From the auction, of the French Crown Jewels, 13 May 1887:
Nr (lot) 46
Two bracelets with pearls and brilliants composed each of five rows of pearls comprising 100 pearls with a large clasp composed of 72 brilliants and one large pendant pearl. The pearls weighed about 2000gr, the brilliants about 40 carats.
Estimated at 60,000 francs they were sold to Ogden Goelet for 90,200 francs.
Mary Rita Wilson, Mrs Ogden Goelet, the oldest of the famous Wilson Sisters*, received a number of historic jewels as presents, primary pearls from her husband.
The two bracelets could be worn as a necklace. Boucheron restrung it in 1901 and 1903; as with all of her pearl necklaces, it could be found in the Boucheron archives. After her death, the bracelets went to her daughter May Duchess of Roxburghe. The necklace was pictured at Ascot Races in 2009, worn by the Duchess of Roxburghe as a choker.
*The children of Richard Thornton Wilson and Melissa Johnston were known as "The Marrying Wilsons". Mary's sister Grace married Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr. while Belle Wilson married the British ambassador to the United States, Michael Henry Herbert younger brother of the 13th Earl of Pembroke. The sister's brother Marshall Orme Wilson married Caroline Schermerhorn Astor daughter of Mrs William Backhouse Astor Jr.
Sources: Fever, Bapst; Vincent Meylan Boucheron, Archives secrètes
Thank you to my dear Volker and the special support of Uwe.
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