Today marks the 105th Anniversary of the Birth of Princess Ashraf Pahlavi, who was born on this day in 1919! The twin sister of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran who was one of his top advisors and a strong women’s rights advocate, Princess Ashraf possessed some spectacular jewels, including her Ruby and Diamond Necklace!
The Ruby and Diamond Necklace is composed of a line of cushion-shaped, circular-cut and oval Burmese rubies highlighted with brilliant-cut diamonds, the front decorated with a fringe of foliate motifs set with similarly shaped rubies, brilliant- and single-cut diamonds. Fifty-four rubies are of Burmese origin, with no indications of heating, and one is a synthetic ruby, with makers’s mark for Jaques Timey, who worked also for Harry Winston, New York.
Princess Ashraf Pahlavi most notably wore her Ruby and Diamond Necklace with the Van Cleef & Arpels Ruby Tiara of the Iranian Crown Jewels for a magnificent Reception at the Iranian Embassy in Washington in 1969.
While the Ruby Tiara remained in Tehran, the Ruby and Diamond Necklace was one of the jewels that Princess Ashraf Pahlavi took with her into exile in 1979, with it remaining in her possession until 2000, when it was put up for Auction at Sotheby’s in Geneva.
More recently, the Ruby and Diamond Necklace came up for auction again at the Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels Sale in Geneva in 2016, but despite an estimate of 392,000 — 685,000 CHF, the Necklace was withdrawn from the sale. It’s current location is unknown.
Princess Ashraf Pahlavi’s Ruby Necklace
Noor-ul-Ain Tiara
Empress Farah’s Seven Emerald Tiara
Princess Soraya’s Emerald Tiara
Empress Eugenie’s Emeralds
Empress Farah’s Art Deco Diamond Tiara
Empress Farah’s Turquoise Tiara
Empress Farah’s Diamond Tiara
Empress Farah’s Yellow Diamond Tiara
Empress Farah’s Crown
