A starfish brooch crafted by Salvador Dali and featuring cultured pearls, diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, has been sold for $982,000 – the highest price ever achieved at auction for a piece of jewelry by the renowned Spanish surrealist artist, IDEX Online reports.
Known as the Etoile de Mer, the exquisite brooch was once owned by socialite Rebekah Harkness, the subject of Taylor Swift’s 2020 song “The Last Great American Dynasty.” Harkness founded her own ballet company and enlisted Dali to create backdrops for her performances. In 1949, Dali designed the Etoile de Mer exclusively for Harkness and collaborated with Carlos Alemany, a surrealist jeweler, to bring the brooch to life.
The brooch, accompanied by two detachable butterfly enhancements adorned with diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds, was sold at Christie’s New York.
