Moroccan Royal Jewels: Lalla Salma’s Ruby and Diamond Tassel Set

Lalla Salma of Morocco has one of the most amazing jewellery collections in the world. It may not be the largest or the grandest, but it’s certainly among the most beautiful, tasteful and original ones.

Lalla Salma's Ruby and Diamond Tassel Set

The ruby demi-parure the Princess debuted during the incoming state visit from France is definitely one of the highlights of that collection. I can’t call them the grandest piece the Princess owns though because, in my opinion, that distinction belongs to her dazzling emeralds which I’ll cover later.

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.

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: 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.

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.

Danish Royal Jewels: Queen Margrethe's Naasut Tiara and Parure

Since we have just discussed Queen Margrethe’s Poppies, I suppose now it’s the turn of its close cousin look wise – the Naasut Tiara (also known as the Jubilee Tiara). 

The Naasut Tiara

Queen Margrethe’s already very impressive jewellery collection got a boost in her Jubilee year (Elizabeth II wasn't the only one with a Jubilee last year: Queen Margrethe’s celebrated 40 years on the Throne as well) with the addition of a demi-parure of a tiara and earrings. 

The parure was a gift from Greenland and is made of gold, diamond and rubies (however hard I squinted and magnified the pictures, I could find no trace of the latter anywhere though). The tiara is adorned by flowers and other plants of Greenland; five of the largest flowers can be converted into brooches. The tiara is named Naasut Tiara for a very simple reason: "naasut" means "flowers" in Greenlandic. 

Danish Royal Jewels: Queen Margrethe's Golden Poppies Tiara and Parure

I seem to have covered unusual-jewellery only yesterday so it is only fitting to cover the most unusual hairpiece in Queen Margrethe's collection – her Golden Poppies.

Queen Margrethe's Golden Poppies

The Queen commissioned it from Danish jewellery designer Arje Griegst in 1976. Although sometimes it is suggested Queen Margrethe had a hand in designing it, that is almost certainly not the case. Griegst was already famous for a series of unconventional jewellery which broke the tradition of the more rigorous Danish jewels of the time.

Swedish Royal Jewels: Queen Desideria’s Malachite Parure

Time to cover one of the most under-appreciated parures of all times - Queen Desideria’s Malachite Parure.

The malachite parure consists of a tiara, necklace, brooch, two bracelets, and a pair of earrings, all set with carved malachite. The cameos carved on the stones represent classical scenes. For instance, the cameos in the necklace depict Asclepius (god of medicine) and Hygeia (his daughter, goddess of health), Hercules (the Ancient Greek hero) and Hebe (daughter of Zeus and Hera who becomes Hercules’s wife). The central cameo of the tiara symbolises day, while the central stone of the brooch depicts the night, and so on.

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.

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: 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: 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.

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: 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.

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.