PEARLS OF GREAT PRICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18771, 26 July 1924, Page 9

PEARLS OF GREAT PRICE.

FAMOUS FRENcW NECKLACE. PURCHASER PAYS £16<), 03$. Amid great excitement and after much eager bidding, the famous pearl necklace of the xiouyrej once .the property- of Mme. Thiers, wife of the first President of the Republic,: was. sold afc auction.in Paris on June 16 for £141,000, plus £19,035 State and city taxes, a total iof £160,055. ; The sale took place ■ in. the vast Galerie Denon, in the louvre, which; was .crowded with prominent people, jewel lovers and experts, who arrived in motorcars which, wore parked along the entire length of the Louvre. Bids, of millions of francs were shouted or nodded from every part of the room. Even $he. auctioneer; seemed impressed by:; the fprmid-. able stttns 'that so; many : persons were ready to give to: possess the necklace with its 145 pearls. ' At one moment theexcitemeht was increased by a bid in a womari'is low, thin voice. Everybody craned their hecks catch a: glimpse of the bidder,, whose pale face, aniil grey hair were familiar to the merchants present. • She" is Mme. Van Glees. Hundreds of of francs rolled up almost second by second. The bidding rebounded to a couple of darkvisaged men, in a liue with the auctioneer, who, from the first, had looked with cool determination upon their rivals. Eleven millions and ,a-quarter,3and the ivory hammer qujvered. A man added a few thousands. From "the, centre > came : another last effort, but the two dark, men capped the bids 'again. There was "a breathless pause, and then the hammer fell. The necklace was ; sold ( to 'MV- L,eon Hemsy and M; S.: de/Lopez,'/welt-known'; Paris jewel merchants.: The money realised; willxbe ; divided between the Louvre Museum, and two charitable organisations inequal parts. When the' three, rows of, pearls jt: were originally: collected by Mme.: Thierii and her sister more than 40 years ago, the' necklace 'complete cost" /them .. : jj abtmt'• £9000. historic necklace wa3 bequeathed ,by Mme; Thiers to the French nation. For mauy years.it has-been kept at the Louvre with the Crown jewels*