Kim Kardashian has paid £163,800 ($197,453) for the Attallah Cross, said to have been lovingly favoured by Princess Diana, at a Sotheby’s auction in London.
The reality-TV star was one of four bidders for the unique piece of jewellery, which ended up in the hands of her representative f more than double its pre-auction £80,000 estimate.
The cross used to be owned by the former group chief executive of Asprey and Garrard, the late Naim Attallah CBE.
The Attallah Cross, in a fleuree style and distinct for its flowery design details, is a pendant created in 1920s by court jewellers Garrard.
Princess Diana had a particular fondness for the valuable piece of jewellery and famously wore it in October 1987, paired with a Catherine Walker dress, to a charity gala.
The cross was bought by Naim Attallah from Garrard in the 1980s and through his friendship with Princess Diana, he was able to lend it to her several times to wear at events.
Princess Diana: A Tribute Exhibition - in pictures
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The Princess Diana: A Tribute Exhibition opens in Las Vegas on Friday. All photos: Princess Diana: A Tribute Exhibition -
One of the main attractions is a replica of the royal's wedding dress. -
The exhibition features more than 700 original royal artefacts. -
The exhibition also features artefacts that connect to several royal family members, including Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry. -
The entrance to the Princess Diana: A Tribute Exhibition.
It is understood that the cross was only ever worn by the princess, and after her death, it was never seen in public again until now.
“Princess Diana and my father were friends and I remember that she often came to see him at the historic Garrard store on Regent Street, where his office was, and she would ask to borrow the pendant on several occasions – she really loved the piece,” said Ramsay Attallah, owner of the cross until Kardashian bought it on Wednesday.
The cross-shaped pendant, thought to be a one-off private commission by Garrard for one of their regular clients is a bold and colourful piece set with square-cut amethysts and accented by circular-cut diamonds.
The cross has a total diamond weight of about 5.25 carats and measures about 136mm by 95mm.
Princess Diana’s confidence grew during the 1980s as she became known for increasingly bold fashion choices, moving away from the more romantic and subdued style she had earlier favoured.
She had a long-standing relationship with Garrard, having selected her engagement ring from them in 1981.
Over the years she would collaborate with the company and wear pieces from the illustrious jewellery house on many occasions, including after her divorce.
In her last public appearance, she wore what has come to be known as the Swan Lake necklace, a diamond and South Sea pearl necklace which they made in collaboration with her.
“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,” said Kristian Spofforth, head of jewellery at Sotheby’s London.
“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.”
Princess Diana style evolution - in pictures
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Lady Diana Spencer, in slouchy boots and a dark coat, and Camilla Parker-Bowles at Ludlow Races on October 24, 1980 in England, UK. Getty Images -
Lady Diana Spencer, in a shirt and knitted cardigan, leaves her flat at Coleherne Court in Earl's Court, London, on November 12, 1980. Getty Images -
Lady Diana Spencer, in a rollneck jumper and pinstriped skirt, in London, England, on November 12, 1980. Getty Images -
Lady Diana Spencer, in pearls and a cardigan, in London, England, on November 13, 1980. Getty Images -
Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, in Cojana, pose on the day their engagement was announced in the gardens of Buckingham Palace in London, England, on February 24, 1981. EPA -
Diana, Princess of Wales, in Catherine Walker, at a banquet given at Claridge's hotel for King Khalid of Saudi Arabia, on June 11, 1981. Getty Images -
Prince Charles and Princess Diana, wearing a gown by Elizabeth and David Emanuel, stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London, England, following their wedding at St Paul's Cathedral on June 29, 1981. Reuters -
Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, in Caroline Charles, at Caernarvon Castle during an official tour of Wales on October 27, 1981. Getty Images -
Princess Diana of Wales, wearing Caroline Charles, in Carmarthen, Wales, on October 29, 1981. Getty Images -
Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing Bellville Sassoon, at 11 Downing Street, the official residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on February 2, 1982. Getty Images -
Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, in Catherine Walker, at Westminster Abbey, London, on February 28, 1982. Getty Images -
Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing Belville Sassoon, at a Royal Gala performance at Barbican Arts Centre in London, on March 4, 1982. Getty Images -
Diana, Princess of Wales, in Bellville Sassoon, at Aintree racecourse for the Grand National, on April 3, 1982. Getty Images -
Prince Charles and Princess Diana, in Catherine Walker, take home their son, Prince William, from St Mary's Hospital in London, England, on June 22, 1982. AP -
Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke with his wife Hazel, and the Prince and Princess of Wales, wearing a blue dress with matching hat, in front of Government House in Canberra, Australia, on March 24, 1983. Getty Images -
Princess Diana, wearing Catherine Walker, and Prince Charles watch an official event during their first royal Australian tour in Newcastle, Australia, on March 29, 1983. Getty Images -
Roger Moore and his wife Luisa meet Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing Hachi, at a premiere at the Odeon Leicester Square in London, England, on June 6, 1983. Getty Images -
Diana, Princess of Wales, in velvet, and Prince Charles in Scotland, UK, on September 5, 1983. Getty Images -
Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, in a belted wool tunic, with their son, Prince William, on December 14, 1983. Getty Images -
Diana, Princess of Wales, in velvet, at the British Embassy in Oslo, Norway, on February 12, 1984. Getty Images -
Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing Jan van Velden, with Crown Prince Harald of Norway at a performance by the London City Ballet in Oslo, Norway, on February 13, 1984. Getty Images -
Diana, Princess of Wales, in a white tux jacket, with Phil Collins of Genesis at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, UK, on March 2, 1984. Getty Images -
Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, in a drop-waisted dress, at Cirencester Polo Club after a match on July 2, 1984. Getty Images -
Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing Jasper, leave the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital with their son, Prince Harry, in London, UK, on September 16, 1984. Getty Images -
Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing Caroline Charles, during a visit to Bridgend, Wales, on January 29, 1985. Getty Images -
Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing Caroline Charles with a hat by John Boyd, visits Nottingham, England, on March 7, 1985. Getty Images -
Princess Anne, Princess Diana, in Emanuel, and the Queen Mother at the premiere of 'A Passage to India' in London, England, on March 18, 1985. Getty Images -
Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing Bruce Oldfield, in Rome, Italy, on April 27, 1985. Getty Images -
Princess Diana, wearing Victor Edelstein, dances with John Travolta at the White House in Washington, DC, on November 9, 1985. Getty Images -
Princess Diana, in an off-shoulder gown, and Prince Charles at the Ajuda palace in Lisbon, Portugal, on February 12, 1986. Reuters -
Prince Charles and Princess Diana, in a dotted midi dress, are welcomed by Japan's Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko in Tokyo, Japan, on May 10, 1986. EPA -
Princess Diana, in Catherine Walker, at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 15, 1987. EPA -
Sheikh Zayed with Prince Charles, Princess Diana, in Catherine Walker, and Zaki Nusseibeh in Abu Dhabi on March 14, 1989. Courtesy Zaki Nusseibeh / Akkasah Centre for Photography -
Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing Catherine Walker, attend a dinner at the parliament buildings in Budapest, Hungary, on May 7, 1990. Getty Images -
Diana, Princess of Wales, in Catherine Walker, and Prince Charles sit in a carriage in Bugac, Hungary, on May 9, 1990. EPA -
Diana, Princess of Wales, in Catherine Walker, outside the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, on February 11, 1992. Getty Images -
The Queen Mother, Princess Diana, in a pink blazer and polka-dot dress, and Prince Harry at Clarence House in London, England, on August 4, 1992. EPA -
Diana, Princess of Wales, in a velvet and lace dress, attends Paul McCartney's oratorio 'Liverpool' in Lille, France, on November 15, 1992. AFP -
Princess Diana, in a blue blazer and white skirt, meets President Robert Mugabe at State House in Harare, Zimbabwe on July 10, 1993. Shutterstock -
Princess Diana, in a navy jacket, at the British Formula One Grand Prix held on July 10, 1994 at Silverstone, England. Getty Images -
Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing a Mansfield coat, Prince Charles, Prince Harry and Prince Edward attend the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, England, on December 25, 1994. Getty Images -
Diana, Princess of Wales, in a blue skirt suit, and Prince Harry attend the Heads of State Victory in Europe Remembrance Service in London, England, on May 7, 1995. Getty Images -
Diana, Princess of Wales, in Catherine Walker, attends a dinner hosted by 'Vanity Fair' magazine at the Serpentine Gallery in London, England, on June 27, 1995. Getty Images -
Diana, Princess of Wales, in a sequin-embellished black dress, with Henry Kissinger and Colin Powell at the 41st annual United Cerebral Palsy Awards on December 11, 1995 in New York City, US. Getty Images -
Princess Diana, in a lilac shift dress, visits the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney, Australia, on November 1, 1996. Getty Images -
Diana, Princess of Wales, in a white skirt suit, arrives at the Sacred Heart Hospice in Sydney, Australia, on November 2, 1996. Getty Images -
Princess Diana, in a buttoned white dress, arrives at a Hindu temple in London, England, on June 6, 1997. EPA -
Diana, Princess of Wales, in Jacques Azagury, arrives at the Tate Gallery in London, England, on July 1, 1997. EPA -
Princess Diana, in black jeans, leaves the house of land mine victim Mirzeta Gabelic in Sarajevo, Bosnia, on August 10, 1997. EPA
