Lot 396 tells a remarkable tale of survival. The current owner’s grandparents were factory owners in Hungary during the early to mid-twentieth century. After word of the impending invasion by Nazi Germany, the couple grew anxious and knew that as part of the Jewish faith and community, they were not safe.

In order to protect their most prized possessions, they organized two containers and buried the containers under the center stone of their factory floor. In 1944, the Nazis proceeded to invade Hungary and as expected, their factory was virtually destroyed.

The two concealed containers miraculously survived the wreckage undiscovered and unharmed. The present owner recalls, as a child, the excavation of the two containers and the unwrapping of their contents – which included this beautiful pair of diamond earrings. The earrings were passed down to her by her grandparents and have remained in her care ever since.