This is the price in US dollars fetched by the magnificent Mellerio peacock brooch at the “Maharajas & Mughal Magnificence” sale of the Al Thani collection at Christie’s on June 19, 2019. This enamel jewel has no exceptional stones: none of the 1,742 diamonds exceeds 0.01 carat. Broken down into its individual components, it would hardly be worth a thing – it’s all about the sophistication of the composition. The Mellerio craftsmen have restored the grace of the tail ready to unfurl into a wheel, the flamboyance of the plumage and the delicacy of the eye-spots. Such is the price of French excellence.