Focus on... Kent Jewels: A Summary

We have now finished the week dedicated to Kent jewels. Well, actually I cheated a bit and it was nine days instead of seven. I tried to write about the more interesting Kent Jewels but if I have left one of your favourites out, leave me a note and I'll write a post on it in future. Hope you like this feature! :)

Meanwhile, below is a summary of all the pieces that were covered:

Other Hair Pieces

Kent Aquamarine Tiara

Kent Diamond and Pearl Tiara

Kent Diamond Circles Bandeau

Kent Cambridge Sapphire Parure

Kent City of London Fringe Tiara

Princess Alexandra’s Tiara and Parure

Kent Diamond and Pearl Festoon Tiara

Wild Pansy Brooch
The Argyll Daisy Brooch
Emerald Shamrock Brooch
Princess Marina's Bow Brooch
Princess Michael's Cartier Clips
Princess Michael's Flower Brooch
Princess Louise's Emerald Pendant
Princess Michael's Dress Ornament
Princess Michael's Cherries Brooch

Princess Marina’s Girandole Earrings

More Random Pieces from the Kent Collection

Focus on... Kent Jewels: More Random Pieces

It will appear that we have covered most of the important or well-known pieces in the Kent collection. This post is dedicated to some of the jewels that didn't warrant a separate article.

Most jewels belong to Princess Michael of Kent because although it was the Duchess of Kent who inherited the bulk of jewels from Princess Marina's collection, Marie Christine is the only one among Kent ladies who wears her jewels fairly regularly.

Jewellery Sets

Princess Michael has some really interesting sets in her collection. One of them is the beautiful aquamarine set that consists of a necklace of pearls and aquamarines, a pair of earrings and a brooch. Sometimes, the Princess wears the brooch (made of three large square aquamarines) in a necklace setting. 

Princess Michael wearing her Aquamarine Set

Another beauty is a citrine set consisting of a pendant and a pair of earrings. The pendant can be worn with a detachable pearl drop. Marie Cristine often dons it both on its own (as a brooch), or incorporated into a necklace.

Focus on... Kent Jewels: Princess Michael's Cartier Clips

One of my personal favourites among Princess Michael’s jewellery collection is the lovely necklace she sometimes wears on extra-special occasions.

The Pearl and Sapphire Necklace with Cartier Clips at the sides

The necklace consists of seven rows of pearls and sapphire beads, which incorporate two sapphire and diamond clips at the sides. The clips are detachable and can be worn as brooches or hat ornaments.

Focus on... Kent Jewels: Princess Michael's Dress Ornament

One of the more unusual items in Princess Michael's collection is the dress ornament she has worn on several occasions.

Princess Michael's Dress Ornament

Princess Michael has worn this ornament on several occasions. One of them was a re-internment of the remains of Diane de Poitiers, the famous favourite of Henry II and one of Princess Michael's ancestresses (just as a point of interest, Marie Christine is also descended from Henry II's wife, Catherine de Medici).

Focus on... Kent Jewels: Princess Louise's Emerald Pendant

The emerald and pearl pendant is among the jewels the Kents inherited from Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll.

Princess Michael of Kent wearing the diamond and emerald pendant suspended from a pearl necklace

Like the Daisy Brooches, Princess Louise's emerald pendant was a wedding present, this time from her mother Queen Victoria. Louise wore it on her wedding day suspended from a diamond riviere necklace (also left to the Kents).

Focus on... Kent Jewels: The Argyll Daisy Brooch

These lovely daisy brooches come from the collection of Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll.

There are three brooches, one large and two smaller ones. They were made by Garrard and are encrusted by diamonds set in white and yellow gold.

Princess Louise was the second youngest daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The diamond daisy brooches were a present to Princess Louise from three of her siblings – Prince Arthur, Prince Leopold and Princess Beatrice – on the occasion of her marriage to the Marquess of Lorne (then heir to the Dukedom of Argyll).

Focus on... Kent Jewels: Princess Michael's Cherries Brooch

This lovely Cherries Brooch comes from the collection of the Duchess of Windsor.

Princess Michael's Cherries Brooch

In its original form, it was actually a necklace that consisted of two rows of ruby beads with a large gold clasp at the end. From the clasp, two cherry pendants hang from several gold threads. The clasp also contained uncut emeralds and brilliants.

Focus on... Kent Jewels: The Flower Brooch

This lovely flower brooch is worn not by one but three different royal ladies.

Princess Michael's Purple Flower Brooch

The brooch is in form of a flower with five petals, with a diamond cluster in the middle and five pearls between the petals. It may be Kiki McDonough creation, although there is no confirmation.

Focus on... Kent Jewels: Emerald Shamrock Brooch

This brooch is another jewel that originated from Princess Marina’s collection. It is in a form of a shamrock encrusted with diamonds, with three round emeralds set in the middle.

Diamond and Emerald Shamrock Brooch

Although a admirer of more substantial jewels, Marina often donned this small, delicate brooch. Among the notable appearances of this brooch was the interview on the occasion of the engagement announcement of the Duke of Kent and Katherine Worsley.

Focus on... Kent Jewels: Wild Pansy Brooch

On the occasion of Prince Michael’s birth (or Princess Alexandra – there are conflicting reports), the Duke of Kent gave his wife a present of a lovely brooch.

Princess Michael of Kent wearing the Wild Pansy Brooch in a necklace

The Cartier brooch is in the form of wild pansy, or viola tricolour, and is embellished with sapphires, emeralds and black pearls.

Focus on... Kent Jewels: Other Hair Pieces

We have already discussed all the tiaras and bandeaus in the possession of the Kent family. Those pieces are The Kent Festoon Tiara, The Kent Aquamarine Tiara, The Cambridge Sapphire Parure, The Kent Diamond and Pearl Tiara, The Kent Diamond Circles Bandeau, The Kent City of London Fringe Tiara, and Princess Alexandra’s Tiara and Parure. Now it's time to discuss a couple of other hair pieces in the Kent collection.

Princess Marina had several star pendants (they are also referred to as "orange blossom hair ornaments" but they look more like stars to me) which she occasional wore in her hair. They were almost certainly a gift from her mother, Princess Nicholas of Greece and Denmark. 

Princess Marina (left) and Princess Alexandra (right) wearing the star pendants, also known as orange blossom hair ornaments

Princess Alexandra wore the pendants in her youth in the same way as her mother - as hair pieces. It isn't known whether she inherited the pendants because Marina left very little jewellery to her daughter. It may also be that the pendants are no longer in the family because they hadn't been seen for ages. 

Focus on... Kent Jewels: Diamond and Pearl Festoon Tiara

My personal favourite tiara in the Kent collection is the Festoon Tiara. It is also probably the most recognisable one among the Kent jewels.

The Kent Pearl and Diamond Festoon Tiara

The Kent Festoon Tiara was created in 1900s by unidentified jewellers. Although it comes in a Cartier case, no records exist in the firm to confirm the connection. 

It is also not known how the tiara made its way into the Kent collection although in all probability, it was purchased by the Duke of Kent for his wife, Princess Marina.

Focus on... Kent Jewels: The Aquamarine Tiara

It isn't known for certain how this beautiful aquamarine tiara ended in the Kent collection.

The Kent Aquamarine Tiara

The Aquamarine Tiara was created in 1908 by the French jeweller Georges Fouquet. The original tiara was in the form of translucent enamel a jour bandeau incorporating five ovals. In the centre of each oval was a flower motif consisting of a single large Siberian aquamarine, each aquamarine surrounded by six natural pearls.

Focus on... Kent Jewels: The City of London Fringe Tiara

This lovely fringe tiara was one of the many gifts of Russian provenance and/or style that Princess Marina og Greece and Denmark (whose mother was a Grand Duchess of Russia) received on her wedding to the Duke of Kent.

The City of London Fringe Tiara

The tiara was created for Grand Duchess Vladimir around 1870 by unknown craftsman. It is composed of diamonds set in gold and silver fringes, and unlike many tiaras of similar fringe design, cannot be converted into a necklace.

After the Grand Duchess’s death in exile in 1920, her children sold some of her fabulous jewels to maintain their lifestyle.

Swedish Royal Jewels: Crown Princess Victoria's Epaulette Earrings

One of the most beautiful pieces of jewellery Crown Princess Victoria owns (other than tiaras of course - nothing beats tiaras) are her Epaulette Earrings.

Victoria's Epaulette Earrings

Victoria first wore this pair for her pre-wedding gala, sparkling a bit of a debate. Since they had never been seen before, most people assuming that they are a new acquisition. The Court, however, confirmed the earrings were in fact diamond epaulettes. Victoria subsequently wore this pair of earrings to the 2011 banquet for the Nobel Laureates.

Focus on... Kent Jewels: The Diamond and Pearl Tiara

The Kent Diamond and Pearl Tiara is currently the only known major tiara in the possession of the Duchess of Kent. Its origins are a bit difficult to trace because there is no definite, confirmed information on it. Nevertheless, the data that is available is sufficient for a pretty sound guesswork.

The Kent Diamond and Pearl Tiara (current form)

Queen Mary purchased a small diamond bandeau from Gerrard’s in 1925. She made minor adjustments to it so that her famous Cambridge emeralds could be mounted on the top. She didn't wear it very often though and it largely remained in obscurity for the next couple of decades.

Focus on... Kent Jewels: Princess Alexandra’s Tiara & Parure

Princess Marina was apparently of the belief that a woman’s jewellery collection must be formed by gifts from the family she is marrying into, meaning she left very few jewels to her daughter. And so it happens there is only one tiara in Princess Alexandra’s personal possession – but it’s versatile and beautiful enough to count for two.

Princess Alexandra's Tiara (pearl setting)

Before her marriage, the Princess occasionally used tiaras from her mother’s collection, including the Festoon Tiara, City of London Fringe Tiara, and Diamond and Pearl Fringe Tiara. Indeed, for her marriage to Honourable Angus Ogilvy in 1963 she wore the lovely City of London Fringe Tiara. 

Focus on... Kent Jewels: Diamond Circles Bandeau

Another jewel to have now departed the Kent collection is this lovely bandeau.

The Diamond "Snake" Bandeau in necklace form with matching earrings

The modern appearance of the bandeau is very deceiving; it's in fact an old family heirloom. The jewel was commissioned in 1890s by Grand Duchess Vladimir of Russia who was renown for her fabulous jewellery collection. 

British Royal Jewels: The Duchess of Windsor's Ruby Set

My opinion on the Duchess of Windsor’s jewellery collection is divided; some of them are just too modern for my taste and most lack the most important aspect of royal jewels (for me anyway): rich history. This ruby set from Van Cleef & Arpels is an exception though: I absolutely love it.

Duchess of Windsor's Ruby Set

The union of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor lasted for 35 years until the Duke’s death in 1972. During the period, the former King lavished his wife with many exquisite gifts of jewellery which the Duchess wore to great effect. Pieces in this set were given at various times but each has a special meaning.

British Royal Jewels: Empress Maria Feodorovna's Sapphire Choker

Some of my favourite jewels in the British royal collection have Russian provenance, including this magnificent sapphire choker.

Empress Maria Feodorovna's Sapphire Choker

The choker consists of four strands of pearls (a total of 164 of them) with 20 diamond-encrusted vertical bars between every two or three rows of pearls. Each diamond bar is studded with five brilliants. The large sapphire in the middle is surrounded by two rows of brilliant-cut diamonds. 

German Royal Jewels: Hat Ornament with Dresden Green Diamond

This beautiful diamond hat ornament contains one of the most exquisite diamonds known - the pear-shaped Dresden Green Diamond, a stone of exceptional quality weighing 40.7 carats. It is the largest and finest natural green diamond ever found. The diamond derives its name from Dresden, the capital city of Saxony in Germany: Frederick Augustus II of Saxony bought the diamond in 1741 and the stone remained in Dresden for most of its history.

Diamond Hat Ornament with Dresden Green Diamond

The first setting of the Dresden Green was as part of the decorations on the Order of the Golden Fleece. It lasted only four years before Frederick Augusts ordered his court jewellers to create a new setting for the Order, this time incorporating another fabulous diamond in his collection – the Dresden White (a cushion-shaped 49.7 carat diamond).

Focus on... Kent Jewels: Cambridge Sapphire Parure

This post in our Kent Jewels series will be devoted to one of the magnificent sets that once belonged to the family – the Cambridge Sapphire Parure.

The current button version of the Cambridge Sapphire Tiara

The parure was created in the second half of 19th century by unknown masters. Queen Mary inherited the Cambridge sapphires from her aunt and godmother, Princess Augusta, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who herself had gotten them from her mother, the Duchess of Cambridge.

British Royal Jewels: The Timur Ruby Necklace

The Timur Ruby Necklace is mounted with one of the most historically significant jewels the Queen owns.

The Timur Ruby Necklace: Timur Ruby is the centrepiece, flanked by two smaller spinels

It weighs whooping 352.5-carats and until 1851, it was regarded as the largest known ruby in the world. Apart from its incredible historical value, it is also notable by the fact that some of its previous owners had their name inscribed on the stone.

Focus on... Kent Jewels: Princess Marina's Bow Brooch

When discussing the Kent jewellery collection, I couldn't possibly ignore one of Princess Marina's most stunning pieces – the Diamond Bow Brooch.

Princes Marina's Diamond Bow Brooch

The brooch is executed in a classical bow style with the double ribbon bow centred by an oval-shaped 3.5 carat diamond, and accented by numerous pear-shaped and old mine-cut diamonds weighing approximately 38.00 carats. The smaller old mine and rose-cut diamonds weigh another 64.25 carats.

Focus on... Kent Jewels: Princess Marina’s Girandole Earrings

We have already discussed Queen Elizabeth’s beautiful girandole earrings, and now it is turn for their equally stunning cousin – Princess Marina’s Diamond Girandole Earrings.

Princess Marina's Girandole Earrings

This gorgeous pair is made in a classical girandole design, which was developed in France in 1700s and named after the crystal-pendant candelabras of the time. It went out of fashion in early 19th century but then underwent a period of a renaissance during the revival of Rococo styles in late 19th century.

This earrings are estimated to have been made around 1770s in France. They consist of a detachable pear-shaped diamond pendant surrounded by old mine-cut diamonds with pendants on either side. The earrings are quite long - about 8,8 cm long - and are mounted in silver.

Focus on... Kent Jewels

Hi everyone,

I am really glad to announce a new feature in the blog: for about a week or so, we will focus on the jewels of one family or one individual. And this week - February 17 to February 24 - is dedicated to the splendid jewels in the Kent collection. 

Some of the jewels from the extensive Kent collection, current and former

I will be covering the jewels of the Duchess of Kent, Princess Michael of Kent, Princess Alexandra, as well as jewellery that once belonged to Princess Marina, The Duchess of Kent.

British Royal Jewels: Princess Margaret's Persian Turquoise Tiara

One of the first posts I made in this blog was on the Duchess of Cornwall’s Turquoise Demi-Parure. Back then, I promised to cover to other turquoise parures of the British Royal Family – Princess Margaret’s and the Duchess of Gloucester’s Turquoise sets. So, today it’s the Persian parure’s turn.

The Persian Turquoise Tiara

Princess Margaret collection of turquoise jewels started when she was just a baby. The little York Princess was given a string of turquoise and pearl beads – the companion piece to her sister’s coral and pearl beads. 

The most significant addition to her collection took place when Margaret came of age, upon her 21st birthday, when her mother gave her a magnificent parure of turquoise jewels. The original parure consisted of a tiara, a necklace, matching pendant earrings, a large square brooch, and several hair pieces.

British Royal Jewels: Queen Elizabeth’s Antique Girandole Earrings

This amazing pair of earrings has an unverified provenance. The reason why I post this entry immediately after the five necklaces (you can find links to them at the bottom of this page) is simple: the Queen almost always wears this pair with one of those necklaces.

Girandole Earrings

That makes me believe the earrings have Saudi or other Middle Eastern/Arabic origin as well. She has had this pair since at least late 1970s, which corresponds to the time she has received three or four of the necklaces so it is possible the earrings formed a demi-parure with one of them.

British Royal Jewels: Countess of Wessex's Mystery Necklace

The last of our five necklaces offers a delicious (and unsolved) mystery.

The mystery diamond necklace worn by the Countess of Wessex for the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria

The Earl and Countess of Wessex are the Queen’s regular ambassadors for foreign royal events and the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling was no exception to that rule. At first glance, the Countess’s choice of jewellery was fairly conservative and uninteresting. Sophie’s tiara was her wedding one (which personally I abhor), and she appeared to be wearing one of the Queen’s necklaces. Only she wasn't. At least, not a necklace Her Majesty has ever been seen wearing before.

British Royal Jewels: Even Fringe Diamond Necklace

The provenance of this necklace with rather unimaginative name is completely unknown. Although unlike the other four necklaces in this series, we can be almost certain it has no Middle Eastern/Arabic origin.

Even Fringe Diamond Necklace

The reason I am so categorical is fairly straightforward; as I mentioned earlier, the Queen usually debuts jewels presented to her during receptions hosted in honour of the donor. Despite the fact this necklace has become one of Her Majesty’s most favourite and most often-worn pieces, it has never, not once, been worn to an event even remotely connected to Middle East.

British Royal Jewels: King Fahd Diamond Necklace and Earrings

With the third necklace in our list, we are entering into the murky waters of guesswork. The provenance of the first two - King Faisal Necklace and King Khalid Necklace - is well known and established. Unfortunately, there is no definite (or any, for that matter) information on this one.

King Fahd of Saudi Arabia Necklace

Why have I named it King Fahd Necklace then? The Queen almost always wears jewellery gifted to her on official visits for the first time when hosting return banquets. That’s how we have learnt about the origin of quite a few of her jewels. Now, she wore this necklace for the first time when hosting a banquet in honour of King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, who paid an official visit to London in 1987.

British Royal Jewels: King Khalid Diamond Necklace

The second of the five necklaces we discuss today is also of Saudi origin. This beautiful fringe necklace was presented to the Queen by King Khalid in 1979, during Her Majesty’s visit to Saudi Arabia.

King Khalid of Saudi Arabia Diamond Necklace

King Khalid Necklace also shares similar provenance with King Faisal Necklace as it was made by Harry Winston as well, in 1978. The Saudi King bought it a year later as a gift for the Queen's upcoming official visit. The Queen has since worn it quite often, including for a film première in 1982, visit to France in 2004, and a visit to Malta in 2005.

British Royal Jewels: King Faisal Diamond Necklace

There are five necklaces in the British jewellery vaults that are sometimes hard to distinguish and often get confused with each other. Four of them belong to the Queen, and one – to the Countess of Wessex.

King Faisal of Saudi Arabia Necklace

The first of those necklaces is King Faisal Diamond Necklace. It was made in 1952 by Harry Winston and initially kept to showcase the firm’s diamond jewellery collection. Fifteen years later, King Faisal of Saudi Arabia purchased the necklace and presented it to Queen Elizabeth during his state visit to Britain in May of 1967.

Focus on... Camilla's Jewels: Van Cleef & Arpels Dragonfly Brooches

One of my favourite jewels in Camilla’s collection are these beautiful dragonfly brooches.

Van Cleef & Arpels Dragonfly Brooches

They were created by Van Cleef & Arpels in their signature dragonfly theme, and were a gift from the Prince of Wales to his wife. 

The brooches, or rather clips, are made of white gold. One of them is studded with blue sapphires, the other – diamonds. They are designed as a tribute to the lightness and femininity of Nature.

Iranian Royal Jewels: Flame Tiara and Parure of Princess Shams

The Persian Royals were in possession of not only one of the richest jewellery collections in the world, but also some of the more unusual ones.

The Flame Tiara

We have already covered the wonderful Sunburst Tiara, and now it is time to read about its sister – the equally fantastic Flame Tiara with the matching necklace and earrings.

Swedish Royal Jewels: The Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure

This neo-classical sapphire and diamond parure has to be one of the most beautiful works of jewellery craftsmanship ever. From the design to the rich colour of the sapphires – it is quite simply perfection. Not to mention, it is also one of the most complete parures out there.

The Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure

The original parure consisted of a tiara, necklace, earrings, brooch and four hairpins. At some point, the original earrings were separated from the set, and so Queen Louise had two of the earrings converted into a pair of earrings. 

To learn about each individual element of the parure, as well as its history and provenance, read on.

French Royal Jewels: The Duchess of Angouleme's Emerald Tiara

The history of this exquisite tiara is almost as complicated as that of its famous owner, the Duchess of Angouleme. It’s value is immense not only because of the exceptional stones used for its creation but also because of the fact it is one of the few pieces of jewellery of the period that remain in their original state – a wonderful example of craftsmanship of the early 19th century.

The Duchess of Angouleme Tiara

This tiara (which is, I must say, one of my single most favourite tiaras ever) was commissioned in 1819 by Louis-Antoine, the Duke of Angouleme for his wife Marie-Therese, the Duchess of Angouleme. The Duchess was the only surviving child of the tragic Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, while her husband was the eldest son of Charles X of France (Louis XVI’s younger brother).

British Royal Jewels: The Queen's County of Cornwal Ruby Bracelet

This bracelet is one of the many jewels the Queen has inherited from her grandmother, Queen Mary.

The County of Cornwall Ruby and Diamond Bracelet

It is made of diamond and ruby leaf bands with a diamond and ruby rose centre; the rose is detachable and can be worn separately as a brooch or a pendant. Although popularly known as the Country of Cornwall Bracelet, there is some confusion about its provenance.

Russian Royal Jewels: Maria Feodorovna's Russian Field Diadem

Empress Maria Feodorovna (wife of Paul I, not the other one) commissioned a diadem from the famous Duval Brothers. The Empress wanted something that would remind of the Russian fields, and so the brothers created a diadem of oak and laurel leaves, bordered by sheaves of wheat.

Russian Field Diadem

The Empress was fond of the piece and called it “Mon diademe en epis” (“my diadem of sheaves”). In her will, Maria Feodorovna left this piece, along with several other jewels, to the Diamond Fund. The Diamond Fond is a unique collection of jewellery and gems that dates back to the Russian Crown Treasury instituted by Peter I of Russia in 1719. The collection is currently stored and exhibited in Kremlin.

Russian Royal Jewels: The Diamond Rose Brooch

This beautiful Russian Rose Brooch bears more than a passing resemblance to Princess Mathilde’s Tudor Brooch we have just covered.

The Russian Rose Brooch

The Rose Brooch never belonged to a royal or even a nobleman; in fact, it is fairly recent, having been created in 1970 in Moscow by two jewellers, Viktor Nikolaev and Gennady Aleksakhin. However, it is said to be a replica of an earlier 19th century piece that allegedly belonged to one of the Romanovs.

The brooch is made of 1466 diamonds of exceptional pure colour and clarity, all of Russian origin. They are set in platinum frame, which only enhances their sparkle. 

I suppose it is cheating to include this second rose and there is only one justification: I absolutely it. Both of them, in fact. 

Picture and source credit: Christie’s, “Jewels of the Romanovs: Treasures of the Russian Imperial Court”, Bernard Morel.

French Royal Jewels: Mathilde Bonaparte's Tudor Rose Brooch

Princess Mathilde, the daughter of Jerome Bonaparte and Princess Katharina of Wurttemberg, had one of the most fabulous jewellery collections of her time, second only to that of Empress Eugenie of France herself. 

Princess Mathilde's Tudor Brooch

This corsage brooch (and I can’t find enough adjectives to describe how breathtakingly gorgeous it is) was created in 1855 by Parisian jeweller Theodore Fester.It reputedly contains 2,637 brilliants weighing 136 carats, and further 860 little roses not weighed. It is designed as a large rose blossom decked with diamonds and mounted in silver-topped gold.

British Royal Jewels: The Queen's Burmese Ruby Tiara

Most of the Queen’s vast jewellery collection was either inherited, or presented as a gift on various occasions. The Burmese Ruby Tiara is an exception though for it is one of the few pieces that Queen Elizabeth has personally commissioned.

The Burmese Ruby Tiara

To create this piece the Queen used some of her wedding presents. Namely, diamonds from the dismantled Nizam of Hyderabad Tiara and the 96 rubies she had received from the people of Burma The number of rubies is actually rather significant: the Burmese believe that there are 96 diseases that can affect human body. They also credit rubies with the ability to protect their owner from sickness and ill-wishes, meaning the 96 rubies are meant to protect the Queen from all illnesses and evil of this world. 

The Garrard’s received the commission for a new tiara in 1973. Her Majesty didn't want any tiara either: she picked a design that would add to the symbolism of the rubies. The Queen wanted the ruby clusters to be arranged like the Rose of England – a combination of the White Rose of York and Red Rose of Lancaster (two of the branches of the House of Plantagenet that contested the English Throne during the aptly named War of Roses). 

British Royal Jewels: The Queen's Nizam of Hyderabad Parure

On the occasion of her marriage in 1947, Princess Elizabeth was positively flooded with gifts. According to the official list of wedding gifts released by St James Palace, Princess Elisabeth and Prince Philip received exactly 2583 presents. Not all of them were jewellery, of course; in fact, the most common gifts were stockings and books. Nevertheless, there was no lack of sparkle either.

The current demi-parure parure - the necklace and the brooches

One of the most beautiful gifts came from the Nizam of Hyderabad. The Nizam was the owner of one of the most celebrated and largest private jewellery collections in the world, and his gift was suitably impressive – a demi-parure of a tiara and necklace.

Italian Royal Jewels: Queen Margherita of Savoy's Emerald Parure

One of my favourite emerald sets of all times has to be Queen Margherita of Savoy's emerald parure.

Parts of the original parure: the necklace (with detachable centrepiece), the devant de corsage, and the earrings

This gorgeous parure may no longer be in one piece and indeed, no longer with the House of Savoy, but we can still admire its exquisite beauty. It is notable also notable for its historical value, the emeralds of amazing quality, and the somewhat unusual combination of emeralds, diamonds and pearls.

The parure made its way into Savoy jewellery collection as part of a marriage settlement: in 1841, King Charles Albert of Sardinia acquired the set from Viennese jeweller Delsotto for the marriage settlement between Archduchess Maria Adelaide of Austria (future Queen Adelaide) and his son, the Duke of Savoy (future King Victor Emamanuel II). 

Italian Royal Jewels: Elena of Montenegro’s Emerald Tiara

Queen Elena’s tiara’ was a gift from her mother-in-law. The emerald and diamond tiara was creating by dismantling some of Margherita’s jewels. Judging by the pictures, it would appear that the centre emerald in Elena’s tiara is actually one of the oval stones from the tiara of the original parure.

Elena of Montenegro's Tiara in its original form

Initially, it was a pretty delicate piece and consisted of five ornate pillars rising from a silver frame. Each pillar had a small diamond and a large emerald on the top. In between the pillars, small silver decorations were positioned. In time, Elena had the tiara modified in small ways, with the frame undergoing the most significant changes; it considerably gained in the volume and consisted of silver overlapping semi-circles. 

Elena wearing the tiara in its original form (left) and after modifications (right)

Italian Royal Jewels: Queen Margherita of Savoy's Pearl Earrings

The Diamond and Pearl Earrings were a gift to Margherita of Savoy from her husband, the future Umberto I of Italy.

Queen Margherita's Pearl Earrings

Perhaps for sentimental reasons, the Queen loved these earrings. Their classic design complimented nearly all jewels so Margherita had a good use of this pair.

Italian Royal Jewels: Queen Margherita of Savoy's Emerald Brooch

Margherita of Savoy had an expert’s eye for jewellery and thanks to her generous husband, that passion thrived.

Emerald, Diamond and Pearl Brooch

King Umberto I gave this wonderful emerald brooch as a gift to his wife in 1879. It was meant to compliment the rest of her emerald parure and so was made in the same design. It consisted of a single large emerald set in a setting of smaller emeralds and diamonds. A large pearl drop hangs from the centre of the frame, with two smaller diamond drops on either side.

British Nobillity Jewels: The Spencer Honeysuckle Tiara

This Honeysuckle Tiara is a largely unknown piece that has belonged to the Spencer Family since 19th century. While not quite as famous as the Spencer Tiara, it's still an impressive jewel.

The Spencer Honeysuckle Tiara

The tiara is in Greek key pattern popular at the time of its creation. Diamond honeysuckles rise from the Greek key pattern, gradually decreasing in size from the centre to the sides. 

Iranian Royal Jewels: Princess Fatimeh’s Sunburst Tiara

This magnificent tiara is one of the mysterious pieces in Persian Jewellery collection with little to know information about its history or provenance. The most striking feature of the tiara is the motif of the sunburst, hence its name.

The Iranian Sunburst Tiara

The most eye-catching feature of the tiara is in the middle; it is a beautiful 25-carat cushion shaped pink spinel. The pink spinel is surrounded by a row of diamonds, and each diamond in this row serves as a base for the rays depicting the sunburst arise. There are four pairs of emeralds on either side of the tiara with the ninth emerald in the middle; the middle one is the largest and weighs whooping 20 carats. On either end of the tiara two identical floral motifs are located with a single large diamond in the centre of each. The base of the tiara is covered by a row of diamonds.

Italian Royal Jewels: Princess Astrid's Savoy-Aosta Tiara

Since we’ve just covered the Savoy-Aosta Emerald and Diamond Necklace, it makes sense to cover the tiara Princess Astrid wears with it. In fact, Astrid dons this tiara with every jewellery since it appears to be the only one in her possession.

The Savoy-Aosta Diamond Tiara

The beautiful tiara consists of scrolls, leafs and flowers embellish with diamonds. Like the necklace, the tiara comes from her husband’s family; it's first known owner was Princess Anne of Orleans. Nowadays it belongs to Archduchess Margherita, mother of Astrid’s husband Archduke Lorenz. The tiara appears to be on pretty much permanent loan to the Princess.