Kim Kardashian bought Princess Diana's amethyst Attallah Cross for $200k at auction

(Image credit: tefanie Keenan/Getty Images for SKKN BY KIM and Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

published 12 February 2023

Kim Kardashian bought an amethyst cross which has previously only been worn by the late Princess Diana, paying the incredible sum of $197,453 for the piece at auction.

In an unexpected move, Kim Kardashian outbid three other Princess Diana fans to get her hands on the Attallah Cross, an amethyst crucifix previously only worn by the late Princess.
The necklace was sold to the reality star for $197,453, a significantly smaller amount than jewellers previously valued it at.
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In a move that has divided royal fans, Kim Kardashian bought the Attallah Cross, an amethyst crucifix which has previously only been worn by the late Princess Diana.

As reported by Marie Claire, the reality star competed against three other bidders in an auction at Sotheby's London on 18 January to acquire the jewellery, winning the piece after bidding the whopping sum of $197,453.

The value of the necklace has been hotly disputed. According to a press release from the auction house, the price Kardashian shelled out was "more than double" the necklace's "pre-auction estimate." But jewellery experts had previously told Page Six that the piece could be worth up to $500k. Depending on which price you ascribe to the necklace, Kardashian either massively overpaid or got a complete bargain.

Prior to the necklace's auction, Sotheby's released a press release detailing its royal history. It read, "The cross was [originally] bought by Naim Attallah CBE, from Garrard [the jeweller that made Diana's engagement ring] in the 1980s and through his friendship with Princess Diana, he was able to loan it to her several times over a number of years to wear at events. It is understood that the cross was only ever worn by the Princess, and following her death, it was never seen in public again until now."

While some royal fans weren't thrilled about Kardashian acquiring this slice of Princess Diana's history, a royal reporter has shared that he doubts the Royal Family think too much about it.

"I think they probably laugh at it," Valentine Low, author of Courtiers, said during an interview with Us Weekly. "[They probably] Laugh about it over the breakfast table and move on. I mean, they certainly wouldn’t be annoyed, I don’t think."

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Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is royal news and entertainment writer for Goodto.com. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.