In 1960, Prince Aga Khan commissioned Cartier to make an exceptional brooch for his future wife, Nina Dyer, incorporating an emerald of unrivalled quality. This masterpiece was included in the first Christie’s Geneva jewelry auction, held on May 1, 1969. Almost 55 years later, the brooch reappeared at Christie’s and was sold for the record price of $8,859,865.
Prince Aga Khan and Nina Dyer
Born in Ceylon in 1930, Nina Dyer moved to England to pursue a career in fashion. At the age of 20, she became a model in Paris, notably for Balmain. In 1954, she married Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza, heir to the Thyssen empire, who gave her many gifts, including a Jamaican island and exceptional jewelry such as the “Blue Heart” diamond. However, following a series of tensions, the couple separated in 1956. A year later, Nina Dyer met Prince Aga Khan, the second son of Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan III, the hereditary imam of the Ismaili sect of Shi’ism. Dyer and the prince married in 1957, and Dyer took the name Princess Nina Aga Khan. During their marriage, the Prince presented her with sumptuous gifts, including luxury sports cars and jewelry from famous brands such as Cartier, Mappin & Webb and Harry Winston.
A magnificent emerald
Among his sumptuous jewels, Prince Aga Khan presented him with this exceptional brooch made by Maison Cartier in 1960, set with a 37-carat Colombian emerald in a setting of 20 marquise-cut diamonds, totaling 12 carats. The gemstone was discovered at Muzo, a Colombian emerald mine located some 96 kilometers north of present-day Bogotá. Its exceptional quality makes it an extremely rare piece.
“Nina Dyer’s jewelry collection epitomized elegance, refinement and good taste,” recalls François Curiel, who was just beginning his career at Christie’s, adding that every piece offered for sale was of exceptional quality. “The atmosphere in the auction room was electric. Bids were pouring in from all over the room, and some lots took over five minutes to sell due to the large number of people who had bought them.”
Although emeralds usually have inclusions and surface cracks, the Aga Khan brooch is distinguished by its rare purity and lack of treatment. Its unique shape, extremely fine and flat, gives it the appearance of a 50-carat emerald, although it weighs less. At its 1969 sale, this brooch fetched CHF 900,000 and became one of the top lots in the sale, which totalled CHF 12.7 million. It was subsequently acquired by Van Cleef & Arpels, before passing into the hands of Harry Winston, who transformed it into a pendant.
