Seven bidders competed for seven minutes to own this circa 1779-1789 necklace featuring approximately 300 carats of diamonds. The winning bidder ultimately paid $4.8 million for the piece, which has been described as a “sublime survivor” of the Georgian era.

The necklace is known as a négligée and can be worn looped over into a simple knot, as shown in the first picture, or draped over the neck, with one side sitting higher than the other, as shown here.