It was thought lost and, instead, years ago the treasure of King Farouk of Egypt was found in the vault of an Egyptian bank: it is 265 jewels including a 44 carat diamond, which is believed be the third largest in the world. Farouk I of Egypt (Cairo 1920 – Rome, March 18, 1965), was the tenth sovereign of the Mehmet Ali dynasty and the penultimate King of Egypt. His reign ended due to the coup d’état of the military led by Nasser, following which the sovereign was forced to abdicate the throne in favor of the newborn son Ahmad Fuʾād. Exiled, Farouk died in Italy in 1965. Many articles have been written about the eventful life of the sovereign, protagonist of the Dolce Vita, and of his secret jewelry collection. Few, however, lingered on the jewelry collection, until someone was put up for sale by auction houses.
Many jewels are exhibited in the Royal Jewelry Museum in Alexandria, which is located in what was the home of King Farouk’s sister, Fatima. These are about 246 objects accumulated by the Muhammed Ali dynasty, then confiscated by the Egyptian authorities at the end of the monarchy. Not all, however, given that two years ago Sotheby’s put on sale three jewels belonging to the king, including a brooch by Van Cleef & Arpels, the favorite brand of Princess Fawzia, another sister of Farouk. For example, in 1939, for her marriage to the crown prince of Iran, Princess Fawzia wore a van Cleef & Arpels diamond and platinum tiara. And other bracelets and choker of platinum and diamonds belonged to Farouk’s mother, Queen Nazli, wife of King Fuad I.
For example, a diamond necklace that supports a flexible sunburst-shaped breastplate, centered on a round stone weighing about 6 carats, set with 118 round diamonds larger than the weight of about 134 carats, accentuated by smaller round diamonds than the weighing about 27 carats, completed by diamond baguettes weighing about 50 carats, was sold for 4.3 million dollars three years ago by Sotheby’s. It is this is just one of the jewels that are part of the treasure accumulated by the Muhammed Ali dynasty, which has reigned uninterruptedly in Egypt for over a century and a half.