Empress Josephine’s pear shape Sapphire and diamond toi et moi ring
Translating to ‘You and me’ the toi et moi ring represents the love between two people and dates back centuries. The classic Toi et moi refers to a ring with two stones that are set side by side, each of similar size and symbolises the romantic idea of two souls becoming one.
There was one particularly famous couple that made this style of ring what it is today. In 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte presented Josephine de Beauharnais with an 18ct yellow gold ring featuring two pear shape stones – one diamond and one sapphire both weighing in at just under 1.00ct each. This was a very generous and extravagant purchase for a military man who had not yet climbed to the imperial heights he was later to be famous for.
The ring made headlines in 2013 when it came up for auction at the French jewellery house, Osenat. It had a presale estimate of $20,000, however it sold for close to $950,000 thanks to its outstanding provenance.
Napoleon remained smitten with Josephine despite their turbulent love story, and her name was the last word he uttered before he passed away – a love story that has gone down in history as one of the most passionate of all time.