The Court Jeweller

Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

This Week in Royal Jewels: November 22-27

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November 22-27, 2019
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! To celebrate, here’s this week’s royal jewelry review a day early! Don’t forget to vote for your favorites in the poll below!
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15. Queen Letizia of Spain wore gold hoops on Tuesday in Madrid for an awards ceremony honoring those working to stop domestic and gender-based violence.

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14. On Tuesday, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands wore her shell earrings with a pearl ring as she spoke about initiatives for better access to financial services in Pakistan. 
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13. Princess Sofia of Sweden wore silver-toned earrings on Wednesday at the National Conference of Youth and Civil Society Issues in Stockholm.
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12. For the Alice Naylor-Leyland launch in London on Tuesday, Marie-Chantal of Greece wore a long necklace.
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11. The Duchess of Cornwall wore her favorite earrings — floral button-style studs with pearl drops — for a visit to the Battered Women’s Trust in Christchurch on Saturday during the tour of New Zealand.
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10. At the start of her official visit to Poland, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark wore pearl drop earrings and a pearl bracelet in Warsaw on Monday.
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9. Camilla wore a single strand of pearls with a golden brooch (featuring entwined diamond ornaments and a crown) for a literacy event at Turanga Library in Christchurch on Friday.
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8. Queen Sofia of Spain wore golden pearls on Friday for a poetry gala in Madrid.
7. Empress Masako of Japan wore pearls, including a lovely brooch, with a golden ensemble as she returned to Tokyo on Saturday following a visit to the Ise Shrine in Nagoya. (See another view of the jewels here!)
6. For a visit to the mausoleum of Emperor Jimmu in Kashihara on Wednesday, Empress Masako was elegant in gray with silver and pearl jewels. (See another view of the jewels here!)
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5. Crown Princess Mary paired floral earrings with a lovely velvet dress for a concert at the Danish Cultural Institute in Warsaw.
4. Reaching back for an event from last week, Empress Masako (in a gorgeous double strand of pearls and a lovely brooch) led the ladies of the imperial family at the great thanksgiving ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, part of the imperial enthronement rituals. (See more of her jewels here!)
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3. Jazmin Grace Grimaldi (pictured with one of her Kelly cousins, the actress Ginna Le Vine) wore dazzling earrings and a statement ring at the 2019 Princess Grace Awards Gala in New York on Monday.
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2. On Tuesday, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom wore the cluster portion of the Cambridge Emerald Brooch for a tour of the new headquarters of the Royal Philatelic Society in London. (See the brooch with its emerald pendant here!)
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1. Late last Thursday, Queen Mathilde of the Belgians dazzled in Queen Fabiola’s pearl drop earrings, plus a diamond floral brooch, to accept a Bambi Award in Baden-Baden.

This Week in Royal Jewels: November 15-21

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November 15-21, 2019
National celebrations, galas, and official visits brought us some lovely royal jewels this week! Don’t forget to vote for your favorites in the poll below!
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25. Queen Letizia of Spain wore her gold bamboo hoops to visit “Rastrillo Nuevo Futuro” in Madrid on Tuesday.

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24. Also at “Rastrillo Nuevo Futuro” on Tuesday was Queen Sofia of Spain, who wore gold hoops and layered gold necklaces.
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23. The Duchess of Gloucester chose layered necklaces for the Davis Cup Doubles Group Stage Match in Madrid on Wednesday.
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22. On Wednesday, Queen Mathilde of the Belgians wore her signature gold earrings for a royal reception with newly-appointed royal warrant holders at the Royal Palace in Brussels.
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21. Queen Mathilde wore teal statement earrings on Wednesday for a conference on the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child at the European Parliament in Brussels.
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20. For Tuesday’s visit to a library in Berchem, Queen Mathilde wore earrings with pink pendant drops.
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19. For Tuesday’s National Day festivities in Monaco, Marie Ducruet wore a suite of pearl jewelry. (More here!)
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18. Alexandra of Hanover chose classic pearl stud earrings and stacked rings for National Day in Monaco on Tuesday. (More here!)
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17. For National Day in Monaco, Beatrice Casiraghi wore green button earrings that coordinated with her plaid coat. (More over here!)
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16. Tatiana Casiraghi wore classic pearl drop earrings for National Day in Monaco on Tuesday. (More here!)
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15. On National Day, Princess Stephanie of Monaco wore two diamond studs in each ear. (More here!)
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14. Queen Paola of Belgium wore classic diamond and pearl earrings on Friday for the King’s Feast celebration at the Federal Parliament in Brussels.
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13. Sophie of Prussia wore a rather spectacular pair of statement earrings on Wednesday for the Tribute To Bambi show in Baden-Baden.
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12. The Duchess of Cambridge wore a pair of topaz, pearl, and crystal statement earrings from Erdem at the Royal Variety Performance on Monday.
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11. On Monday, Princess Astrid of Belgium wore sparkling fringe earrings for a meeting with Vice President Wang Qishan of China in Beijing.
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10. The Duchess of Cornwall wore her diamond and sapphire dragonfly brooches with her signature pearl and diamond earrings and necklace for a visit to the Wesley Community Centre in Auckland on Monday.
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9. On Tuesday, Camilla wore elaborate pearl drop earrings and a bangle bracelet for a reception hosted by Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy at Government House in Auckland.
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8. Yellow diamond earrings from Repossi, plus a modern ring, were Princess Charlene of Monaco’s choice for National Day on Tuesday. (More over here!)
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7. Princess Caroline of Monaco reached for her mother’s gold and diamond suite for National Day on Tuesday. (More here!)
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6. On Wednesday, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands wore her earrings set with diamonds and vibrant blue gemstones for the opening of a new exhibit about the human race at the Nemo Science Museum in Amsterdam.
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5. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom wore her small diamond and pink gem cluster brooch for a visit to the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London on Wednesday.
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4. Camilla wore the Queen Mother’s gorgeous rock crystal brooch to attend a domestic violence roundtable discussion in Auckland on Monday. (More on the brooch here!)
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3. For the gala at the opera in Monaco on Tuesday, Beatrice Casiraghi wore glamorous diamond wreath-style earrings and a gold necklace. (More here!)
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2. Princess Caroline wore ruby and diamond jewels for the opera gala on Tuesday evening, including pendant earrings, a station necklace, a gorgeous clip brooch, and a stunning cocktail ring. (See the ring here!)
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1. Princess Charlene dazzled in rubies and diamonds at the opera gala, including a gorgeous pair of statement earrings and a classic bracelet. (See the bracelet here!)

The Dutch Diamond Festoon Tiara

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Here’s how you know the Dutch royal vaults are some of the biggest in Europe: I’ve been writing this blog for five years, and there are still Dutch royal tiaras we haven’t covered here! One of those sparklers is today’s jewel: the Dutch Diamond Festoon Tiara.

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I’m classifying this piece as a tiara, but it began life as a completely different kind of royal jewel. The piece was originally set as a diamond festoon necklace. Made by Vita, the piece featured a diamond riviere from which five diamond festoons were suspended, with a single diamond collet in the middle of each festoon. The central festoon also featured another pendant diamond. The necklace was part of a collection of diamond jewels that was given to Queen Wilhelmina on her ninth birthday (!) by her father, King Willem III, in 1889. Above, Wilhelmina wears the necklace early in her reign with the tiara and devant de corsage from the Stuart parure.

Grand Ladies Site

Wilhelmina continued to wear the necklace throughout her reign. She posed later in life for this postcard portrait, wearing the necklace with two jewels that belonged to her mother, Queen Emma: her diamond tiara (topped with diamond stars) and her grand diamond devant de corsage.

Anefo/Nationaal Archief/Wikimedia Commons

The next wearer of the necklace was Wilhelmina’s daughter, Queen Juliana. Above, she wears the necklace in January 1967 for an important family occasion: a dinner hosted by the Dutch government to celebrate the wedding of her daughter, Princess Margriet.

Eric Koch/Anefo/Nationaal Archief/Wikimedia Commons

For the occasion, Juliana paired the necklace with another Dutch royal heirloom: the Ears of Wheat Tiara. Her diamond earrings also feature pendants from Queen Emma’s Art Deco Corsage (worn by Queen Wilhelmina in one of the portraits above).

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In November 1982, the then-Queen Beatrix wore the necklace with Queen Emma’s Diamond Tiara for a state banquet at Hampton Court Palace during her state visit to Britain.

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The arrival of Queen Maxima breathed new life into the diamond jewel. She was the first member of the royal family to wear the necklace in public on a tiara frame. Since then, the tiara version of the jewel has also been worn by Princess Margriet.

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For a state banquet in honor of President Vaira Vike-Freiberga of Latvia in January 2005, Maxima wore the festoon tiara with the earrings sourced from Queen Emma’s Art Deco Corsage — the same ones worn by Queen Juliana with the necklace in 1967.