The Court Jeweller

Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

Queen Elizabeth II’s Qatari Pearl Suite

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Kieran Doherty – WPA Wire/Getty Images

We’re very used to seeing Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom wearing pearls; she dons diamond and pearl earrings and a three-stranded pearl necklace for virtually all of her daytime engagements. She also has numerous sets of pearls suitable for evening use, including today’s suite of diamond and pearl jewelry, given to her by the Emir of Qatar.

Kieran Doherty – WPA Wire/Getty Images

The diamond and pearl demi-parure includes a pair of earrings and a six-stranded pearl necklace. The pearl strands of the necklace are linked and ornamented by additional diamond pieces. The necklace is one of the largest that the Queen wears.

Kieran Doherty – WPA Wire/Getty Images

The set was given to the Queen in 1979 during an official visit to Qatar. She wore the jewels during a gala banquet on the visit, and she’s mainly (but not exclusively) worn them at Qatar-related events ever since. In these photos, she wears them during a state banquet for the Emir of Qatar at Windsor Castle in 2010.

Kieran Doherty – WPA Wire/Getty Images

Because of the pearl and diamond combination in the demi-parure, it should come as no surprise that she usually wears the set with the Vladimir Tiara (hung with its original pearl drops). But she’s also worn it in the past with Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik, highlighting the glitter of the diamonds in the demi-parure.

This Week in Royal Jewels: May 19-25

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May 19-25, 2017
There were lots of royal jewels to choose from this week, including a couple of sparkly tiara events! Don’t forget to vote for your favorites in the poll below.
KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Images
10. Princess Mako of Akishino, who has gained press attention recently because of her engagement, wore pearls to visit a natural history exhibition in Tokyo on Monday.

NICOLAS MAETERLINCK/AFP/Getty Images
9. On Saturday, Queen Mathilde of the Belgians wore some of her trademark gold statement earrings for the semi-finals of the Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition in Brussels.
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8. In Cannes, Princess Beatrice of York wore a striking golden cuff bracelet at a fashion-based charity event. (More on the bracelet, plus her mother’s choker necklace, over here!)
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7. The Duchess of Cambridge wore morganites and diamonds from Kiki McDonough for her sister’s wedding in Berkshire on Saturday. (Much more on the earrings and Pippa’s wedding jewels over here!)
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6. Queen Letizia of Spain chose edgy floral earrings from SCHIELD to mark the 40th anniversary of the Reina Sofia Alzheimer Foundation — and her own 13th wedding anniversary — in Madrid on Monday. (Read all about Letizia’s wedding jewelry over here!)
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5. On Friday, Sheikha Mozah of Qatar wore pearls and diamonds to The Hague Institute for Global Justice, where she attended a seminar.
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4. Also attending Friday’s seminar in The Hague: Queen Maxima of the Netherlands who wore ribbon brooches and her tanzanite earrings for the occasion.
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3. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom was out and about several times this week, but my favorite brooch outing of the bunch was the annual appearance of the Chelsea Iris Brooch at the Chelsea Flower Show. (More on this outing over here; and here’s more on other jewels she wore this week!)

2. In Luxembourg, the grand ducal ladies busted out the tiaras for a state banquet in honor of the President of Portugal. Grand Duchess Maria Teresa wore the Belgian Scroll Tiara with diamond and pearl jewelry, while Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie wore her own Diamond Butterfly Tiara.

1. My collective first place vote goes to three royal ladies from the Netherlands, who put on tiaras for the annual diplomatic corps dinner. Queen Maxima wore the grand Wurttemberg Ornate Pearl Tiara with pearl drop earrings; Princess Beatrix wore the Pearl Button Tiara; and Princess Margriet wore the family’s emerald parure tiara.

Creepy-Crawly Royal Jewels

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Queen Maxima wearing a pair of spider brooches (Photo: MARTIJN BEEKMAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Halloween is nearly upon us, which means that it’s time to celebrate all of the creepiest, crawliest, slither-iest jewels in royal jewelry boxes. If you like your bugs and snakes better in diamond form, this is the post for you!

Photo: Tim Rooke – Pool/Getty Images

The Duchess of Cornwall often wears a classically-designed serpent necklace at gala events. She’s had this one for years and years, and it’s still slithering on.

Queen Alexandra, then Princess of Wales, wears a snake bracelet

With her snake necklace, Camilla’s just following in the footsteps of another Windsor. Queen Alexandra also famously wore a golden snake bracelet wrapped around her wrist.

Photo: Clive Limpkin/Daily Express/Getty Images

I’ve seen some describe the pearly circle tiara that once belonged to the Kent ladies as a tiara of coiled snakes. Do you see it?

Photo: Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images

Surely the most significant royal snake necklace of all is the enormous serpent worn by Sheikha Mozah of Qatar at a Guildhall banquet in 2010. The piece is reportedly by Cartier. Also: THAT RING!

Photo: Tim Rooke – Pool/Getty Images

Also fond of reptilian jewelry: the Duchess of Cambridge, who wore crocodile earrings by Patrick Mavros in New York in 2014.

Photo: MJ Kim/Getty Images

The Duchess of Cornwall doesn’t only wear reptiles: she also has a growing collection of insect jewelry, including a large stick insect brooch.

Photo: Joern Pollex/Getty Images

The Dutch royal collection also includes numerous insect pieces, including this lovely diamond moth.

Photo: ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN/AFP/Getty Images

But the creepiest jewels in the Netherlands, without a doubt, must be the spider brooches worn by Queen Maxima.

Photo: LOUAI BESHARA/AFP/Getty Images

Sheikha Mozah has also stepped out in a pair of stylized beetle ornaments.

Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

And the Bernadottes in Sweden famously own a necklace of scarab beetles, passed down from Margaret of Connaught to Prince Bertil and Princess Lilian, who bequeathed it to Queen Silvia.

Photo: FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images

But clearly we can’t end a post on buggy royal jewels without a peek at the tiara of diamond and ruby dragonflies worn by Camilla of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Creepy and elegant!