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.

Requests Sunday: Crown Princess Margaret's Egyptian Necklace

I missed the last two Requests Sunday (sorry for that) so, as promised, today we have three entries. The first article is dedicated to Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden's Egyptian Necklace - a piece that has been requested several times since Princess Lilian's death on 10 March.

Crown Princess Margaret's Egyptian Necklace

This interesting an unusual necklace is adorned with rubies, emeralds, diamonds and a sapphire, and decorated with scarabs. It was made by Jeweller Koch of Frankfurt in 1905. 

The necklace was a wedding gift to Margaret of Connaught from King Gustaf V of Sweden and Victoria of Baden on the occasion of Margaret’s marriage to their son, Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf (future Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden).

Egyptian Royal Jewels: Queen Nazli's Diamond Rose Necklace and Clips

The stunning set was commissioned by Queen Nazli of Egypt in 1938. 

Queen Nazli of Egypt's Diamond Roses Necklace

The demi-parure consisted of a necklace that featured two large roses and several leaves, pave-set with diamonds and in a platinum frame. There were also matching dress clips which could also be worn as hair ornaments. 

Along with quite a few other stunning pieces from the Queen’s jewellery collection, this set is believed to have been sold while Nazli was in exile in the United States during the reign of her son, Farouk I. Unfortunately, because of Egypt’s somewhat turbulent history, it is very hard to trace the fate of most of the royal jewels. 

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: 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: 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.

Requests Sunday: Empress Maria Feodorovna's Sapphire Parure

As promised, today I present you the most requested piece ever since I started this blog. Hope you'll enjoy it!

Empress Maria Feodorovna's Sapphire Parure

The Romanovs had one of the most impressive jewellery collections of all times. None of the current Houses, not even the British one, can match the splendour of the Romanov Court. One of the most interesting and, unfortunately, mysterious parures belonged to Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia, wife of Alexander III and mother of Nicholas II. 

The Empress is depicted wearing this parure (most of it anyway) of the famous portrait by Konstantin Makovsky. The sketch for the portrait was actually drawn at the wedding celebrations of Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, the daughter of Emperor Alexander II (and thus Maria Feodorovna’s sister-in-law) who married Prince Alfred, the son of Queen Victoria. 

Maria Feodorovna wearing her sapphire parure

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. 

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.

Dutch Royal Jewels: Princess Maxima's "Tutti Frutti" Set

One of the more unusual jewels in Princess Maxima’s collection is her Tutti Frutti set.

Maxima's Tutti Frutti Necklace

The name derives from the famous and very similar looking Cartier necklace created for Daisy Fellowes (a picture and brief description of that jewel is at the end of the article). 

Although the provenance of this necklace is unknown, it is almost certainly not Cartier: similar Cartier creations usually have a far higher price tag, and are generally very well-known.

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: 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 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: 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: 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: 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.