We never thought we'd have any reason to use Kim Kardashian and Princess Diana's names in the same sentence, yet here we are. The reality star and mom of four is making headlines for purchasing the late royal's iconic Attallah Cross, a diamond-encrusted amethyst pendant, for an eye-watering sum.
Kim snapped up the piece at a recent Sotheby's London auction.
According to a press release issued by Sotheby's, the statement piece set Kim back nearly $200,000, which is significantly more than the auction house had thought it would sell for. Apparently, Kim's rep was one of four bidders trying to get their hands on the bedazzled bit of history, which is how Kim ended up walking away with it after offering up "more than double its pre-auction estimate."
Sotheby's is happy to see Kim walk away with the heirloom.
There's no doubt that Kim will put the unique piece into her rotation now that she owns it, which is making Kristian Spofforth, head of jewelry for the famed auction house, very happy. "We are delighted that this piece has found a new lease of life within the hands of another globally famous name," he said in a statement.
The piece has only ever been worn by Diana.
The royal fashionista is believed to have been the only person to ever don the stunning pendant, which was purchased by Palestinian-British businessman and writer Naim Attallah CBE and then loaned to Diana a handful of times over the years.
"It is understood that the cross was only ever worn by the princess, and following her death [in 1997], it was never seen in public again until now," the press release explained.
Diana paired the borrowed piece with some high-end jewelry of her own.
The late Princess of Wales famously wore the piece to a 1987 charity gala that took place in London, using it to accessorize her stunning black and purple velvet gown. Diana gave the unusual piece an added twist by wearing it at the end of a long string of pearls, a necklace believed to have been part of her own collection, according to Page Six.
The cross is likely to be a beloved part of Kim's collection.
We know that Kim has a soft spot for historical fashion — her decision to wear Marilyn Monroe's famous bedazzled gown to the 2022 Met Gala made headlines around the world — so we're not surprised to hear that she shelled out some serious cash to own a piece of royal history.
We honestly can't wait to see what she does with the purple pendant. Knowing Kim, she's got big plans for it.
