Calvin Klein, Queen Mary And The Pearl Necklace That Rewrote The Price Of Romance

Long before “quiet luxury” became a hashtag, designer Calvin Klein made a statement in the loudest way possible by gifting his then wife Kelly a historic natural pearl and diamond necklace once owned by Queen Mary, later associated with the Duchess of Windsor. Auction records and jewellery histories put its value in the multi million dollar range, with one high profile sale touching about 4.8 million dollars. The single strand Cartier piece has since been cited among the world’s most expensive and storied pearl necklaces.

The necklace’s story begins in the British royal family, where Queen Mary owned the strand and eventually passed it to her son, later the Duke of Windsor. It later entered the Duchess of Windsor’s famed collection and was sold in Sotheby’s landmark 1987 “Jewels of the Duchess of Windsor” auction. Calvin Klein bought the necklace and companion pieces from that sale as a gift for Kelly, effectively lifting a jewel out of royal and socialite lore and dropping it into the orbit of American fashion royalty.  

A Necklace Steeped In Provenance  

What makes this piece so significant is not just the quality of its 28 natural pearls and diamond clasp, but the documented chain of ownership running from Queen Mary to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and then to the Kleins. When Sotheby’s and other observers describe it, they emphasise both craftsmanship and narrative: it is a necklace that has travelled through abdication, glamour, scandal and, eventually, the contemporary celebrity world. When the Kleins chose to resell the pearls two decades later, the auction estimates and final price only cemented its status as a blue chip asset in the pearl world.  

From Royal Vaults To Modern Celebrity Culture  

The gift also captures a particular moment in how wealth and fame expressed themselves. For Calvin Klein, owning and gifting Queen Mary’s former necklace aligned his personal story with a century of European aristocratic symbolism. For Kelly, wearing it meant stepping into a visual line that runs from royal portraits to 20th century fashion photography. Even today, when lists of the most expensive pearl necklaces are compiled, this Queen Mary Duchess of Windsor Calvin Klein strand surfaces as a reminder that some of the most powerful status symbols are those that can be worn quietly but carry a very loud backstory.  

Key Jewel Highlights  

• Single strand Cartier natural pearl and diamond necklace originally owned by Queen Mary  
• Later part of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor’s collection, sold at Sotheby’s in 1987  
• Acquired by Calvin Klein as a gift for his then wife Kelly, later resold at auction  
• Valued in the multi million dollar range, often cited near 4.8 million dollars as one of the world’s most expensive pearl necklaces  

Sources: Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels, Diamond World,  TrendHunter, pearl history write ups referencing Calvin Klein’s purchase and resale of the Queen Mary Duchess of Windsor necklace