The Mellerio Orléans Tiara, Unseen Since 1957, Comes to Sotheby's Geneva
Made for the London International Exhibition of 1862 and worn by a French princess, a diamond bandeau resurfaces after almost seven decades.
Sotheby's will offer a diamond tiara of about 1862, attributed to the Paris jeweller Mellerio dits Meller, in its Royal and Noble Jewels sale in Geneva on 11 November 2026. The meander, or Greek key, bandeau passed through the Orléans family and has not been seen in public since about 1957. Sotheby's estimates it at CHF 300,000 to 500,000.
The tiara
Sotheby's catalogues the piece as a diamond tiara by Mellerio dits Meller, circa 1862, with later alterations. It is a bandeau of meander design, the continuous Greek key border of classical architecture, set with old mine cut diamonds and accented with rose cut diamonds. The bandeau detaches to be worn as a necklace. Town & Country reported that it was made for the London International Exhibition of 1862, at a moment when Greek Revival design was fashionable across Europe.
From the Orléans family to a private collection
According to Sotheby's provenance and Town & Country, the tiara was bought by Antoine d'Orléans, Duke of Montpensier, and passed to his daughter Marie Isabelle, who married Philippe, Count of Paris, in 1864. After her death in 1919 it went to her son Ferdinand, Duke of Montpensier, and then to his widow. Town & Country says it dropped from sight around her death in 1957, roughly 69 years ago, before resurfacing in a private collection.
One correction to the coverage: Town & Country gave a higher estimate than the one on Sotheby's own lot page. We use Sotheby's figure, CHF 300,000 to 500,000.
Why convertible jewels and old cuts matter
Many nineteenth century tiaras were built to come apart: the frame lifts away and the band becomes a necklace or a set of brooches. That made them far more wearable, and it is one reason so many survive. Old mine and rose cut diamonds, cut by hand to keep weight and give a soft, flickering light, are another mark of the period. When they are still in their original settings they tell a buyer the piece has not been broken up and re-set.
What this means for antique jewellery owners
Provenance is the thread that ties a jewel to its history. A named maker, an exhibition record, family letters, old photographs or an inventory entry can change how a piece is seen. If you own an antique diamond jewel, keep every document with it, look for maker's marks and fittings that show it once converted, and ask a specialist before any stones are reset or the piece is altered.
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- Sotheby's, Royal and Noble Jewels, Geneva, lot page: Diamond Tiara, Mellerio dits Meller, circa 1862
- Town & Country via Yahoo, "A Diamond Tiara Missing for Nearly 70 Years Is Headed to Auction in Geneva", 16 Oct 2026
Estimate taken from Sotheby's lot page. Mozeris Fine Antiques is not connected with Sotheby's or Mellerio. No auction-house images are used; the photograph shows a piece from our own stock.
