Breaking Tiara News: Queen Máxima Wears the Stuart Tiara

It's the moment many have been waiting for since King Willem-Alexander took the throne: Queen Máxima wore the Stuart Tiara for the state banquet in Luxembourg tonight!

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It's a smaller version of that elusive Dutch big gun, to be clear; the setting has been lowered, the namesake pear-shaped Stuart Diamond has been removed from the top center with a smaller substitute in its place and other large diamonds from the top have been removed. Which was predictable, really; it is a massive tiara that comes with smaller settings, so easing into it is logical. Queen Máxima is wearing two of the removed large diamonds as earrings.  Read the tiara's full story here.

The Stuart Tiara in its full setting, as worn by Queen Juliana

There's the full version, as worn by Queen Juliana. The tiara was created for Queen Wilhelmina in 1897 and was regularly worn by Juliana, her daughter. Once Juliana's daughter, Beatrix, took over the throne, the tiara went unworn. Unworn for more than 40 years. Until now!

Royal reporter Rick Evers shared a fantastic video of the occasion, with some drool-worthy close ups and oh so much sparkle:

There is also a set of mega diamond jewels, the Stuart or House Diamond jewels, that Juliana wore with the Stuart Tiara. Máxima debuted the necklace from that set last year. Here, she wears the large bow brooch from the set, which she's used before. Her dress is a Jan Taminiau repeat.

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Also, other people were there! Let's do a quick sash check (left to right): Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume in the Order of Orange-Nassau from the Netherlands, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa in the Order of the Netherlands Lion, King Willem-Alexander in Luxembourg's Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau, Queen Máxima in the same, Grand Duke Henri in the Order of the Netherlands Lion, and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie in the Order of Orange-Nassau.

Blauw Bloed screencap. Click here for more sparkly video.

The Luxembourg ladies doubled up on their Elie Saab, Maria Teresa in a repeat and Stéphanie borrowing another dress from her mother-in-law's closet. The Hereditary Grand Duchess is giving us a double tiara appearance, technically, and a debut; she's wearing the Chaumet Diamond and Pearl Choker Tiara for the first time (without the pearls), and her sapphire and diamond necklace can also be used as a tiara.

Cour grand-ducale/Cyril Moreau

I must say, I'm a little disappointed in Maria Teresa when it comes to the tiara department. If there was ever a time for the Luxembourg Empire Tiara, right? Instead, the Grand Duchess stuck to her current favorite, the Belgian Scroll Tiara. Good thing her dress is divine, easily my favorite of the evening.

The Dutch arrived for their state visit to Luxembourg earlier today. The visit continues through Friday.

Royal Jewels of the Day: The Fife Tiaras at Kensington Palace

We updated the status of the Fife Tiara back in January here, after news broke in 2017 that the tiara had been given to the U.K. government in lieu of inheritance tax and was scheduled to be displayed at Kensington Palace. That display - part of the reopened Victoria Revealed exhibition - opens today (March 30) and includes not just the big diamond Fife Tiara but two other Fife family tiaras. And, well:

BE STILL MY HEART. You can check out our entry on the Fife Tiara's history here.

Historic Royal Palaces. Click to enlarge.

Here's what the exhibition press release has to say about it:

"The majestic Fife tiara, given to Queen Victoria’s granddaughter Princess Louise on her wedding day, is today considered one of the finest works produced by celebrated Parisian jeweller Oscar Massin, and represents the very zenith of tiara design. A gift from Louise’s husband the Duke of Fife, it comprises hundreds of diamonds ranging in weight from one to ten carats, and features a spectacular row of pear shaped ‘swing set’ diamonds, which would have dazzled onlookers when worn."

We also now have an opportunity to see those diamonds move:

But wait, there's more! As was also previously announced, the Fife estate has loaned Queen Victoria's Emerald and Diamond Tiara to the Victoria Revealed exhibit - plus its accompanying parure of a necklace, earrings, and brooch!

Historic Royal Palaces. Click to enlarge.

Historic Royal Palaces. Click to enlarge.

You can check out our last entry on the tiara here. And this is what the exhibition has to say:

"Comprising a magnificent diamond and emerald diadem, emerald necklace, earrings and brooch, this parure – or matching suite of jewels – showcases both the exquisite workmanship of nineteenth century goldsmiths, and Prince Albert’s own flair for design. Albert was fascinated by jewellery, and personally designed this dazzling headpiece for his wife. Created by the Queen’s Jeweller, Joseph Kitching, the tiara is set with cushion-shaped diamonds and step-cut emeralds, and surmounted by a graduated row of 19 inverted pear-shaped emeralds, the largest of which weighs an astonishing 15 carats. As a testament to Albert’s own creative talents, the pieces he designed for Victoria now constitute the only known examples of a tiara design by a consort for his Queen. Victoria, clearly delighted with the gift, wrote in her journal of her husband’s ‘wonderful taste’, and her delight at wearing this ‘lovely Diadem of diamonds and emeralds designed by my beloved Albert’.

Presented to Victoria in 1845, the tiara provided both the centrepiece and finishing touch to an existing emerald suite. It was created to complement a necklace formed of 9 oval emerald clusters, each set within a border of cushion-shaped diamonds, its accompanying pendant earrings and an impressive 20ct emerald and diamond brooch, all of which were gifts from Albert, and also go on display at Kensington Palace. Victoria would select these gems for Franz Xavier Winterhalter’s intimate 1846 painting of the royal family, for her son Prince Alfred’s christening (when she paired them with the lace from her wedding dress) and again for a striking Winterhalter portrait of 1859, which depicts the pieces in stunning detail."

A little glimpse of this tiara's sparkle, from The Jewellery Editor:

The way the light shines through those emeralds is absolutely magnificent.

And there's still more!

Historic Royal Palaces. Click to enlarge.

You can also see a classic diamond fringe from the Fife family, another piece that belonged to Princess Louise and was a gift from her parents on her marriage. Here's the press release description:

"Another of Louise’s jewels, a remarkable kokoshnik style tiara with graduated pavé-set rays of diamonds in white and yellow gold, takes inspiration from the cockscomb style headdresses of the Romanov court, and reflects the familial web created by Queen Victoria’s descendants throughout Europe; Louise could count the Emperor and Empress of Russia as cousins, while among her aunts were both the Dowager Empress and a Grand Duchess. A gift from her parents the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra), its clever construction means it could be worn as a tiara or converted into a necklace, and it became one of Louise’s favourite pieces of jewellery."

Princess Louise wears the fringe tiara

Both the fringe and the emerald tiara are on long-term loan from the estate of the 3rd Duke of Fife. Victoria Revealed runs at Kensington Palace throughout 2018.

Royal Jewels of the Day: Kate's Emerald Display

The Duchess of Cambridge decided to show off a little more from her jewel vault last night.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the BAFTA Awards.

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Emerald and diamond earrings with a matching necklace and bracelet! This is not an entirely new jewel debut. Recall, if you will, her visit to New York in 2014:

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At the St. Andrews 600th Anniversary Dinner

The earrings she wore to the BAFTAs appear to be the bottom portion of the earrings she wore in 2014. She also wore the bracelet back in 2014. The provenance of this set is not officially known, but a gift from a Middle Eastern royal - based on the style and size of the jewels - is my strongest guess. A wedding present, maybe, since that would have been her biggest opportunity to pick up a Middle East gift thus far in her royal life.

If I just leave it at the emeralds and don't talk about the dress color, can we call that good?

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Thing is, I found the notion that there should be any "controversy" should she choose to wear black in support of Time's Up in the first place to be a fairly infuriating thing. And I find myself unwilling to devote any more words to it than that. (But I'll end this back on a purely superficial note to say that, while the shape of this Jenny Packham dress is stunning, I'm not a fan of the dullness of this color with the vibrant emeralds. Funnily enough, they'd have looked amazing with black.)

Royal Jewels of the Day: Queen Máxima's Tutti Frutti Set

Just about ten years ago, Queen Máxima (then Princess Máxima) debuted one of the most interesting sets of jewelry in her collection.

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Princess Máxima debuts her Tutti Frutti set, 2007 

This demi-parure of a necklace and bracelet was sold at an auction at Christie's Amsterdam in March 2007. The bracelet was described as "a diamond set branch with carved ruby, emerald and sapphire buds and flowers" and sold for $34,791 (€26,400); the necklace is "composed of a graduated line of carved emerald, ruby and sapphire flowers and leaves suspended from a meandering diamond set seam to the carved flower and diamond clasp" and sold for $31,628 (€24,000). Acquired either for or by Queen Máxima (many have guessed a gift from her husband), both pieces appeared on her just a few weeks later. She first wore them with a hot pink dress for the celebrations of King Willem-Alexander's 40th birthday in April 2007.

 Queen Máxima's Tutti Frutti Necklace
Christie's

The pieces are in the Art Deco style popularized by Jacques Cartier in the 1920s and later named 'Tutti Frutti', which was inspired by India and utilized a signature combination of emeralds, rubies, and sapphires - often carved, or using a mix of cabochon and faceted stones - in natural designs. Máxima's demi-parure would be Tutti Frutti style as opposed to the original stuff made by Cartier; while the prices paid for this set are admittedly high, actual Cartier Tutti Frutti creations from its prime period can fetch record prices at auction.

 Queen Máxima's Tutti Frutti Bracelet
Christie's

Royal jewels in the Tutti Frutti style are a pretty rare sight these days. Queen Sofia has a set and Queen Elizabeth II has a brooch, both almost never worn. Queen Victoria Eugenia owned a Cartier Tutti Frutti bracelet made with diamonds, black enamel, and conch pearl, a rare color combination that made this bracelet one of the most important jewels created by Cartier in the inter-war years. It was sold in 2012 for over $3.4 million. We have previously featured the Mountbatten Tutti Frutti Bandeau, a Cartier piece in the signature three gemstone colors, now shown at the V&A Museum.

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Queen Máxima wears both necklace and bracelet, 2016

Of course it's the exuberant Queen Máxima that makes the most of this exuberant jewelry style; the lady certainly does know her way around a statement piece of jewelry. She wears the bracelet most, even sneaking it into the occasional day outfit, and uses the necklace less frequently. Perhaps it's because I'm prone to love a statement jewel in the first place, but I adore seeing these in action.  (And I can't help but hope that she might have something else for us as we approach King Willem-Alexander's 50th birthday next week...ah, wishful thinking.)

Tiara Thursday: The Habsburg Sapphire Parure (With Bonus Auction Treasures)

There are several interesting pieces with royal and noble heritage coming up for sale this month. A couple of the most impressive:

The Habsburg Sapphire Parure Tiara
Christie's

Christie’s is offering an in impressive set of sapphire and diamond jewelry with a somewhat confusing heritage (and I can only simplify here). The parure was sold in 1961 at Christie’s with notes stating that it came from Empress Marie Louise (1791-1847), the second wife of Napoleon I, and that it had been lastly worn by the Duchess of Habsburg-Lothringen. Marie Louise was a Habsburg, the daughter of Empress Francis II of Austria, and some of her jewels were left to her Habsburg relatives when she died. Today, however, these jewels are dated from after her death, but may have been created using stones that belonged to her.

Two brooches and a bracelet
Christie's

Parts of the parure are being sold in November: a 19th century tiara consisting of a sapphire and old-cut diamond scrollwork band with a detachable top of old-cut diamonds and pear-shaped sapphires, a bracelet with sapphires separated by diamond fleur de lys motifs, and two sapphire and diamond fleur de lys brooches. The same set was sold as separate lots in 2012 at Sotheby’s, when an ornate sapphire and diamond necklace and another fleur de lys brooch were also included. The fleur de lys motifs probably indicate a tie to the Bourbon dynasty.

The other brooch and necklace, auctioned in 2012
Sotheby's

When sold in 2012, these pieces were noted as the property of a German nobleman and the provenance listed an owner as German banker August von Finck (1898-1980) and thence by descent. In the current sale, they are listed as the property of a private collector. The tiara is estimated to sell for $30,449 to $50,748. (For more on the complex history of these pieces, see the tiara, the bracelet, and the brooches at Christie’s; the brooches at Sotheby’s from 2012. Royal Magazin offers a photo of the tiara in use.)


Also at auction this month, Sotheby’s offers some magnificent jewels with imperial Russian heritage.

Diamond Necklace
Sotheby's

Combined as one necklace today, this bow brooch and necklace band were originally two separate pieces. The bow probably dates from the 1760s; the band may date from around 1780 and has been altered over time. Both pieces were in Russia’s imperial collection until they were sold by the revolutionaries in 1925. They were then handled by dealers until purchased in 1960 for a private collection. The necklace was last sold in 2005. Its estimated price at this auction is $3,041,538 to $5,072,668. (See it at Sotheby’s here.)

Diamond Parure
Sotheby's

This set includes earrings, a necklace, and a brooch with cushion-shaped diamonds tinted in various colors. It dates from the late 19th century. The stones used here are alleged to have belonged to Empress Catherine I of Russia, wife of Peter the Great, and to have been part of the jewels given to Sultan Ahmed III of the Ottoman Empire to encourage the peace treaty ending the Russo-Ottoman War of 1710–11. The stones were later made into this necklace which was given to the wife of the Khedive Teufik of Egypt. Now listed as being sold from a European private collection, the pieces are noted as having been formerly in the collection of Her Imperial Highness Neslishah Abdel-Moneim. The set’s estimate is $3,041,538 to $5,072,668. (See it at Sotheby’s here.)

Video: More on these Russian jewels and their history

Tiara Watch of the Day: November 1

Tiaras were out in Norway last week, as the royal family held its annual gala dinner for the government. You will not be surprised to learn that it was a festival of repeats for the royal ladies.

Queen Sonja, King Harald, Princess Astrid, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit attend the Stortingsmiddag || October 27, 2016 #CrownPrincessMetteMarit #CrownPrinceHaakon #KronprinsHaakon #NorwegianRoyalFamily #NorskeKongehus #NorwegianRoyals #Norway #NorwayRoyalty #Norge #MetteMarit #Haakon #Oslo #PrincessMetteMarit #PrinceHaakon #PrincessAstrid #PrinsesseAstrid #Astrid #Stortingsmiddag #Norway2016 #2016 #Norge2016 #KingHarald #Kongen #KongHarald #Kongehuset #QueenSonja #DronningSonja #Sonja #Dronningen #Harald

A photo posted by Det Norske Kongehus (@norwegianroyalfamily) on Oct 28, 2016 at 12:05pm PDT

I, however, am continually surprised to learn that Queen Sonja has not yet tired of this gown of a thousand craft room scraps ruffles. (Okay, that's not surprise. That's just hope.) Unsurprisingly again, Queen Maud's Pearl and Diamond Tiara was her selection for the evening. Princess Astrid topped her repeated ensemble with the turquoise tiara passed down from Queen Alexandra.

Princess Astrid, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit attend the Stortingsmiddag || October 27, 2016 #CrownPrincessMetteMarit #CrownPrinceHaakon #KronprinsHaakon #NorwegianRoyalFamily #NorskeKongehus #NorwegianRoyals #Norway #NorwayRoyalty #Norge #MetteMarit #Haakon #Oslo #PrincessMetteMarit #PrinceHaakon #PrincessAstrid #PrinsesseAstrid #Astrid #Stortingsmiddag #Norway2016 #2016 #Norge2016

A photo posted by Det Norske Kongehus (@norwegianroyalfamily) on Oct 28, 2016 at 7:07am PDT

To her credit, Crown Princess Mette-Marit attempted to give her repeated navy blue outfit a little freshness by adding a sparkly green gown around the waist. I thought we were safe from the Christmas decorations for another couple weeks yet, but okay, fine. It is a great outfit for a belt, even a perplexing one.

VG screencap

She wore her Diamond Daisy Tiara, of course, which is small but packs a mighty sparkle (you can see it in this video). And - to my delight, a greater delight than seeing the tiara, really - she also wore a gorgeous pair of diamond chandelier earrings.

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These earrings have a touching royal history; they were originally a gift from the future King Olav V to his wife, Märtha, for their silver wedding anniversary in 1954. Sadly, Crown Princess
Märtha died very soon after, and never had a chance to enjoy the earrings. They've been passed down in the family since, and were given to Mette-Marit as a wedding gift. It's an extra special connection since her ruby and diamond engagement ring also originally belonged to Märtha.

She also wore the earrings in portraits released earlier this year. Jørgen Gomnæs / Det kongelige hoff

They're awfully pretty, wouldn't you agree? These should be in every Princess Starter Kit, perfect for a whole range of gala occasions. (Also, they should have Princess Starter Kits.)

Monday Tidbits for August 29: Queen Victoria's Coronet Changing Hands

Well, this is more of a Tidbit, singular. But hey, big tiara news:

--Queen Victoria's Sapphire Coronet has been sold (and sold again), and may leave the United Kingdom - unless a new buyer can be found that will keep it in the country. I have updated my entry on the tiara, so you can click here to read the piece's entire story. More on the current situation on the below...

Click all to enlarge. Photos: Department for Culture, Media & Sport

The sapphire and diamond coronet from Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, immortalized in a very famous Winterhalter portrait of Victoria, was given to Princess Mary, daughter of King George V and Queen Mary, as a wedding gift in 1922. Princess Mary's family sold quite a few of her jewels after her 1965 death, including the matching parure that accompanied Victoria's tiara. The Lascelles family held on to the tiara until sometime in the last few years, when they sold it to a London dealer. The dealer then sold it to an unnamed overseas buyer. That buyer applied for an export license, and that's where the whole process stopped...for now.

Due to the jewel's historical importance, the Culture Minister has placed a temporary export ban on the tiara, which allows extra time to find a buyer that would keep the tiara in the UK. The recommended cost to meet is £5 million (plus an additional £1 million VAT). The ban extends through December 27, 2016, and can be extended through the following July if a serious buyer is found.

The temporary export ban process has succeeded in keeping certain national treasures in the country in the past. The BBC has a rundown of a few items from Jane Austen's ring to a pricey car; on the hefty jewelry side, both a set of peridot jewelry given by the Prince Regent and the Mountbatten Tutti Frutti Bandeau were placed under the ban before ending up with the Victoria & Albert Museum. I am sure the V&A would love to have this coronet in their possession, and they may be the best option. Like many of you, I would love to see the royal family or the Royal Collection acquire this piece, but I won't be surprised if they choose to avoid such a public expenditure. We'll see what happens, and I hope that we can revisit the tiara entry with a happy ending sometime in the future. [BBC, V&A]

Tidbits is your place throughout the week to share things we haven't covered yet and for all your off topic chats. Enjoy!  

Royal Jewel of the Day: Queen Josephine's Diamond Stomacher

The Swedish royal jewel collection is home to some of the oldest royal jewelry still in use, and with their creativity, not even pieces that went out of fashion long ago need waste away in the vault. For example:

Queen Josephine's Diamond Stomacher
Frankie Fouganthin/CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)

Josephine of Leuchtenberg (1807-1876) came to Sweden thanks to her marriage to the future King Oscar I, and several pieces in the Swedish royal jewel collection came to Sweden thanks to Queen Josephine. She had a diamond stomacher, also called a devant de corsage, in a design of rosettes and a bow hung with multiple pendants; in the picture below, she wears it with pearls as pendants. (She's also wearing the pearl version of the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Parure Tiara.)

Queen Josephine and the stomacher with pearls

Diamond pendants were primarily used in the stomacher, three inside and one larger pendant at the bottom. Subsequent queens consort Victoria of Baden (1862-1930) and Louise Mountbatten (1889-1965) were also pictured wearing the stomacher.

Queen Victoria

Stomachers pretty much went out of fashion as time went on, but with a little jewel creativity and a slight reconfigure, this one's been kept in good use for many further decades.

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Princess Lilian wears Queen Josephine's Diamond Stomacher Necklace

With the addition of a diamond rivière, the large diamond devant de corsage became an even larger diamond necklace, and the necklace became a favorite of Princess Lilian (1915-2013). Lilian was the wife of King Carl Gustaf's uncle, Prince Bertil, and a much-loved member of the Swedish royal family. She showcased the necklace often and well.

Crown Princess Victoria in the necklace
Anna-Lena Ahlström, Kungahuset.se

Crown Princess Victoria wears Queen Josephine's Diamond Stomacher Necklace now. It's an unusual shape, one that seems to require special accommodation with gown necklines, which may be the reason she has only worn it a couple of times. She did show it off to perfection with an open neckline when she debuted it at Princess Madeleine's wedding in 2013 (below - you know I'll take any excuse to show that magnificent appearance again).

Victoria with the necklace and earrings
Frankie Fouganthin/CC BY-SA 3.0 

You may have noticed that the two smallest diamond pendants went missing when the stomacher became a necklace (you can see two empty hooks where they once hung in the close up at the top). Those were turned into a pair of diamond earrings, which Victoria is also wearing above. The earrings are favorites of Victoria's; Princess Sofia notably wore them on her wedding day.

Princess Sofia and the earrings
SVT

From one jewel into two stunning pieces? That's the jewel creativity of the Swedish royal family at its best, I say.

Royal Necklace of the Day (and a Programming Note): August 17

I'm bidding you adieu until Monday! I leave you with this parting gift:

Video: Queen Josephine's Natural Pearl and Diamond Necklace

Sotheby's sold Queen Josephine of Sweden and Norway's double row natural pearl and diamond necklace back in 2014, but I just stumbled across this video of the jewel recently. The necklace came to Queen Josephine (1807-1876) via her mother, Augusta, Duchess of Leuchtenberg (1788-1851); it is thought that Augusta received the jewel as a gift from her mother-in-law, Empress Joséphine (1763-1814). It eventually passed out of the main royal line and was sold more than once.

Josephine and her necklace (and the Cameo Tiara)

I'm honestly not much for pearls, but that video's trying hard to change my mind. I think I'm a little bit bewitched. The necklace sold for a whopping $3,426,669, so I'm clearly not the only one.

Royal Jewels of the Day: Princess Marie-Chantal's Diamond Infinity Hoop Earrings

There are a lot of items in Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece's jewel collection that I'd give a limb or two to have. These earrings are right up there at the top of the list.

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Featuring three tiers of diamond infinity-style loops, they're basically standard hoop earrings with the volume turned up to 11. They come from a jeweler whose entire style tends to turn the volume up to 11, JAR (Joel Arthur Rosenthal). The American-born and Paris-based jeweler is mysterious by design, operating with a limited clientele and a limited output; he reportedly reserves the right to refuse to sell items if he thinks they won't look good on the client. As a result, his pieces sell like hotcakes whenever they come up at auction. (Here's a Pinterest board devoted to his creations, a splendid way to waste some time.)

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Lucky Marie-Chantal has several gems from the acclaimed jeweler. (And she's not JAR's only royal customer; others include Princess Caroline and, most recently, Queen Máxima.) M-C wears her diamond infinity hoops with everything from hats to tiaras, and I love them each and every time.

Royal Jewels of the Day: The Princess Royal's Diamond and Pearl Floral Brooch and Grima Earrings

The Princess Royal is a member of the IOC, president of the British Olympic Association, and a former Olympian herself, so she's the British royal family's rep at the Rio Olympics. Her greatest challenge in Rio so far? Standing next to struggling Team GB flag bearer Andy Murray, it seems.

Andy Murray makes his flag-bearing debut for @TeamGB ... fails hilariously #Rio2016 https://t.co/0JFVXE1cSIhttps://t.co/lWdKrgU50t

— ITV News (@itvnews) August 4, 2016

She's a gem, so let's talk about some of her gems. (YES, I can and will turn anything and everything back to the jewels. Look for my upcoming feature, Tiaras That Remind Me of the Olympic Rings.)

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Wearing her Diamond and Pearl Floral Brooch and Grima Earrings, 2005

Once upon a time, a royal lady who was asked to christen a ship could count on receiving a nice jeweled bonus for her troubles. Princess Anne really cleaned up on that front in the 1960s and 1970s, receiving her lovely diamond Festoon Tiara as well as a handful of other jewels that have grown to be favorites over the years. Two of those jewels can be seen in the photo above.

When she christened the ship Esso Northumbria for the Esso Petroleum Company at the Swan Hunter Shipyard in 1969, Princess Anne received a pair of earrings with central pearls surrounded by gold and diamonds. They were the work of jeweler Andrew Grima, an artist who counted several members of the royal family as fans. The Queen still wears her Grima Ruby Brooch, which happens to be on display at the Palace of Holyroodhouse with the Fashioning a Reign exhibition at the moment.

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Earrings worn with the pendants, 1969

The earrings have detachable pendants, as you can see in the above photo, but today we see the Princess Royal using the stud portion only, and she does so frequently. (Respect the glory of that hair, kids. Take your time.)

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Sometimes she combines the Grima earrings with a diamond brooch, a spray with a flower of diamond petals and a pearl center. This brooch was also a gift from that 1969 ship christening, given by Swan Hunter. The floral brooch is more traditional in style, but the pieces are pulled together by their shared yellow gold setting. Something a little modern, something a little classic, and - combined with the many other pearls and gold jewels in her collection - two pieces to wear again and again. Like I said, she CLEANED. UP.

Royal Jewels of the Day: Diana's Collingwood Diamonds

Last week, I linked you to a Vogue feature on the new fashion exhibition at Kensington Palace. Several of you took special notice of a certain 1981 cover included in that feature, or so the sudden increase in questions about a certain diamond set would lead me to believe.

The fabulousness of those chandelier earrings and that antique necklace can't be ignored. But - unfortunately for those who asked about these gems in the hopes that they might see them one day on the Duchess of Cambridge - Diana did not own these jewels.

The cover comes from the official engagement portraits of Lady Diana Spencer and the Prince of Wales, which were taken by Lord Snowdon at Highgrove. The bride-to-be borrowed this suite of diamonds from Collingwood for the photos. (The excellent Diana's Jewels site points out that she also borrowed the necklace to attend a banquet at Claridge's during her engagement, for a state visit from the King of Saudi Arabia.) According to The Queen's Jewels by Leslie Field:

"Collingwood, who have been the Spencer family jewellers since Lady Diana was a girl, had wanted to present her with the diamond set as their wedding gift, but Palace officials ruled that such a valuable present would be improper. The necklace and earrings were subsequently offered for sale by an Iranian jeweller in Düsseldorf, Genio Hakimi, who claimed they were Spencer heirlooms that had been sold to pay for the wedding. He had bought them from an unscrupulous dealer who offered the engagement photograph as proof that the jewels were Spencer property."

The current whereabouts of the troublesome diamond suite are unknown. However, Collingwood did manage to give the new Princess of Wales a sparkling wedding gift in the end: these simple diamond and pearl drop earrings, which Diana wore often, and which were a perfect match for that famous tiara on loan from the Queen.

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Photos: Vogue/Snowdon/via Getty Images

Royal Jewel of the Day: Queen Alexandrine's Diamond and Sapphire Pendant Brooch

Princess Marie of Denmark - wife to Prince Joachim, daughter-in-law to Queen Margrethe, soon-to-be birthday girl (she turns 40 on February 6th!) - doesn't have too many jewels with royal family history behind them at her disposal. The tiara she has on loan from Queen Margrethe is the main one, and that's pretty much par for the course in the Danish royal family. But she does get to wear this brooch:

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2015: Princess Marie wears the brooch during the Dutch state visit

The focus in this brooch is on the ring of diamonds and sapphires that alternate around the edge, but perhaps the most impressive part is the large diamond cluster at the center. The jewel also has a removable diamond drop pendant. It can be worn as a brooch, or on a chain as a pendant necklace; Princess Marie has worn it with both a delicate chain and a more substantial necklace (seen in the last picture here).

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2007: Queen Margrethe wears the brooch, sans pendant, at the beginning of a Swedish state visit to Denmark

It dates back at least to Queen Alexandrine (1879-1952), wife of Christian X, and has passed down through the Danish royal family since then. Queen Margrethe was the last to use it before it was given or loaned to Princess Marie. Marie first wore it as a pendant to the New Year's gala banquet in 2010, so some have speculated that it was a present for the birth of Marie and Joachim's first child (much in the same way Queen Margrethe gave Crown Princess Mary an heirloom sapphire and diamond brooch after the birth of Prince Christian).

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2015: Worn as a pendant during Queen Margrethe's birthday celebrations

Much as Mary uses her heirloom, Marie exercises restraint in the use of her brooch. She wears it mainly for gala events and occasionally for special day events. I suppose there's something to be said for holding them for special occasions, but that sparkle...well, I'd find it hard to resist on a daily basis.

Photos: via Getty Images

Royal Jewels of the Day: The Danish Crown Pearls and Rubies

Queen Margrethe arrived at this year's New Year's Court banquet in Denmark in a flurry of fur and fabric, a burst of regal splendor that may have distracted you from one very valuable part of her ensemble: the pearl, ruby, and diamond set from the Danish crown jewels.

In Denmark, there are jewels that are privately owned by members of the royal family, there is a royal property trust (to which the Pearl Poire Tiara, also worn by Queen Margrethe last week, belongs), and there are the crown jewels. The crown jewels belong to the Danish state and are on public display at Rosenborg Castle. Four main sets of jewelry that can still be worn by the reigning queen are included in the crown jewels: an emerald and diamond tiara and accompanying parure, two sets of diamonds, and this set. Queen Margrethe borrows the jewels from Rosenborg for special occasions, but they cannot be worn outside of Denmark.

The set from the crown jewels, including earrings and a stomacher that can be worn in different configurations

The necklace of nineteen large pearls is the oldest piece in the collection, dating back to the 1600s. It belonged to Queen Charlotte Amalie (1650-1714), the wife of Christian V, but the necklace's roots might have a more scandalous flair: in the documentary De Kongelige Juveler*, Queen Margrethe mentions speculation that the pearls may have belonged to Leonora Christina, Countess Ulfeldt (1621-1698), who was imprisoned in the royal dungeon without trial for more than 20 years by Frederik III, her half-brother.

Leonora Christina, wearing a pearl necklace like the one in the crown jewels

Married off to Count Corfitz Ulfeldt in a political move by her father, her husband turned out to be a nefarious character (his Wikipedia entry doesn't hold back: "Commonly known and recognized as the most notorious traitor in Danish history."), and the couple were fugitives on the run after her half-brother took the throne. (Her Wiki entry also brings the intrigue: "She sometimes spent weeks disguised as a man, once fending off arrest from Danish pursuers at gunpoint, and another time the caresses of an infatuated barmaid, the latter proving the more difficult to escape.") Her eventual capture led to her lengthy imprisonment, from which she was released only after the death of her archenemy, Queen Sophie Amalie. The jewels confiscated from her may or may not have included these pearls.

Video: Queen Margrethe wears the pearl necklace with other jewels at the gala banquet for her 40th jubilee in 2012

After centuries worn by successive Danish queens, the pearls have seen their share of history with or without the speculative Leonora Christina connection. They had lost their luster after years without use when Queen Ingrid (1910-2000, wife of Frederik IX and mother to Queen Margrethe) began to wear them. As told by Queen Margrethe in the aforementioned documentary, Ingrid brought them back to life by borrowing them to wear at night next to her skin, and the necklace has been in regular use ever since. The design of the rest of the set, which includes more pearls and adds in diamonds and rubies, was finalized in 1840 by jeweler C.M. Weisshaupt for Queen Caroline Amalie (1796-1881, consort of Christian VIII).

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Queen Margrethe wearing the set for her 75th birthday banquet in 2015

Queen Margrethe is very creative with her jewels, and she's worn this parure in many ways. The stomacher can be used as different pieces, a flexibility that allows her to wear it as a brooch in different sizes and with pieces attached to the pearl necklace. She has used the necklace with different brooches, and has combined it with different tiaras at her disposal, usually selecting the Pearl Poire Tiara or the Floral Aigrette Tiara. The necklace especially has become a staple of her important event wardrobe, and appearances have included the wedding of Prince Joachim and Alexandra Manley, the gala performance before the wedding of the Crown Prince couple, jubilee dinners, and her recent 75th birthday banquet. With a history this rich, it's easy to see the appeal.

*Several of you have asked about De Kongelige Juveler (The Royal Jewels), since it is not always available to stream online. SBS in Australia aired the English version of the documentary and they sell a DVD of the program, which you can purchase here. (Obviously, you'll need to make sure the DVD format is compatible.)

Photos: via Getty Images, Kongehuset, DKKS/Rosenborg Slot, DR video, Wikimedia Commons

Royal Earrings of the Day: December 1

These eye-catching earrings from the Swedish jewel vault happen to be impressive on both the diamond scale and the historical scale, like many other items in the family collection. Their rose-cut diamond teardrop frames are particularly reminiscent of a versatile pair of earrings in the British collection, but the Swedish version features more detailed pendants with briolette diamonds dangling inside.

The Vasa Earrings were a gift to Princess Victoria of Baden (1862-1930) when she married the future King Gustaf V of Sweden in 1881, but that was not their first connection with Sweden. The earrings are said to have been associated with Frederica of Baden (1781-1826), wife of Gustaf IV Adolf. He was forced to abdicate in 1809 and the earrings left Sweden too, until Queen Carola of Saxony (granddaughter of Gustaf IV Adolf and Frederica) gave them to Victoria for her wedding. Members of the Vasa dynasty were early rulers of Sweden, and Victoria was a descendant of the house.

The earrings have remained in the Swedish royal family ever since, and have been worn by several family members both with and without the pendants (though I think they look a bit, well, empty as plain frames). Princess Madeleine has given these earrings their greatest showcase in recent years, wearing them for events such as Crown Princess Victoria's pre-wedding dinner, Prince Carl Philip's wedding, and at her own wedding. They must be heavy to wear and they aren't favorites of Queen Silvia or Crown Princess Victoria, so I always cheer a bit to see Madeleine take them out for a spin. They're big and delicate all at once, and their history deserves to be shown off.

Photos:  Bengt Nyman via Wikimedia Commons (1 cropped, 2), Kungahuset, DR

Royal Jewels of the Day: November 13

One of the things that fascinates me most about the Swedish royal jewel collection is that it is not only large, but it contains a large number of pieces with some serious royal history behind them. Even the buttons from the much-maligned Button Tiaras are centuries old, and they're among the most frequently shared tiaras. As we approach the annual outing which (hopefully) will bring many of those illustrious jewels out to play - the Nobel Prize festivities in December - here's another long-standing member of the collection:

The family's best set of emeralds can trace its roots back to the first Bernadotte king, Carl XIV Johan (1763-1844). It started out, believe it or not, as a belt - a very fancy belt for a very fancy military uniform. The emeralds are mentioned in the first inventory of the Bernadotte Family Foundation completed in 1844. Today, most of the belt is used as a necklace made of plaques of different shaped emeralds surrounded by delicate diamond designs. To go with the necklace, the set includes two brooches, one large (the former belt buckle) and one small.

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With just the necklace and brooches in the set, the emeralds are usually paired with diamond earrings and a diamond tiara (Princess Sofia's Emerald and Diamond Tiara is the only emerald tiara in the family at this time). Carl Gustaf's mother, Princess Sibylla, was fond of wearing them with the Connaught Tiara; pictured above, Princess Lilian (far right) paired them with the Baden Fringe Tiara at the Nobel Prize ceremony in 1976.

At Nobel time, Crown Princess Victoria has been slowly debuting new-to-her pieces from the jewels usually reserved for Queen Silvia for the past few years. In 2012, she wore the emeralds for the first time with the Four Button Tiara (and a green sequined Elie Saab gown, for the complete Kermit effect). She also got creative with the large brooch by attaching it to the back of her elaborate updo.

View image | gettyimages.com

The Bernadotte emeralds are mostly worn by Queen Silvia these days, who has had the necklace shortened. Silvia has a couple smaller modern sets of emerald and diamond jewelry that she uses for most of her emerald needs, so we don't see the grand green stones used too often. But it is a treat whenever we do, because this is one of the most important royal emerald sets out there.

Photos: SVT/Nobel Prize screencaps/Swedish royal house/via Getty Images

Royal Jewels of the Day: November 2

The Duchess of Cambridge's recent blue topaz and diamond chandelier earrings drew understandable comparisons to a pair of aquamarine earrings in the collection of Crown Princess Mary. So, since I never miss an opportunity to talk sparkles...

The gemstone most associated with Crown Princess Mary is probably the ruby, thanks to that large and newly flexible Danish Ruby Parure. But the second must be the aquamarine, because the aforementioned earrings are just part of a group of those blue-green stones she wears frequently, and that group includes some of the more important pieces in her personal collection. These jewels were presents from Crown Prince Frederik.

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2006

The first pieces of her aquamarine collection debuted during her engagement (and for this reason, many have speculated that they could have been Frederik's engagement presents to her). These included earrings with a single pear-shaped aquamarine surrounded by diamonds and a necklace with a rectangular aquamarine surrounded by sapphires on a five strand pearl choker with sapphire spacers. The combination of stones is unusual but effective, adding subtle dimension and a subtle modern touch to what could have been a rather old-fashioned jewel. The choker was first worn at a state banquet during the Romanian state visit in March 2004.

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2015

Several months after their wedding, in September 2004, the larger earrings debuted. Each has five aquamarines, a mix of oval and pear-shaped stones surrounded by diamonds in a modern chandelier setting. In addition to these pieces, Mary has a ring with a very large aqua stone (seen below) and a bracelet with more pale blue stones that has been worn with the rest.

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2009

The Crown Princess seems to love her husband's gifts - she wears them frequently, anyway - and they look lovely with the pale blue sash of the Order of the Elephant. Aquamarine is also a pretty smart add to her collection, considering it is not an option plentiful elsewhere in the Danish jewel vaults. All she needs now is (say it with me...): an aquamarine tiara!

Photos: DR, via Getty Images