The Court Jeweller

Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

This Week in Royal Jewels: July 8-14

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July 8-14, 2016
The summer holidays are nearly here, but we still have some jewelry pieces to ooh and ahh over. Be sure to vote for your favorite in the poll below!
Photo: KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Images
10. While the media was reporting — and the IHA was denying — rumors that Emperor Akihito of Japan was considering abdication, he and Empress Michiko made a public appearance outside the imperial villa in Hayama. Michiko wore a long necklace and a really interesting pair of statement earrings.

Photo: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images
9. Queen Letizia of Spain went floral in stud earrings by Yanes at the military academy in Zaragoza on Thursday.
Photo: HENNING KAISER/AFP/Getty Images
8. On the first day of her visit to Aachen, Queen Silvia of Sweden wore a delicate necklace of twisted strands of pearls. Here’s more on the jewels from this engagement (including a better look at that brooch).
Photo: ANDREW COULDRIDGE/AFP/Getty Images
7. The Duchess of Cambridge was back at Wimbledon this week, wearing earrings by Brora to watch Andy Murray win his second tournament title. More photos of the earrings are here.
Photo: SANDER KONING/AFP/Getty Images
6. For her family’s annual summer portrait session, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands piled on the jewels, including a major floral statement necklace. See more of the pieces she wore over here.
Photo: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
5. Princess Benedikte went with classic jewels for the CHIO Aachen opening ceremony: a pearl necklace, pearl and diamond half-moon earrings, and a round pearl and diamond cluster brooch. See more jewels from the opening ceremony here.
Photo: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
4. CHIO Aachen was officially opened by Queen Silvia, who wore her pearl and topaz suite for the occasion. You can also see the impressive pearl bracelet she wore over here.
Photo: Chris Jackson/Getty Images
3. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom visited the new EAAA base at Cambridge airport on Wednesday. Along with an unusually simple pair of pearl stud earrings, she wore her small diamond and pink gemstone cluster brooch. Get a better look at the brooch over here.
Photo: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images
2. Bezel-set diamonds and drop pearls were Queen Letizia’s choice for the Queen Letizia Awards in Madrid on Friday. See more views of the earrings here.
Photo: Dominic Lipinski – WPA Pool/Getty Images
1. My top spot this week went to a major royal heirloom: the Cambridge Emerald Brooch with its emerald pendant. Queen Elizabeth II wore this jewel — which definitely says “I’m the monarch” — for her first audience with the new British prime minister, Theresa May. See additional images from the event over here.

A Busy, Bejeweled Day for Queen Elizabeth

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The Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen, and the Duke of Cambridge at the EAAA base (Photo: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
It’s a big day for Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom — she met her thirteenth prime minister at Buckingham Palace. But before venturing back to London to handle that bit of government business, she and the Duke of Edinburgh toured the new East Anglia Air Ambulance base at Cambridge Airport. A special employee — their grandson, the Duke of Cambridge — was on hand to show them around.

Photo: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The Queen wore pale pink for the occasion, including her diamond and pink gemstone cluster brooch.

Photo: NIKLAS HALLE’N/AFP/Getty Images

Here’s a slightly better look at the brooch. To my knowledge, the precise provenance of this one has still not been firmly determined, and neither has the identity of the pink gemstone set in the brooch’s center. But it’s almost certainly an heirloom piece, and it’s definitely lovely.

Photo: Dominic Lipinski – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Back in London, it was time to get the show on the road. The Queen welcomed the new prime minister, Theresa May, while wearing a major heirloom brooch: the Cambridge Emerald Brooch with its pear-shaped emerald pendant drop.

Photo: Dominic Lipinski – WPA Pool/Getty Images

And that was that!

Royal Ruby Rings

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Princess Margaret’s oval ruby and diamond ring (Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images)

July’s birthstone — the classic, vibrant ruby — is a royal favorite, especially when set in gorgeous rings. Above, we’ve got an excellent view at one of several ruby rings from Princess Margaret’s jewelry collection; it sold at Christie’s in 2006 for $550,528. Here’s a look at a few other important royal ruby rings…

Queen Maxima’s ruby and diamond ring (Photo: Michel Porro/Getty Images)

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands often wears a ruby and diamond ring on her right hand. The ring was a gift from her husband, King Willem-Alexander, to mark the birth of their first daughter, Princess Catharina-Amalia (now the Princess of Orange).

Sarah, Duchess of York’s ruby and diamond engagement ring (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Sarah, Duchess of York was given a Burmese ruby and diamond cluster ring from Garrard to mark her engagement to Prince Andrew in 1986. Above, she wears it with her gold wedding ring and a gold signet ring. (Interestingly, the photo was taken in 2002, years after her divorce. Sarah doesn’t wear the rings on a regular basis anymore.)

Left: Crown Princess Mary’s original ring (Photo: Scott Barbour/Getty Images); Right, the current ring (Photo: Torsten Laursen/Getty Images)

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark also received a ruby and diamond engagement ring from her husband, Crown Prince Frederik. Initially, the ring included a central diamond flanked by two rubies; later, an additional diamond was added to each side of the ring. The gemstones are meant to echo the colors of the Danish flag.

Princess Marie’s ruby, diamond, and sapphire engagement ring (Photo: Niels Henrik Dam/Getty Images)

Mary’s sister-in-law, Princess Marie of Denmark, was also given an engagement ring with a ruby in its setting. Marie’s ring is a rather literal interpretation of the “flag tribute” idea: it features a ruby, a diamond, and a sapphire, just like the red, white, and blue of the French flag. (Marie may have married a Danish prince, but she was born in France; moreover, that Danish prince is half-French himself.) Several other contemporary royal ladies, including Queen Mathilde of the Belgians and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, also have engagement rings with rubies.

Crown Princess Mary wears the Danish Ruby Parure (Photo: KELD NAVNTOFT/AFP/Getty Images)

Crown Princess Mary also has another spectacular ruby ring in her jewelry box: the ruby and diamond cluster ring from the magnificent Danish Ruby Parure.

Which royal ruby rings are your favorites?