The Court Jeweller

Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

The Sunday Ring: Gina Lollobrigida’s Emerald Ring

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Gina Lollobrigida’s emerald ring is displayed ahead of a 2013 auction at Sotheby’s
[Photo: Oli Scarff/Getty Images]

Dame Elizabeth Taylor wasn’t the only famous actress with a penchant for major bling. Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida, who reached the height of her international fame in the ’50s and ’60s, sold off numerous pieces of her jewelry at Sotheby’s in 2013. The auction included today’s piece, a stunning diamond and emerald ring by Bulgari.

Close-up: Gina Lollobrigida’s emerald ring
[Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images]

The lot notes from the auction describe the ring as follows: a “step-cut emerald weighing 16.62 carats, framed by two rows of brilliant-cut diamonds.” The ring was made by Bulgari in 1964.

Gina Lollobrigida wears her Bulgari emerald jewels, including the ring, in 1967
[Photo: Clive Limpkin/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images]

Lollobrigida acquired the ring in the 1960s. She also owned other pieces of emerald jewelry from Bulgari, including a pair of diamond and emerald earrings and a distinctive diamond and emerald brooch. She’s wearing all three pieces in the photograph above, which dates to June 1967. You’ll note the ring on her left hand. The brooch is fastened to her Pucci headband.

Gina Lollobrigida’s emerald ring is modeled before its 2013 auction at Sotheby’s
[Photo: Oli Scarff/Getty Images]

Lollobrigida is still alive today, but she’s largely given up the spotlight in favor of a quieter life as a sculptor. In April 2013, she auctioned off numerous pieces of her jewelry, including various Bulgari gems, to help raise money for stem cell research. This ring sold for approximately $181,000, just above the high end of the auction estimate. After the sale, Lollobrigida explained, “It now gives me great pleasure to see that these jewels will create a legacy which will live on after me and continue to do good.”

The Lannoy Tiara

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Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie of Luxembourg wears the Lannoy Tiara on her wedding day
[Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images]

Some royal wedding tiaras are grand; some are a bit more subdued. Today’s tiara, the Lannoy Tiara, falls into the latter category. One of the world’s newest royals wore this petite diamond tiara at her 2012 wedding. Countess Stéphanie of Lannoy chose to wear her family’s tiara on the day she married Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg, rather than one of the showstopping diamond tiaras from her new royal family’s extensive collection.

The Lannoy Tiara
[Photo: Grand-Ducal Court of Luxembourg via Getty Images]

The Lannoy tiara may be smaller than some, but it is absolutely jam-packed with diamonds — almost 300 of them! — including the large pear-shaped diamond that sits atop the sparkler. The piece features delicate floral designs supporting that large, eye-catching diamond. The tiara is constructed using a millegrain technique.

The Lannoy Tiara
[Photo: Grand-Ducal Court of Luxembourg via Getty Images]

The tiara was made in 1878 by Altenloh, a Belgian jewelry firm that also supplied pieces to other Belgian royals and aristocrats. The small sparkler was also worn by Stéphanie’s sisters and sisters-in-law at their weddings, so by choosing the tiara, she was continuing the Lannoy family tradition.

The Lannoy Tiara flips backward on Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie of Luxembourg’s wedding day
[Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images]

The size and design of the tiara apparently makes it difficult to properly anchor, however. On Stéphanie’s wedding day, the tiara flipped backward, as it was only fastened to her hairdo at either end. Because the piece lacks the velvet-lined base that many royal tiaras have, there appears to be no reliable way to adequately secure the center of the piece to the wearer’s hair.

A view of the back of the Lannoy Tiara, worn by Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie of Luxembourg on her wedding day
[Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images]

Beyond tradition, the wearing of her family’s tiara was yet another way for Stéphanie to remember her mother, who died shortly before the wedding. And now that she’s the wife of the heir, she’ll have plenty of time to pilfer through her new family’s tiara stash. Indeed, she’s worn several of the family’s sparklers since her wedding day, plus a new diamond tiara of her own.

Note: This is an updated version of an earlier post, with new text/images.