It’s not every day that you liken Kim Kardashian‘s style to that of Princess Diana, but it seems the two have something in common. On 18 Feb. esteemed auction house, Sotheby’s London, confirmed that the Attallah Cross, a “unique piece of jewellery” favoured by the late Princess of Wales, was sold for $293,708 to the reality star and Skims founder.
Four bidders were competing for the amethyst cross before a representative for Kardashian bid more than double its pre-auction price in the final five minutes of the Royal and Noble Sale. The aristocratic jewellery in question was said to have been a favourite of Diana’s, worn on a number of occasions. She was also photographed wearing the piece with a Catherine Walker dress in October 1987 when she atteneded a Birthright charity gala.
The pendant was made in the 1920s by court jewellers Garrard, who also made Diana’s engagement ring, and was created using square-cut amethysts and circular-cut diamonds weighing 5.25 carat. It was bought by Naim Attallah, a friend of Diana’s, who would regularly loan the piece to her for events. According to Sotheby’s, the cross was only ever worn by Diana and, following her untimely death on 31 Aug. 1997, it wasn’t seen in public again until the auction.
“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,” says 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.”
In a surprising turn of events, the coveted piece was not won in auction by a royal collector or a family member, but by reality TV star, Kardashian. While she might not previously have shown a penchant for the royal family, she does have a history of scoring iconic pieces previously worn by the stars. In 2021, she also bought a look from Janet Jackson‘s 1993 music video for “If” for $25,000 from Julien’s Auctions. And at the 2022 Met Gala, Kardashian famously arrived in a dress worn by Marilyn Monroe, loaned to her from Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum. Perhaps Kardashian plans to wear this Princess Diana piece to the Met Gala 2023? Our eyes will be peeled.