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: 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.

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: The Queen’s Cartier Lily Brooch

This jewel is the lesser famous of the Queen’s Lily Brooches (the more well-known sister being the Flame Lily Brooch) created by Cartier in 1939.

Ever since Edward VII issued a royal warrant to Cartier in 1904, it has designed many fabulous pieces for the British Royal Family. So many in fact that by 1937 the firm held 589 (!) loose diamonds on behalf of Queen Elizabeth (The Queen Mother).

The Cartier Lily Brooch

Not knowing what to do with that quantity of loose brilliants, jewellers at Cartier decided to create a contemporary ornament. A working sketch of the jewel made in 1938 suggests their plan had attained royal approval. Cartier used 197 diamonds from the Queen’s collection and supplied further 52 stones to create the Lily Brooch.