British Royal Jewels: The Queen's White and Rose Gold Flower Brooch

This lovely brooch is one of Her Majesty’s rarely worn pieces and appears to be a recent addition to her collection.

White and Rose Gold Flower Brooch

The brooch is in form of a flower: the two blossoms and one of the leaves appear to be made of pink gold. In the centre of each blossom there is a pinkish orange stone (possibly topaz) surrounded by brilliants. The rest of the brooch is in white gold adorned with small diamonds.

British Royal Jewels: The Queen's Pink Sapphire and Diamonds Brooch

Queen Elizabeth has been wearing this brooch regularly, but not at all often, in recent years.

The Queen's Pink Sapphire and Diamonds Brooch

The brooch is composed of a pink stone in a diamond frame. It is surrounded by ten round diamonds with further ten small brilliants between them. This jewel reminds of the much more famous Prince Albert Sapphire brooch in design and style, although it unlikely they share the same provenance.

British Royal Jewels: Queen Elizabeth's Jardine Star Brooch

The Jardine Star Brooch is one of the Queen's most frequently worn jewels of late.

The Jardine Star Brooch

Very little is actually known about this jewel. The scarce information that we do possess comes mainly from Leslie Field’s ‘The Queen’s Jewels’: "In 1981 the Queen was left a late-Victorian diamond star brooch by Lady Jardine, which she has worn on many occasions. It has a collet diamond on a knife-wire between each of its eight points." 

Lady Jardine was a Scottish aristocrat, a member of the old Clan Jardine of Scotland; most probably, she was the wife of the Chief of the Clan. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be more information about this lady, or reasons why she chose to leave the brooch to the Queen.

British Royal Jewels: Queen Mary's Larger Pearl Button Earrings

Queen Elizabeth has inherited from Queen Mary a larger pair of pearl button earrings, which are very similar to Ladies of Devonshire Earrings, which also belonged to Queen Mary.

Larger Pearl Button Earrings

The main difference between the two earrings is the size and setting of the diamond: this pair has a slightly larger diamond (hence the name) in a claw setting, whereas the Devonshire Earrings feature a tiny round brilliant. 

There is some confusion between the two because the Royal Collection website refers to this pair the Ladies of Devonshire Earrings, while Leslie Field’s “The Queen’s Jewels” identifies the smaller pearl button earrings as the Devonshire pair.

British Royal Jewels: Queen Mary's Ladies of Devonshire Earrings

The Ladies of Devonshire Earrings are the ones Queen Elizabeth wears on virtually all daytime engagements.

Ladies of Devonshire Earrings

In 1893 a fund was opened by Lady Elizabeth Biddulph to raise money for a wedding present for Princess May of Teck. A pearl and diamond necklace, which could be converted into a tiara, was designed and made by the jewellers Hunt and Roskell. The presentation was made on behalf of “Ladies of England”. 

A subsidiary committee, chaired by Lady Clinton, had raised enough money from the “Ladies of Devonshire” to add this matching pair of pearl button earrings, each with a small diamond on top.

British Royal Jewels: Queen Elizabeth’s Engagement and Wedding Rings

We don’t get to see much of the Queen’s Engagement Ring because it is usually hidden under her trademark white gloves. Every woman’s engagement ring is special but the Queen’s ring is among her most important jewels sentiments-wise because of its provenance as well.

Queen Elizabeth's Engagement Ring

When Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten proposed to Princess Elizabeth, he presented her with a simple yet timeless ring: a 3 carat diamond solitaire as a centrepiece, flanked by five smaller diamonds on each side, all set in platinum. 

Princess Alice wearing the tiara diamonds from which were used to create Queen Elizabeth's engagement ring

The diamonds were taken from a tiara owned by Prince Philip’s mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg. Prince Philip personally designed the ring which was eventually created by London jeweller Philip Antrobus LTD.

Focus on. Camilla's Jewels: Van Cleef & Arpels Magic Alhambra Earrings

Another Van Cleef & Arpels pieces from the Duchess of Cornwall’s collection are these beautiful earrings.

Van Cleef & Arpels Magic Alhambra Earrings

Ever since 1968, Alhambra – Van Cleef & Arpels’ symbol of luck – has appeared in a variety of elegant guises, inspired by different materials and occasions. All of these Magic Alhambra pieces are individually numbered and signed by Van Cleef & Arpels.

Focus on... Camilla's Jewels: Boucheron Honeycomb Tiara

The Boucheron Honeycomb Tiara used to be one of the Queen Mother’s signature jewels and has become an equally signature piece of the Duchess of Cornwall.

Boucheron Honeycomb Tiara in its current form

The tiara consists of diamonds set in platinum in a contemporary honeycomb and lozenge design. Originally a strictly symmetrical piece, it was remodelled to add several brilliant-cut diamonds and a single marquise-cut one. 

Boucheron created the original diadem for Mrs Greville in 1901 using diamonds from her own collection. By 1920s, that design of the tiara grew out of fashion and so Mrs Greville commissioned the same firm to make a more contemporary piece using the stone from the old tiara. The work was done by Lucien Hirtz, chief designer of Boucheron in Paris. The new tiara was executed in strict geometrical honeycomb style.

Focus on... Camilla's Jewels: Van Cleef & Arpels Ballerina Brooch

The Duchess of Cornwall has quite a few stunning pieces from Van Cleef & Arpels but my favourite among her collection is this lovely ballerina brooch.

In the 1940s, Van Cleef & Arpels created widely-copied, beautiful ballerina brooches. The inspiration for this High Jewellery collection was the collaboration between Claude Arpels and the renowned choreographer George Balanchine, which gave rise to the ballet Jewels in 1967. 

Van Cleef & Arpels Ballerina Brooch

An ode to femininity, the ballet series is dedicated to three exceptional gemstones and three different styles of ballet: emeralds with Fauré, rubies with Stravinsky, and diamonds with Tchaikovsky. 

Focus on... Camilla's Jewels: Pearl and Aquamarine Choker

One of the Duchess of Cornwall favourite pieces is undoubtedly her aquamarine choker.

The Duchess of Cornwall's Aquamarine Choker

The three-string pearl choker features a spectacular detachable step-cut aquamarine pendant with brooch fitting. The aquamarine nests in an elaborate yellow gold scrollwork frame which also features ten brilliants.

The provenance of the choker was long disputed; some said it was a gift from the Prince Charles, while others claimed she got it from her first husband, Andrew Parker Bowles. However, it was eventually revealed that the choker is actually a family heirloom which the Duchess had inherited from her mother, the Honourable Rosalind Cubitt.

British Royal Jewels: Queen's Gold Dahlia (Frosted Sunflower) Brooch

The Frosted Sunflower Brooch is one of the Queen’s favourites, and one of the few pieces especially designed for her.

Frosted Sunflower Brooch

The brooch, also known as the Sunflower Brooch or the Gold Dahlia Brooch was commissioned by Garrard & Co in early 1970s. The brooch is made of gold in the form of a sunflower or dahlia. The centre of the brooch and the petals are adorned with 31 diamonds; the largest diamond is in the middle and is surrounded by nine smaller pear-shaped stones.

Focus on... Camilla's Jewels: The Diamond Serpent Necklace

One of the Duchess of Cornwall’s signature jewels is her diamond serpent necklace.

The Diamond Serpent Necklace

The necklace consists of round and square-cut diamonds that adorn the serpent’s body, set in a platinum frame. The head of the snake is decked with smaller round diamonds, with two tiny rubies for the eyes. The Serpent Necklace is purported to be a gift from the Prince of Wales, presented before their wedding. Camilla has been wearing the necklace since at least 2001

Focus on... Camilla's Jewels: The Cartier Watch

The Duchess of Cornwall is inseparable from her Cartier watch, which she wears to virtually all of her daytime engagements.

Must de Cartier watch (left), and the watch as worn by the Duchess of Cornwall (right)

The watch is a vintage Must de Cartier Vermeil one. Based on the design and the inscriptions inside, it was probably made in 1980s. This watch features a vermeil case (a solid sterling silver case with heavy gold plating), a 17-jewel manual-wind movement, and a cream coloured dial with black Roman numerals.

Focus on... Camilla's Jewels: Diamond Necklace and Earrings

One of the most-worn necklaces in Camilla’s collection is this gorgeous necklace and matching earrings.

The Diamond Necklace

The necklace is composed of pear, marquise and oval-shaped diamonds of varying sizes. It alternates between two rows of larger diamonds and three rows of smaller ones. The ear pendants consist of seven pear shaped diamonds. The largest diamond hangs from the centre. 

These jewels, like many in the Duchess’s collection, were purchased by her husband. Prince Charles bought a diamond tiara for the specific purpose of creating a stunning necklace for Camilla. Whether the earrings were also made from the stones of that tiara or they are just a well-matched pair of an entirely different origin, isn't known.

Focus on... Camilla's Jewels: Faberge Lily of the Valley Brooch

Nikita Khrushchev, then First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, presented British royal ladies with several exquisite gifts during his 1956 visit to the United Kingdom.

Fabergé Lily of the Valley Brooch

The jewellery gifts included a diamond and sapphire brooch for Queen Elizabeth, a smaller diamond and sapphire brooch for Princess Margaret, and a Lily of the Valley Brooch for the Queen Mother (the non-jewellery gifts included a bear cub for Princess Anne, an Arabian horse for Prince Charles, and an Akhal Teke horse for Prince Philip). 

It is the Queen Mother’s gift that is the focus of this article. The Lily of the Valley Brooch was created by Fabergé the stem was made of white gold adorned with diamonds, while the rest of the brooch bears unmistakable Fabergé characteristics.

Focus on... Camilla's Jewels: The Keppel Ruby and Diamond Tiara

The Keppel Tiara is a family heirloom that belongs personally to the Duchess of Cornwall.

The Keppel Tiara/Necklace

It was originally a gift from Edward VII to his most famous favourite, Alice Keppel – Camilla’s great-grandmother. Alice received many gifts of jewellery from the King, most of which were inherited by her younger daughter Sonia (later, Baroness Ashcombe). 

The tiara is made of gold and platinum set with diamonds and synthetic rubies. The choice of synthetic and not real rubies may be explained by the fact that synthetic tones were relatively new at the time and were in high demand. The tiara can be converted into a necklace, and the only known occasion of Camilla wearing this piece is in that form.

Focus on... Camilla's Jewels: Hesse Diamond Jubilee Brooch

This lovely brooch is a family heirloom that once belonged to Queen Victoria.

Hesse Diamond Jubilee Brooch

The Diamond and Sapphire Brooch was given to Victoria by her Hesse grandchildren – namely, Princess Victoria (later, Marchioness of Milford Haven - the Duke of Edinburgh’s grandmother), Princess Elizabeth (later, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia), Princess Irene (later, Princess Henry of Prussia), Prince Ernst Ludwig (later, Grand Duke of Hesse), and Princess Alix (later, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia). 

At the time the gift was made, it was described as a "brooch with an open pendant heart of diamonds bearing in the centre the number "60" in Slavonic characters. It has on the top a cabochon sapphire and two large sapphire drops." The description matches this brooch perfectly, so there is no doubt in my mind it is one and the same (thanks to Noel Q. for noticing the third sapphire on the top which I somehow missed).

British Royal Jewels: Queen Victoria’s Turkish Rosette Necklace

Queen Victoria was given a personal gift of a large number of diamonds by Sultan Mahmud of Turkey in 1838. The following year, the Queen commissioned Rundell & Bridge, the firm that held the royal warrant at the time, to create a necklace and earrings using some of the diamonds. Because of the provenance of the stones, Victoria referred to the set as “my Turkish diamond necklace and earrings”. 

Turkish Rosette Necklace

The necklace featured three diamond rosettes – one large and two smaller ones – connected to each other by three strands of diamonds. At the back, two large oval diamonds connected via two rows of diamonds to the smaller rosettes on one side, and to the clasp on the other. The clasp itself featured a massive diamond in a frame of smaller stones. 

British Royal Jewels: Queen Victoria's Orange Blossom Parure

This parure is not by any means among the grandest or most important jewels in the royal collection, but it is definitely one of the most symbolic and sentimental ones. One of the very first jewellery gifts Prince Albert gave his then fiancée was a gold and porcelain brooch in the form of a sprig of orange blossom.

The Orange Blossom Parure

It was a thoughtful gift because orange blossom is a symbol of chastity and has traditionally been been associated with betrothal in both England and Germany. Perhaps for that reason, Queen Victoria wore sprays of real orange blossom in her hair and on her bodice on the day of her wedding.

British Royal Jewels: The Delhi Durbar Necklace

The Delhi Durbar Necklace, part of the Delhi Durbar and Cambridge parure, is one of the Queen’s most important and jewels (and given the gems in Her Majesty’s collection, that says something).

The Delhi Durbar Necklace

The cabochon emeralds are surrounded by diamonds, set in two chains of small diamonds, with a single big diamond between each emerald. Originally, a detachable pendant with a pear-shaped emerald was attached to the cushion-shaped emerald centrepiece of the necklace. Later, Queen Mary added a diamond pendant.