Mysterious necklace fetches $4.8m

A mysterious necklace laden with some 500 diamonds and with possible links to a scandal that contributed to the downfall of Marie Antoinette, sold for $4.8 million at an auction in Geneva Wednesday.

The 18th century jewel containing around 300 carats of diamonds had been estimated to go under the hammer at the Sotheby's Royal and Noble Jewels sale for $1.8-2.8 million.

But after energetic bidding, the hammer price ticked in at 3.55 million Swiss francs ($4 million), and Sotheby's listed the final price after taxes and commissions at 4.26 million francs ($4.81 million).

The auction house hailed that the necklace.