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.

This Week in Royal Jewels: March 13-19

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March 13-19, 2015
From state visits to animal shelters, royal jewelry was popping up all over the map this week!
10. The Duchess of Cambridge capped off a bejeweled week on Wednesday, wearing her new Kiki McDonough morganite drop earrings to visit the Brookhill Children’s Centre. Earlier in the week, she wore her citrine drops with a golden shamrock brooch on St. Patrick’s Day and debuted a new tanzanite set at St. Paul’s Cathedral.

9. Queen Elizabeth II, a noted animal lover, visited the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home on Tuesday. She wore her daytime pearls and her golden sunflower brooch for the occasion. Earlier in the week, we saw her in one of Queen Victoria’s brooches at St. Paul’s.

8. King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain ventured out to the Royal Theatre in Madrid on Friday night. Letizia wore a pair of earrings by Yanes, featuring three mother-of-pearl drops suspended from diamonds set in white gold.

7. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are in Washington, D.C. this week. For a private reception on Wednesday evening, Camilla selected jewels that have become the workhorses of her collection: her diamond and pearl earrings and a pearl choker with a diamond clasp. (As an aside: I LOVE the cape!) She wore the same jewels during Wednesday’s daytime engagements:

Don’t get me wrong: I love Camilla’s pearls. But the jewel lover in me would also love to see her play around a bit more with some of the other pieces in her collection — and I’d especially like to see just a bit more bling for evening. At least a little differentiation between day/night jewels would be great. After all — she also wore the earrings earlier in the week at St. Paul’s.

6. We’ve finally got a better look at Princess Benedikte’s jewels from this week’s Dutch/Danish state banquet. Serious glitter in the form of the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Fringe Tiara and the diamond necklace she received from Queen Ingrid! And here’s a look at her jewelry from the return dinner.

5. The Dutch visit to Denmark continued this week with a return dinner at the Black Diamond in Copenhagen. Princess Marie wore major earrings on the day; earlier this week, at the state banquet, she wore Princess Dagmar’s floral tiara.

4. Crown Princess Mary was also at the return dinner and also chose a gigantic pair of earrings; they were a contrast to the relatively simple jewelry she chose for the state banquet, including her wedding tiara.

3. The Dutch and Danish royals weren’t the only ones in state visit mode this week: the Norwegians welcomed the Latvian president to Oslo and brought out the tiaras. Queen Sonja wore the full version of Queen Maud’s Pearl Tiara 2.0, while Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore the family’s amethyst parure.

2. Queen Margrethe II was her usual exuberantly bejeweled self during this week’s state visit. At the state banquet, she chose the family’s pearls; at the return dinner, pictured above, she wore diamonds.

1. For me, no one but Queen Maxima could be crowned this week’s #1. From the glittering diamonds she wore to the return dinner, to the astonishing sapphires she donned at the state banquet, her jewel game was seriously on point!