British Royal Jewels: Queen Elizabeth's Jardine Star Brooch

The Jardine Star Brooch is one of the Queen's most frequently worn jewels of late.

The Jardine Star Brooch

Very little is actually known about this jewel. The scarce information that we do possess comes mainly from Leslie Field’s ‘The Queen’s Jewels’: "In 1981 the Queen was left a late-Victorian diamond star brooch by Lady Jardine, which she has worn on many occasions. It has a collet diamond on a knife-wire between each of its eight points." 

Lady Jardine was a Scottish aristocrat, a member of the old Clan Jardine of Scotland; most probably, she was the wife of the Chief of the Clan. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be more information about this lady, or reasons why she chose to leave the brooch to the Queen.

Jewel of the Day - March 31: The Queen wears the Jardine Star Brooch

We début our “Jewel of the Day” series with one of the Queen’s most worn brooches as of late. For today’s Sunday Easter Service, the Queen wore the beautiful Jardine Star brooch.

The Jardine Star Brooch is a late-Victorian diamond star brooch, which was gifted to Queen Elizabeth by Lady Jardine in 1981. More on the brooch here - Queen Elizabeth's Jardine Star Brooch.

Don't forget to check the other jewels worn by Queen Elizabeth in 2013 (so far), which includes a handy "Leaderboard" of her brooches! At this point, the Gold Dahlia Brooch is in the lead, although the Jardine Star isn't far behind!

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: Queen Elizabeth’s Engagement and Wedding Rings

We don’t get to see much of the Queen’s Engagement Ring because it is usually hidden under her trademark white gloves. Every woman’s engagement ring is special but the Queen’s ring is among her most important jewels sentiments-wise because of its provenance as well.

Queen Elizabeth's Engagement Ring

When Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten proposed to Princess Elizabeth, he presented her with a simple yet timeless ring: a 3 carat diamond solitaire as a centrepiece, flanked by five smaller diamonds on each side, all set in platinum. 

Princess Alice wearing the tiara diamonds from which were used to create Queen Elizabeth's engagement ring

The diamonds were taken from a tiara owned by Prince Philip’s mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg. Prince Philip personally designed the ring which was eventually created by London jeweller Philip Antrobus LTD.

Jewels worn by Queen Elizabeth in 2013 (so far)

Most of the times, the Queen wears the same jewellery with the exception of her trademark brooches, which she does change quite often. Inevitably, that means the main focus will be on the brooches, with occasional surprises during State Banquets and similar events.

Worn at all events unless otherwise mentioned

Queen Mary’s Ladies of Devonshire Earrings
Wedding and Engagement Rings
Three-Strand Pearl Necklace

January 
Amethyst Bouquet Brooch for a Church Service at Sandringham on January 6
Trefoil Brooch for a Church Service at Sandringham on January 13
Delhi Durbar Emerald Brooch for a Church Service at Sandringham on January 20
Jardine Star Brooch for a meeting of the Sandringham Women's Institute on January 24
Grapes Brooch for a Church Service at Sandringham on January 27

And the the last regular feature...

As some of you might have noticed, I was a bit inactive during this past week. Firstly, my apologies for that, especially to all of you guys who submitted requests for Requests Sunday. I know I've missed two of those in a row, but I'll make up with not one but three entries this Sunday. I am also a bit behind the Focus On... series dedicated to the Duchess of Cornwall's jewels. Again, sorry for that!

My inactivity was mainly due to the fact I was busy reorganising my notes and personal pictures database to introduce the latest and, at this point, final regular feature of this blog - Jewel of the Day.

The title pretty much sums it up, really: it will introduce jewels as and when worn by royal ladies. If the said jewel doesn't already have a post dedicated to it, one will be promptly made (which is one I needed to bring my notes into order). Now, covering all ladies of all Royal Houses would be pretty much impossible, so the main focus of this feature will be British royal ladies (mainly, the Queen and the Duchess of Cornwall), with occasional honorary mentions from other Royal Houses.

Since we are nearing the end of March, and there have already been quite a few appearances by royals, I'll sum them up in a post that will follow this one, while all new jewellery sightings will get a much more detailed notice.

Jewel of the Day will join Focus On... and Requests Sunday as a regular feature of this blog. Just as a reminder, Focus On... is dedicated to the jewellery collection of an individual, a Royal House or a branch of a Royal House, while Requests Sunday covers jewels you want to see.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the regular features and the blog in general! :)
As usual, if you have any questions or requests, just send me a message: I'll try to respond as soon as possible.

Artemisia

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.

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: 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: Van Cleef & Arpels Ballerina Brooch

The Duchess of Cornwall has quite a few stunning pieces from Van Cleef & Arpels but my favourite among her collection is this lovely ballerina brooch.

In the 1940s, Van Cleef & Arpels created widely-copied, beautiful ballerina brooches. The inspiration for this High Jewellery collection was the collaboration between Claude Arpels and the renowned choreographer George Balanchine, which gave rise to the ballet Jewels in 1967. 

Van Cleef & Arpels Ballerina Brooch

An ode to femininity, the ballet series is dedicated to three exceptional gemstones and three different styles of ballet: emeralds with Fauré, rubies with Stravinsky, and diamonds with Tchaikovsky. 

Focus on... Camilla's Jewels: Pearl and Aquamarine Choker

One of the Duchess of Cornwall favourite pieces is undoubtedly her aquamarine choker.

The Duchess of Cornwall's Aquamarine Choker

The three-string pearl choker features a spectacular detachable step-cut aquamarine pendant with brooch fitting. The aquamarine nests in an elaborate yellow gold scrollwork frame which also features ten brilliants.

The provenance of the choker was long disputed; some said it was a gift from the Prince Charles, while others claimed she got it from her first husband, Andrew Parker Bowles. However, it was eventually revealed that the choker is actually a family heirloom which the Duchess had inherited from her mother, the Honourable Rosalind Cubitt.