George Boyle
Marie Antoinette, born as Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna, Archduchess of Austria, was married to King Louis XVI of France at the young age of 14. Known for her extravagant taste, she spared no expense when it came to her wedding festivities, which lasted over two weeks. While there is no specific description of her wedding ring, we know that Antoinette's jewels were extravagant and included diamond rings with her initials and even locks of her hair.
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What You'll Learn
Marie Antoinette's wedding ring was likely a diamond ring
Marie Antoinette was known for her lavish spending on clothing and accessories, including jewellery. She had a breathtaking collection of jewels, which included diamond rings, diamond earrings, diamond pendants, diamond bracelets, and necklaces with diamond clasps.
While there is no definitive proof of what her wedding ring looked like, it was likely a diamond ring. Marie Antoinette was known to be extravagant and her wedding festivities lasted over two weeks. She was also known for her overtly feminine way of dressing, and her royal court was expected to follow suit.
The Queen's jewels were smuggled to Brussels and later to her home country of Austria during the French Revolution. Marie Antoinette's only surviving child, Marie-Thérèse de France, received the jewels after she was exiled to Austria. Marie-Thérèse later gifted them to her niece, the Duchess of Parma.
Among the jewels were diamond rings that bore the Queen's initials and contained a lock of her hair. These rings were likely part of Marie Antoinette's wedding jewellery, given their personal nature and the fact that she was known to spare no expense when it came to her trousseau.
The diamond rings, along with the rest of Marie Antoinette's jewels, continue to be sought-after items at auctions, with some pieces fetching record-breaking prices.
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It contained a lock of her hair
Marie Antoinette, born Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna, was married to King Louis XVI of France at the young age of 14. She was known for her extravagant and overtly feminine style of dressing, and her lavish spending. Her jewels were smuggled to Brussels and later to her home country of Austria during the French Revolution.
Among the pieces of her jewellery, there was a diamond ring that bore the Queen's initials and contained a lock of her hair. This ring was later received by her only surviving child, Marie-Thérèse de France, who was reunited with her mother's jewels in Austria. Marie Antoinette's hair was completely encased, and seeing it made a person who tried on the ring feel a strong connection to the Queen.
The ring was later passed down to the Duchess of Parma, and it is not known where it is now. However, it is believed that the jewels of the royal family were sold on the black markets of Paris and London. Marie Antoinette's diamond earrings are now in the collection of the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History.
The Queen's diamond ring is a testament to her lavish spending and extravagant taste in jewellery. It is a reminder of the opulent display of wealth and splendour associated with the Palace of Versailles, which played a significant role in the demise of Marie Antoinette and her family.
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The ring was passed down to her daughter, Marie-Thérèse
Marie Antoinette, the last Queen of France, was known for her lavish spending on clothing and accessories, including jewellery. She was married at the young age of 14 to King Louis XVI of France. The royal couple's extravagant lifestyle eventually led the country into open rebellion and they were both beheaded.
After her execution in 1793, her jewels were smuggled to Brussels and then to her home country of Austria, where they were entrusted to her nephew, the Austrian Emperor Joseph II, for safekeeping. Marie Antoinette's only surviving child, Marie-Thérèse, received the jewels upon her arrival in Vienna in 1796. Marie-Thérèse was the only surviving offspring of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI and was later exiled to Austria, where she was reunited with her mother's jewellery.
Among the jewels that were passed down to Marie-Thérèse were a set of large, pear-shaped diamond earrings, an exquisite pair of diamond bracelets, and a double-bow brooch with a yellow diamond. Marie Antoinette's diamond earrings are now in the collection of the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History, while the brooch is believed to have been added to the Royal Crown Jewels.
One particular diamond owned by Marie Antoinette was later reimagined by JAR and offered for sale at Christie's in New York in June 2025. The diamond, known as the Marie-Thérèse Pink JAR Coloured Diamond, is a fancy purple-pink modified kite brilliant-cut diamond of 10.38 carats, set in blackened platinum with round diamonds. It is believed to date back to the mid-18th century and was once owned by Duchess Marie-Thérèse d'Angoulême, the only surviving child of Queen Marie Antoinette.
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The ring was later sold at Christie's auction house
Marie Antoinette's jewels were smuggled to Brussels and later to her home country of Austria following the French Revolution. Marie Antoinette's only surviving child, Marie-Thérèse de France, received the jewels after she was exiled to Austria. Marie-Thérèse was reunited with items from her mother's jewellery collection that had been entrusted to her mother's coiffeur during the Revolution.
Among the jewels secreted out of France were a set of large, pear-shaped diamond earrings and an exquisite pair of diamond bracelets. The diamond earrings now sit in the collection of the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History, while the diamond bracelets were sold at Christie's in 2021.
The Marie-Thérèse Pink JAR coloured diamond ring, boasting a fancy purple-pink modified kite brilliant-cut diamond of 10.38 carats, round diamonds, and blackened platinum, is set to be offered at Christie's in New York on 17 June 2025. The diamond in the ring is believed to have been owned by Duchess Marie-Thérèse d'Angoulême, the only surviving child of Queen Marie Antoinette.
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The ring is described as regal and exquisite
Marie Antoinette, born Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna, Archduchess of Austria, was known for her extravagant and overtly feminine style of dressing, and her lavish spending. Her jewels were smuggled to Brussels and later to her home country of Austria during the French Revolution.
Much of her jewellery collection was later auctioned by Sotheby's in 2018. One of her diamond rings bore the queen's initials and contained a lock of her hair. This ring is described as regal and exquisite. It is a true antique, a badge of her status and a glimpse into the past. The ring is a conversation piece, a connection to a legendary historical figure.
The ring is not the only piece of Marie Antoinette's jewellery to be described in such a way. Her collection included a diamond pendant, a three-strand pearl necklace, a bow brooch, earrings, bracelets, and a necklace with a diamond ribbon and ruby collar. Many of these jewels were later passed down to her daughter, Marie-Thérèse, and they are all exquisite, extraordinary, and breathtaking.
One source describes a ring in the royal colours of purple and green, with thorn-like prongs conveying how Marie Antoinette was drawn into a frightening situation. This ring also appears to be described as exquisite, as the source goes on to say that the ring is a "fine acquisition" and a "great conversation piece".
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