R arely has the sale of a jewel caused such interest across both the fashion and art worlds. The Attallah Cross – a large amethyst and diamond cross made by Garrard, circa 1920, and famously worn by Diana, Princess of Wales – received feverish coverage in the global press before it appeared in the Royal & Noble auction on 18 January.
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And the excitement only grew when it was revealed that none other than reality star and fashion icon Kim Kardashian had eventually outbid the competition to pay £163,800 with fees for the piece – well above the £80-120,000 estimate.
Head of jewellery at Sotheby's London Kristian Spofforth says 'Jewellery owned or worn by the late Princess Diana very rarely comes on to the market, especially a piece such as the Attallah Cross, which is so colourful, bold and distinctive.
'To some extent, this unusual pendant is symbolic of the princess's growing self-assurance in her sartorial and jewellery choices, at that particular moment in her life.'
'To some extent, this unusual pendant is symbolic of the princess's growing self-assurance in her sartorial and jewellery choices, at that particular moment in her life.'
Anyone who is surprised that such a baroque piece should be bought by Kardashian hasn’t been paying attention. Because over the past few years she has stepped out in some exceptional vintage pieces, with peerless provenance.
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Take her controversial appearance at the 2022 Met Gala, when she wore the sheer crystal-encrusted gown in which Marilyn Monroe sang Happy Birthday to John F. Kennedy in 1962. (Kardashian wore it only for a few minutes on the entrance steps, replacing it with a replica for the rest of the evening.)
Even more notable is her considerable collection of mid-90s gowns by the likes of Jean Paul Gaultier, Azzedine Alaïa, Thierry Mugler and Versace – including some museum-quality rarities, such as Alexander McQueen’s 2003 Oyster dress.
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The connection? Well, when in 1987 Diana first borrowed the Attallah Cross from Garrard’s MD Naim Attallah, wearing it with a spectacular Tudor-style Catherine Walker dress, she was a step ahead of one of the defining trends of the 90s: oversized crosses. A staple of the decade, Lacroix, Chanel, Gaultier, Versace and more added elaborate costume crosses to their collections – though none had the exquisite amethyst glow of the Attallah, which Diana wore again and again.
So with the trend-setting Kardashian combining those 90s vintage frocks and this extraordinary piece, it’s a fair bet we’ll see jewelled crosses adorning catwalks and red carpets again very soon.