An emerald and diamond necklace once owned by Catherine the Great has sold for £3.3million at auction. The necklace featured a 107.67-carat pear-shaped emerald, which belonged to the Russian Imperial collection for over a century. Cartier bought the stone from the Russian royal family in 1927. Following the recommendation of famed gem dealer Paphael Esmerian, they had the rectangular-shaped stone recut to improve its clarity, resulting in an exceptionally high-quality pear-shaped emerald. The emerald was then mounted on a Payne Whitney family necklace by Cartier and subsequently sold to John D Rockefeller Jr., according to Christie's.

Source: Daily Mail May 16, 2019 15:38 UTC