Huguette Marcelle Clark (1906-2011) was a remarkable woman, pictured left in the white dress with her father and sister. She was a daughter of mining and railroad magnate William A. Clark and Anna Eugenia La Chapelle Clark (1878–1963). From reading Bill Dedman's and Paul Clark Newell Jr.'s biography
Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune, it seems she was profoundly affected by the deaths of her mother and one sister, Louise Amelia Andrée Clark (1902-1919). She was a highly reclusive music lover and arts patron.
She studied in great detail Japanese architecture and design. While she may have dealt with her own personal demons, they continue on after her death playing havoc with the numerous entities that battle over her massive estate including priceless art and properties including
Le Beau Chateau and
Bellosguardo.
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Author recounts tracing 'very quiet path' of mysterious heiress" -- "She was rarely seen in public and was considered a recluse, though Dedman found, working with Paul Clark, one of Huguette's cousins, that wasn't the case at all. In fact,
she maintained friendships and relationships over the span of decades, even with her ex-husband from a two-year marriage."
"9-carat Belle Époque cushion-cut fancy vivid purplish pink diamond by Dreicer & Co. is estimated to sell for between $6 million and $8 million."
