Will it be the Edwardian diamonds or the Victorian amethyst?
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| screencapture, Chris Jackson/Getty Images |
The Cullinan VI and VIII Brooch vs. The Kent Amethyst Brooch
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This dazzling brooch, which is extremely similar in design to the Cullinan V, features two stones cut from the famous diamond: the Cullinan VI, which is the marquise-shaped pendant, and the Cullinan VIII, which is set in the middle of the top portion of the brooch. This delicate brooch is worn more rarely than its Cullinan V counterpart, but the Queen occasionally brings it out for palace receptions.
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| RICHARD POHLE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images |
The brooch, which features diamond-set scrolls and sunrays in its design, is part of a suite of amethyst jewels that once belonged to Princess Viktoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, better known to history as the Duchess of Kent — and the mother of Queen Victoria. The entire set was designated as an heirloom of the crown by Victoria. Three small loops at the base of the brooch allow a trio of petite diamond and amethyst pendants to be suspended from the bottom of the piece. However, the Queen usually wears the brooch without these pendant drops.
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