She was the wife of Oscar I and Queen of Sweden and Norway from 1844 to 1859.On Wednesday, a magnificent pair of pearl earrings that once belonged to Queen Josefina went under the hammer, achieving a final price of SEK 2,187,500 after intense international bidding.

The enchanting royal jewellery, sold during The Curated Classics & Fine Jewellery Sale at Stockholms Auktionsverk, trace their origins to one of early 19th-century Europe’s major centres of power. Joséphine de Beauharnais, Empress of France and wife of Emperor Napoleon I, is believed to have gifted the earrings to her daughter-in-law, Augusta Amalia of Bavaria, Duchess of Leuchtenberg.The Duchess eventually passed them on to her eldest daughter, Joséphine Maximilienne Eugénie Napoléone de Beauharnais, later Queen Josefina of Sweden and Norway, married to Oscar I.

Made in 18-carat gold, the earrings feature drop-shaped natural pearls adorned with exquisite pearl caps and settings of antique- and rose-cut diamonds. From an estimate of SEK 200,000–300,000, bidding escalated quickly, culminating in one of the auction’s most notable highlights.

“We are proud to present a jewel of this calibre at Stockholms Auktionsverk. These earrings carry a unique legacy, and the strong final price reflects both the craftsmanship and the historical significance. We congratulate the seller on a remarkable result and the buyer on acquiring a shining piece of European cultural history,” says Charlotte Elmér, Head of Jewellery and the Decorative Arts Department at Stockholms Auktionsverk.