The Court Jeweller

Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

This Week in Royal Jewels: March 20-26

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March 20-26, 2015
Royal tours brought out the bling this week — be sure to vote for your favorites in the poll!
10. Queen Letizia of Spain had planned for these simple earrings to be a part of the first event of a state visit to France this week; however, the visit was cut short after a German aircraft flying from Barcelona tragically crashed in the French Alps.

9. Catching up with an event from last week, Princess Anne wore gold and pearl jewelry during her visit to the Philippines on March 17.
8. Last Thursday, Princess Caroline wore major earrings to visit an art exhibition in Monte Carlo.
7. Queen Elizabeth II wore a familiar jewel — one of Queen Victoria’s diamond bow brooches — for a visit to Kent on Thursday.
6. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden wore glittering earrings during the second day of her visit to South Korea.
5. On Monday, Queen Sofia of Spain wore pearls to visit the Basilica of Santa Teresa in Salamanca.
4. While viewing an exhibition of her gowns on Wednesday, Queen Margrethe II wore a large modern brooch. She worn it on previous occasions, including during one of her addresses to the nation.
3. As the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall wrapped up their American visit on Friday in Louisville, Camilla wore one of my favorite pieces from her jewelry box: her triple strand of pearls with the Art Deco-style clasp.
2. Queen Maxima was her usual exuberant self during a visit to Germany on Friday, decked out in diamonds with exaggerated hoop earrings and a dragonfly brooch.
1. We’ve got a brand-new addition to the Queen’s jewelry collection this week! Elizabeth II wore a new brooch on Friday for the re-dedication of HMS Ocean, the largest Royal Navy warship. HM is the Lady Sponsor of the ship, and the brooch (which is designed to echo the design of badge of the ship) was a gift from the ship’s captain and officers.

The Top Ten: Royal Aquamarines

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It’s no surprise that royal ladies around the world have an affection for aquamarines, the clear and bright gemstone beloved by those born in March. Here are my top ten royal aquamarine jewels — add your list in the comments below!

10. Alexandra Feodorovna’s Aquamarine Brooch

An engagement present from Nicholas II of Russia to his future wife, Alix of Hesse, this lovely brooch features a large Siberian aquamarine. He purchased the piece in St. Petersburg at Fabergé and presented it to Alix in August 1894. Today, it’s in the collection at Wartski’s in London.

9. Queen Fabiola’s Aquamarines

The late Belgian queen frequently wore a number of pieces of aquamarine jewelry at gala events, including a pair of delicate drop earrings, a pendant, and the aquamarine-studded version of her wedding gift tiara.

8. The Dutch Aquamarine Parure

It’s hard to think of a better word than “fun” for the exuberant suite of aquamarines owned by the Dutch royals, from the sparkling briolettes of the tiara to the gorgeous aquamarine pendant often worn suspended from a brooch.

7. The Countess of Wessex’s Aquamarine Tiara

We looked earlier this year at the numerous aquamarine pieces worn by the Countess of Wessex; my favorite is the diamond and aquamarine tiara lent to her by her mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II.

6. The Swedish Aquamarine Kokoshnik

This gorgeous aquamarine kokoshnik, which also has a matching brooch, is often worn by the king’s sisters, Margaretha and Christina; it was also worn by their mother, Princess Sibylla.

5. Crown Princess Mary’s Aquamarine Girandole Earrings

The future Danish queen owns a number of aquamarine pieces, including this lovely pair of girandole earrings, which pair well with both white-tie glitter and more subdued gala dress.

4. The Luxembourg Aquamarine Parure

The grand ducal family of Luxembourg keeps this set of aquamarine jewels, which also includes a fabulous Art Deco-style aquamarine bandeau, in their palace vault.

3. The Queen Mother’s Aquamarine Brooch

Worn today by Queen Elizabeth II, this lovely diamond and aquamarine brooch is probably a set of double clips. The Queen Mother began wearing it in the 1930s.

2. The Brazilian Aquamarine Parure

In terms of sheer aquamarine brightness and power, it’s tough to outclass Queen Elizabeth II’s suite of aquamarine jewelry, given to her at various times during her reign by the people of Brazil.

1. Queen Ena’s Aquamarines

Worn most recently in public by Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg, these astonishing aquamarine jewels were originally owned by Queen Ena of Spain, Sibilla’s great-grandmother. The tiara has since been remade, but the briolette aquamarine drops are as sparkling as ever.

Saturday Sparkler: The Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Fringe Tiara

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Today’s tiara, one of the flashiest fringes around, belongs to the princely family of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. The SWBs are prominent in today’s discussions about royalty mainly because the current princess, Benedikte, is the sister of both Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and the former Queen Anne-Marie of Greece. She married Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg in 1968, and she’s the current wearer of the tiara.

The family’s fringe tiara is from two generations earlier. It was made for Prince Richard’s grandfather (also named Richard) by Koch in 1905. He gave the tiara to his new bride, Princess Madeleine of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg (so many place names, this family), who bequeathed the tiara to her grandson, Prince Richard, in 1976.

Princess Benedikte regularly trots out this tiara at major royal events; it is also one of the few tiaras that she has not shared with her daughters, Princess Alexandra and Princess Nathalie, or her de facto daughter-in-law, Carina Axelsson. Don’t feel too bad for them, though: Benedikte also inherited some fabulous tiaras from her mother, Queen Ingrid, and she’s been generous in letting her family members wear those.

But there’s also an interesting question about this tiara lurking in the background: when Gustav succeeds his father as the head of the family, will his partner be able to wear it? Carina and Gustav have not been able to marry, because his great-grandfather’s will stipulates that, to inherit the title, he must marry a Protestant woman who is also both noble and, ugh, Aryan. (I shudder even typing that — you can probably guess when the will was made.) They’ve tried to fight the will in court, but it’s not been successful. Even so, I wouldn’t be surprised if one day Carina wears the tiara, in part to demonstrate that Gustav considers her his princess, even if she can’t actually be one.