Diamants | Joyaux de Couronne France Feuilles de Groseillier Diamant Parure Red Currant Leaf Diamond Parure | French Crown Jewels During the Second Empire, jewellers made many parures or demi parures of diamond flowers of a type and form as close as possible to nature. Flora became the preferred theme of jewellers and in 1855 at the exhibition of Crown Jewels, the public could admire a stomacher of red currant leaves, one of the most splendid parures of the 19th century of the crown jewels of France, made by Bapst Paris 1855. Originally sixteen elements, each numbered, could be linked together to make the currant-leaf garland worn by the Empress Eugenie as a necklace. It formed part of a set with the famed tour de corsage and stomacher and could also be worn as brooches, worn directly on the dress. The paved diamond leaves centred on large cushion-cut diamond and suspended diamond "berries". The diamond-set brooches are suspended with cascades of diamonds, known as "Pampilles" or "Aiguillettes" which were very fashionable in 1850-1858. The "Guirlande de feuilles de groseillier" are setted with: 2314 Brillants, 517 3/16ct, 353 Diamond-Roses. In 1870 at the fall of the Second Empire Eugenie and her husband, Napoleon III, moved to England leaving most of the crown jewels behind. In 1887 the French government conducted a 12-day auction of the jewels and all the belongings of the French Royal Family. Several of the larger pieces were broken up. The jewels were divided into lots and photographed for a catalogue, only one copy of which was sent to the United States - to Tiffany & Co.  Tiffany's representative in Paris was the largest purchaser at the sale, successfully buying almost a third of the crown jewels, as well as two of the leaf brooches. Others buyers were Garrard and Bapst. The parure was sold in 8 lots made up of 16 items for a total of Fr 241 600 on 13 May 1887: Lot Number Number of Items Auction Price (French francs) Purchaser (M. = Monsieur) 1 1 40,000 J+P Babst & Sons 2 1 53,000 M. Pickard 3 1 24,600 M. Bachruch 4 1 23,100 M. E. Robert 5 2 26,800 Messrs. Garrard 6 2 23,200 M. Tiffany 7 2 16,400 M. Tiffany 8 6 34,500 M. E. Robert Decades later one of the larger brooches was given by New York’s Metropolitan Opera to Madame Lucrezia Bori (1887-1960), the Spanish soprano who performed leading roles in 39 operas during 20 seasons at the Met. She was the first performer elected to the Board of Directors. She bequeathed the brooch to the Metropolitan Opera and it has been there since and  offered at auction in November 2014 at Geneva. The details of one of the smaller items, a pierced corsage topped by three curving leaves set throughout with 125 old-mine cut diamonds approximately 6.60 cts., centering one cushion-shaped diamond approximately 4.23 cts.( J SI2 GIA Certif.), suspending a line of 3 cushion-shaped diamonds approximately 3.60 cts. was sold at auction for $332,500 by Doyle NY in 2011. In 2004 at London a leaf of the spectacular Currant Leaf diamond parure was sold at Sotheby's. The diamond "berry" in the centre had a weight of 5.36 carats. The left smaller brooch in the picture above, was on display at Brussels in 2008, there is also a film of that currant leaf ornament >> Source:Christie's, Fever,Bapst,Sotheby's; More of the Diamants De La Couronne | Imperatrice France Empress Eugenie Tassel-Bow-Brooch | Grand noeud de corsage de l'impératrice Eugénie Histoire des diamants de la Couronne de France | Schleifenbrosche der Kaiserin Eugenie Famous Pearl Napoleon & La Regente, Diadem with Pearls of the French Empress Eugenie | Imperatrice France Pearls Parure Diamantes Stomacher | Histoire des diamants de la Couronne de France | Joyaux de la couronne The historical pearls of the French Imperial treasure - the Tiara | Joyaux historiques LA PERLE DE L'EMPEREUR The Diamond Hair Jewel Empress Eugenie | Diamant Haar-Schmuck der Kaiserin Eugenie Histoire des diamants de la Couronne de France Feuilles de Groseillier Diamant Parure | Histoire des diamants de la Couronne de France | Joyaux de la Couronne France 4 Perles Broches Brillants | Histoire des diamants de la Couronne de France | Joyaux de la Couronne France 2 Bracelets with Brilliants & Pearls | Empress Eugenie| French Crown Jewels| Histoire des diamants de la Couronne de France Pair of Great Shoulder Knot Brooches with Diamonds | French Crown Jewels|Histoire des diamants de la Couronne de France Couronnette Perles et Brillants | Joyaux et Histoire des diamants de la Couronne de France| French Crown Jewels Empress Eugenie's Personal Jewels Empress Eugenies Lilac Spray Brooches | Mellerio Flieder Brosche| Les bijoux de l'Impératrice Eugénie Ruby-Necklace of Empress Eugenie | Rubin-Diamant-Perlen Collier der Kaiserin Eugenie| Les bijoux de l'Impératrice Eugénie Imperial Marguerites of Diamond for the Empress of France | Margeriten aus Diamanten für die Blumenliebhaberin Kaiserin Eugenie von Frankreich | Les bijoux de l'Impératrice Eugénie Exotic inspired corsage brooch of diamonds, once in the collection of Empress Eugénie| Orchideen Knospe, Diamant Brosche mit sechs Diamanttropfen | Les bijoux de l'Impératrice Eugénie Empress Eugénie - Jewels Anchor Diamond Brooches Empress Eugénie - Jewel History France | Anker Broschen Kaiserin Eugenie von Frankreich Diamants bleu | Zwei Anker mit geheimnisvollen Diamanten der Kaiserin Eugénie Broché rubis perles et diamants Eugénie | Brosche mit drei Tropfenperlen, Rubinen und Diamanten der Kaiserin Eugénie Three pearl and diamond fringe pendants composed of large stones | Broché rubis perles et diamants Eugénie brooch| later in the possession of the Mrs Ernest G Raphael nee Sassoon Diademe Imperatrice - Eugenie de France |Fontenay Diadem of Empress Eugenie | Diadem der Kaiserin Eugenie von Frankreich | Les bijoux de l'Impératrice Eugénie Emerald Collection Empress Eugenie | Magnifique ensemble de joyaux en émeraudes et brillants Imperatrice Eugenie| Les bijoux de l'Impératrice Eugénie Imperial Emeralds from Empress Eugenie to Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain Emerald-Necklace | Les bijoux de l'Impératrice Eugénie Imperial Emeralds of Empress Eugenie Gift to Queen Victoria Eugenia | Emerald-Necklace in long Version with the Cross| Les bijoux de l'Impératrice Eugénie Imperial Emeralds Present to Queen Victoria Eugenia | Emeraldcross of Queen Isabella II. - Madame Patiño| Les bijoux de l'Impératrice Eugénie