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.