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: 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. 

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.

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. 

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.

British Royal Jewels: Cullinan IX Ring

The smallest of the nine numbered stones is a pear-shaped diamond weighing 4.4 carats set in a ring with a claw setting. Cullinan IX is also the only one cut in a form known pendeloque, or stepped pear-shape.

Cullinan IX diamond set into a platinum ring

In 1911, Queen Mary commissioned Garrad & Co to set the stone into a platinum ring, in which form it has remained ever since. Queen Elizabeth inherited the ring, along with the other Cullinans, upon Queen Mary’s death in 1953. 

British Royal Jewels: Cullinan VII Diamond

Cullinan VII is an 8.8 carat marquise diamond, one of the nine numbered stones from the Cullinan Diamond. It is detachable for use with the Cullinan VIII Brooch, as an alternative to the larger marquise pendant, Cullinan VI.

The Delhi Durbar Necklace with Cullinan VII suspended from it on a detachable chain

The diamond is suspended as an asymmetrical pendant on a detachable chain of ten graduated brilliant diamonds (along with a similar emerald pendant) from the magnificent Delhi Durbar Necklace which incorporated nine of the celebrated Cambridge emeralds.

British Royal Jewels: Cullinan VI and VIII Brooch

Cullinan VI is the large of the two Cullinan marquise-cut diamonds (the smaller one being Cullinan VII) and weighs 11.5 carats. Its setting is very similar to Cullinan V: a marquise pendant set on a fine radiating platinum web in symmetrically scrolling and foliate millegrain and pavé-set brilliant border.

Cullinan VI and VIII Brooch

It is differs from the other stones in that it was purchased by King Edward VII from Asscher in 1908 as a gift for Queen Alexandra. The other stones were gifts to Edward VII from Transvaal (Cullinans I and II), and to Queen Mary from South Africa (Cullinans III, IV, V, VII, VIII, and IX).

British Royal Jewels: Cullinan V Brooch (The Heart-Shaped Diamond)

Cullinan V was one among the Cullinan diamonds given to Queen Mary by the Government and People of South Africa in memory of the Inauguration of the Union in June 1910.

Cullinan V Brooch (The Heat-Shaped Diamond Brooch)

The unusual heart-shaped stone is the sixth of the numbered stones from the great Cullinan diamond. It weighs 18.8 carats and is mounted in a fine radiating platinum web, in symmetrically scrolling and foliate millegrain and pavé-set brilliant border.

British Royal Jewels: Cullinan III and IV Brooch (Granny's Chips)

The brooch consists of the third and fourth largest stones cut from the great Cullinan– the largest diamond ever found. Cullinan III is a 94.4-carat pear-shaped diamond, while Cullinan IV is a 63.6-carat cushion shaped Cullinan IV.

Cullinans III and IV Brooch (Granny's Chips)

After the Cullinan was cut into smaller pieces, two of the largest stones – Cullinan I and Cullinan II – were officially presented to King Edward VII (a gift from the Government of Transvaal). The King also purchased Cullinan VI in a separate transaction for his wife, Queen Alexandra.

The remaining numbered stones (Cullinans III, IV, V, VII, VIII and IX), along with 96 smaller stones remains with the Asscher as a commission. In 1910, the South African Government acquired the stones and presented them to Queen Mary.

British Royal Jewels:Cullinan II Diamond (The Second Star of Africa)

The Cullinan II is the second largest diamond cut from the original Cullinan stone, which had been discovered in South Africa in 1905.

Cullinan II or the Second Star of Africa

The Second Star of Africa is a cushion-shaped diamond which weights 317.4 carats (63.48 g). It is currently the fourth largest polished diamond in the world.

The first setting of the stones was a temporary one; together with Cullinan I, it was mounted as a brooch for Queen Alexandra. After Edward VII’s death in 1910, the new King commissioned Garrard to incorporate the diamond into the existing Crown Regalia, which had been Edward VII’s original intention as well.

British Royal Jewels: Cullinan I Diamond (The Star of Africa)

Cullinan I or the Star of Africa is the largest of the Cullinan Diamonds cut from the original Cullinan stone, which had been discovered in South Africa in 1905.

The Cullinan I Diamond on its own (left) and mounted in the Sceptre (right)

The Star of Africa is colourless, pear-shaped, and weights 530.2 carats (106.1 g). For many years, it had been the largest polished diamond in the world until the 1985 discovery of the Golden Jubilee Diamond, which weights 545.67 carats (109.13 g). Cullinan I still remains the largest colourless diamond in the world though: the Golden Jubilee one has a yellow-brown colour. Incidentally, both diamonds were discovered at the same mine – the Premier Mine in South Africa.