkling short blue dress that captivated all eyes. This event marked one of Diana’s final public appearances. Three months later, a tragic accident occurred…
UNITED KINGDOM – MARCH 06: Princess Diana Wearing A ‘Jacques Azagury’ Dress To The “Swan Lake” English Ballet Performance, Royal Albert Hall, London, Princessdianaretro (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Princess Diana wore the Swan Lake Suite necklace specially crafted for her while watching a performance of Swan Lake at the Royal Albert Hall in 1997 LONDON – JUNE 1997: Princess Diana arrives by car to watch a performance of the ballet “Swan Lake” in June 1997 in London, England. (Photo by Anwar Hussein/WireImage)
This “masterpiece” jewelry was created by Garrard, the private jeweler to the royal family and responsible for the jewelry vaults of prominent figures – including Diana and Prince Charles’s wedding rings. However, the Swan Lake necklace was designed by Princess Diana herself with the assistance of Garrard’s David Thomas. It was adorned with 178 diamonds, totaling 51 carats, and five flawless South Sea pearls. Additionally, she requested the jeweler to create a pair of matching earrings, but unfortunately, they were completed after Diana’s passing.
These jewelry pieces are stored to this day and remain on the “wishlist” of royal collectors. The Swan Lake Suite is not only part of Princess Diana’s personal collection but also a heirloom gifted to future kings of England and borrowed to Diana by her former mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II.
In the midst of Princess Diana’s highly publicized divorce, the Swan Lake Suite symbolized her empowerment following the “Revenge dress” incident in 1994. In the eyes of the public, the once demure eighth Countess Spencer’s daughter transformed into a bold, confident woman who took control of her life, showing no signs of distress over her ex-husband’s infidelity. In fact, this century-old necklace also opened up a new romantic chapter for her: it was believed to be a gift from Harrods’ billionaire heir, Dodi Fayed, Diana’s boyfriend at the time.
Unfortunately, the Princess of Wales never had the chance to wear the necklace or the Swan Lake earrings, and Dodi couldn’t afford the jewelry set as both tragically died in a car accident.
In 1997, the royal jewelry was first resold to a British lord, but his wife declined the gift upon discovering that it belonged to her deceased childhood friend, so the set was returned to Garrard. Subsequently, the Swan Lake Suite changed hands several times after subsequent resales. The jewelry artisan sold it to the Guernsey auction house in New York. In 1999, the Swan Lake Suite was repurchased for $1 million by Texas tycoon Jim McIngvale, who displayed the jewelry at his furniture store for a decade.
Following the global financial crisis, McIngvale sold them to Mark Ginzburg, a Ukrainian real estate developer. However, this year, Ginzburg is auctioning the Swan Lake jewelry set to sponsor rebuilding projects in his war-torn homeland. He believes that Princess Diana of Wales, who always advocated for humanitarian activities, would approve of his decision.
This event will be organized by Guernsey and is scheduled to take place on June 27 at the American Ballet Theatre in New York. Additionally, the timing of the auction is significant: it also marks 26 years since Diana first wore her Swan Lake necklace in public. At the upcoming auction, this jewelry set could fetch over $3 million.
382192 02: Princess Diana’s “Swan Lake Diamonds” appear at the Wall Street Rarities retail gallery November 20, 2000 in New York City. The pearl and diamond-encrusted necklace, custom made for the late Princess by the Royal Family’s Crown Jeweler, was worn by Princess Diana at her final public appearance. The necklace will be auctioned off at an event called “The Ultimate Auction” December 1, 2000 which will later be broadcasted by the Fox television network. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Newsmakers)
382192 03: Princess Diana’s “Swan Lake Diamonds” earrings appear at the Wall Street Rarities retail gallery November 20, 2000 in New York City. The pearl and diamond-encrusted earrings, custom made for the late Princess by the Royal Family’s Crown Jeweler, was worn by Princess Diana at her final public appearance. The jewels will be auctioned off at an event called “The Ultimate Auction” December 1, 2000 which will later be broadcasted by the Fox television network. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Newsmakers)
