Aga Khan jewels net $4.5 million

The Aga Khan's widow outlived him by 43 years

Jewels that belonged to the widow of the late Aga Khan III have been auctioned for more than $4.5 million in Geneva.

The proceeds will go to the Aga Khan Foundation, which fights poverty and illiteracy among Muslims in Asia and Africa.

A huge diamong ring sold for $2.7 million

The Aga Khan III was one of the world's richest men. His widow, referred to as the Begum Aga Khan, died in July, aged 94.

She was born Yvette Blanche Labrousse in 1906.

A former Miss France, she married Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan - the grandfather of the present Aga Khan - in 1944 and outlived him by more than 40 years.

The Aga Khan is the head of the world's Ismaili Muslim community of about 15 million.

The showpiece of the Sotheby's lot, a ring set with a 51.85-carat diamond, sold for $2.7 million, much less than expected.

But most of the rest of the collection sold for more than had been expected.

A diamond, opal and enamel brooch fetched $46,000, twice as much as predicted, while a gold compact went for $30,000, four times the expected price.