Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World
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| ALBERTO MARTIN/AFP via Getty Images |
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| JEFF GILBERT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images |
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stepped out on Sunday evening to attend the BAFTA ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and Kate gleamed in brand-new jewels for the occasion.
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The jewels may have been new, but the dress was a glittering repeat. The BAFTAs red carpet had a theme of sustainability this year, and everyone was asked to wear an outfit they’d worn before. Kate chose to repeat an Alexander McQueen gown she wore in Malaysia in 2012.
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| Mark Large – Pool/Getty Images |
The dress was originally worn for an official dinner in Kuala Lumpur during the couple’s Diamond Jubilee Tour of Singapore, Malaysia, the Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu in September 2012. The dress appears to have been altered since that appearance, especially in the sleeves and shoulders. For the original outing, Kate accessorized with a suite of gold leaf jewels from Catherine Zoraida. (You can read more about them here!)
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This time around, Kate wore a new suite of jewelry from Van Cleef and Arpels.
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| Tolga AKMEN / AFP) (Photo by TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images |
Her necklace and earrings are part of the company’s classic Magic Alhambra range. Her pieces appear to be made of mother of pearl set in yellow gold. The clover-shaped elements of the jewels neatly echoed the glittering floral designs on her gown.
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Kate’s not the only Magic Alhambra fan in the royal family. The Duchess of Cornwall is a collector of Van Cleef and Arpels jewels, and she has several Alhambra pieces. She’s especially fond of this pair of diamond earrings, which she often wears for important state occasions. Above, in December 2019, she wore them with her diamond serpent necklace for the royal film premiere of 1917 in London.
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| EDDIE MULHOLLAND/AFP via Getty Images |
Camilla also has a gorgeous suite of Magic Alhambra jewels, including earrings and a necklace, made of malachite set in gold.
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| Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images |
The jewels have also popped up on other royals. The same necklace worn by Kate at the BAFTAs on Sunday was worn at the Golden Nymph Awards (the closing ceremony of the annual Monte-Carlo Television Festival) in June 2019 by Princess Maria Chiara of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.
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Princess Caroline of Monaco has also been spotted recently in Magic Alhambra stud earrings, worn for a luncheon during a visit from the President of China in March 2019.
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| Jeff Gilbert – WPA Pool / Getty Images |
Along with her new Magic Alhambra jewels (and her usual engagement, wedding, and eternity rings), Kate also wore an impressive ring on her right hand.
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| Jeff Gilbert – WPA Pool / Getty Images |
Here’s a closer look. The ring features an impressive gemstone — perhaps a citrine or topaz?
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| Christie’s |
It’s always fun to try to pack as much peridot content into the August posting schedule as possible, and today I’ve got some stunning mid-century jewels set with the olive-hued stone: the Rockefeller Peridots.
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| Peggy Rockefeller, David Rockefeller, and Lady Bird Johnson at the re-opening of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, May 1964 (Phillip Harrington/Alamy) |
The jewels belonged to Peggy McGrath Rockefeller, the wife of David Rockefeller, a billionaire banker and grandson of John D. Rockefeller Sr. She died in 1996, and after David’s death in 2017, an enormous charity auction was held at Christie’s with treasures from their estate. The peridots were among the jewels included in the sale.
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| Christie’s |
The peridot and diamond set was made in 1965 and 1966 in New York by Van Cleef and Arpels, and each piece in the suite is signed. The necklace was even nestled in its own gray suede jewelry case from the jewelry firm.
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| Christie’s |
The entire suite, which is set in 18k yellow gold, is an excellent example of typical mid-century design by VCA. The necklace features a detachable pendant that can also be worn as a brooch.
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| Christie’s |
The earrings feature large peridots set in the stud portion of the jewel, as well as even larger pear-shaped peridot drops.
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| Christie’s |
Both the earrings and the bracelet feature distinctive leaf designs set with diamonds.
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| Christie’s |
The set also featured an impressive peridot ring surrounded by a double halo of diamonds.
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| Christie’s |
The auction estimate for the demi-parure was set at $80,000-$120,000. When the hammer fell at the auction in June 2018, however, the set fetched a much more impressive price: $348,500. And this time, we know who the buyer was: Van Cleef and Arpels! Since the auction, the peridots have gone on public display, including an exhibition in Moscow.
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| Jack Taylor/Getty Images |
Christie’s called the sale “the most significant charity auction ever staged,” with the collection of art, jewels, and other objects fetching an incredible $832,573,469. (One of my favorite pieces sold was Claude Monet’s Nymphéas en fleur, which broke a record at $84,687,500!) All of the estate’s proceeds went to fund twelve philanthropic initiatives. Their son, David Rockefeller Jr., noted, “These funds will provide very meaningful support to important institutions and foundations devoted to scientific research and higher education, support for the arts, foreign policy, and the conservation of coastal and agricultural lands.”