Former Wife of the Aga Khan Auctioning Off €20m Worth of Jewels

The ex-wife of the Aga Khan, formerly Princess Gabriele zu Leiningen, has put an estimated €20million worth of jewellery up for auction with Christie’s.

Among the 46-piece collection that will be auctioned on May 18 in Geneva will be an enormous emerald and diamond necklace that features a 40carat Colombian emerald pendant from Cartier and is expected to fetch €3m, and its matching earrings €800,000. Begum Inaara Aga Khan wore this necklace to the pre-wedding dinner of the-then Prince of Asturias in 2004.

Two other significant necklaces will be on offer: one of diamonds and cultured pearls made by Van Cleef & Arpels that belonged to Gabriele’s mother-in-law, Begum Om Habibeh, as well as one called the ‘Persepolis’ necklace, made of diamonds, pearls, emeralds and sapphires by Cartier, that was owned by Gabriele’s mother, Renate Thyssen-Henne (both necklaces seen in the photograph below).

The 36-carat Pohl diamond ring will also be auctioned with an estimated price of €5m. A video of the items on auction can be viewed here.

“I hope they continue bringing joy and happiness to their new owner,” Begum Inaara told Rahul Kadakia, the International Head of Jewellery at Christie’s, of the auction.

Gabriele was first married to Prince Karl Emich zu Leiningen, before she married the fourth Aga Khan in 1998.

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Tagged Auction, Christie's, Jewellery, Princess Gabriele zu Leiningen.