Kim Kardashian paid $197,453 at an auction Wednesday for a pendant worn by and believed to be the favorite item of the late Princess Diana.
According to a statement from Sotheby's, the piece, called the Attallah Cross, was "only ever worn by the Princess, and following her death, it was never seen in public again until now," USA Today reported.
The pendant was created in the 1920s by the jewelry company Garrard and famously worn by Diana to a charity gala for the human rights organization Birthright in October 1987.
"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 hitherto favored," said Sotheby's, according to CNN.
"The fact that she is known to have worn what is now known as the Attallah Cross on several times — mostly to private occasions, substantiates this evolution."
Businessman Naim Attallah, who was a close friend of Diana, purchased the necklace in the 1980s. Diana was taken by its beauty and lent it on multiple occasions, according to the release.
"To some extent, this unusual pendant is symbolic of the Princess's growing self-assurance in her sartorial and jewelry choices, at that particular moment in her life," Kristian Spofforth, head of jewelry at Sotheby's London, said in a statement before the sale of the necklace.
"We are confident that this unique 1920s piece of jewelry by Garrard, with such an exceptional provenance and only ever worn by the Princess herself, will attract the attention of a wide variety of bidders, including royal and noble jewelry collectors, as well as fans of the Princess keen to share part of her history."
Speaking about the significance the piece held for Diana, Ramsay Attallah, the owner of the cross before Kardashian's purchase, recalled how she would often visit his father's store with hopes of borrowing the pendant.
"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," Attallah said. "She really loved the piece."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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