A Victorian pink topaz parure – £13,500 at Lawrences of Crewkerne.
In May 1789, as the political and financial situation in France grew ever bleaker, Louis XVI was forced to summon the three estates – the clergy, nobility and commoners – who had the power to levy taxes and implement reform.
Although few foresaw the consequences, the opening of the Estates General on May 5, 1789, in Versailles essentially marked the start of the French Revolution.