The Court Jeweller

Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

This Week in Royal Jewels: June 27 – July 3

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June 27 – July 3, 2014
Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans, and happy summer Friday to readers all over! Here’s a bit of royal sparkle to help you gear up for your weekend…


10. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands has been on a trip to India this week; in Mumbai on Wednesday, she wore a stunning pair of sparkling blue earrings. The bracelet on her left wrist, worn just below her watch, is the one that features three diamond letter As and a diamond letter M, interspersed with diamond hearts and a diamond “evil eye.” She’s been wearing it since last year, and there’s speculation that it was a gift from the king.

9. On Thursday, Queen Mathilde of the Belgians wore a bevy of bracelets on a visit to the Medical Pedigogical Institute in De Haan.

8. Queen Elizabeth II is in residence in Scotland for the week; she chose her 1940s-era diamond and aquamarine clips by Cartier for a garden party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on Tuesday.

7. For the first official foreign visit of her husband’s reign, Queen Letizia of Spain wore her lovely Australian pearl, diamond, and white gold earrings to meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Monday.

6. While visiting an M-PACT Plus Counseling Program on Tuesday, the Duchess of Cambridge wore two familiar pieces of jewelry: her Effervesence Bubble earrings from Links of London and her Ballon Bleu de Cartier wristwatch.

5. The Countess of Wessex opened the new children’s heart ward at Leeds NHS Trust on Wednesday. She wore a lovely pair of chalcedony drop earrings by Heavenly Necklaces.

4. The York princesses made an appearance at the annual Serpentine Gallery Summer Party on Tuesday. Both ladies looked lovely in white, and Princess Eugenie added a sparkling pair of earrings to her ensemble.

3. A new portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Scottish photographer Harry Benson was unveiled in Edinburgh on Tuesday. In the photograph, the Queen wears a brooch featuring diamond thistle flowers, one of Scotland’s national symbols. She wore the brooch for the first time in 2012.

2. In Cardiff on Tuesday, the Duchess of Cornwall wore one of her signature pearl necklaces — the version that features the diamond clasp — on a visit to the war memorial at Cathays Park.

1. The annual service for Scotland’s highest chivalric order, the Order of the Thistle, was held on Thursday. Queen Elizabeth II always likes to jazz up her ceremonial robes with a bit of extra bling in the earring department. This year, she added Queen Mary’s ruby cluster earrings, a gift from George V to his queen in 1926.

This Week in Royal Jewels: June 20-26

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June 20-26, 2014
Time again for a week’s worth of royal jewels! We’ve got a glittering state visit, serious heirloom brooches in Northern Ireland, a brand new tiara, AND a surprise engagement announcement! Enjoy!
10. Princess Charlene wore little jewelry at the opening of the yacht club in Monaco, but super-chic Princess Caroline wore a pair of sparkling bracelets, plus small earrings.

9. Queen Maxima wore an unexpected amount of sparkle for daytime at the start of the Dutch state visit to Poland, donning her dangling diamond and ruby earrings, plus Queen Emma’s ruby bow brooch.

8. Queen Elizabeth II made an official visit to Northern Ireland this week, and on Wednesday, she debuted a brand-new brooch: a floral piece made by Bronte Porcelain.

7. Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark were courtside at Wimbledon on Thursday. Mary wore a really interesting pair of geometric earrings, though they were mostly obscured by her hair, sadly!

6. At the Prince of Girona Awards, Queen Letizia of Spain tucked her hair into a faux bob, which helped to show off small pendant earrings.

5. For a visit to the set of Game of Thrones on Tuesday, Queen Elizabeth brought out an heirloom that reminded everyone that she was the rightful Windsor heir: Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Brooch, worn sans its extra chain piece.

4. And then, later in the day, she really emphasized that royal heritage by bringing out a major piece for a rare public outing: the Garrard-made diamond and pearl brooch from Queen Alexandra’s wedding parure, which was a gift to Alexandra from her husband, Edward VII, in 1863.

3. A lovely multi-colored pearl necklace complimented Queen Silvia of Sweden’s whimsical suit at an event for her Childhood charity.

2. At the state banquet in Poland, Queen Maxima mixed-and-matched the family’s ruby sets. She’s wearing the Ruby Peacock tiara and brooch, plus a bracelet from the ruby parure by Mellerio, and additional ruby and diamond pieces, including earrings, an additional bracelet, and the ruby ring she received from King Willem-Alexander following Princess Amalia’s birth.

1. And although it may be on the petite side, a brand-new tiara always wins the award for best jewel story of the week! Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie of Luxembourg wore a new small diamond tiara at the National Day gala this week. (You can see a closer photo of the tiara at Luxarazzi.) No news yet on where this one came from — stay tuned!

… and an exciting BONUS piece of jewelry news from this morning, as Prince Carl Philip of Sweden has finally given his longtime love, Sofia Hellqvist, an important diamond ring! More on that diamond next time, when we’ll hopefully have more details. For now, enjoy a flashback to my speculation about Sofia’s wedding tiara!

This Week in Royal Jewels: June 13-19

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June 13-19, 2014

Lots and lots going on this week, from new babies to the beginning of a brand-new reign in Spain. Enjoy some of the best of this week in royal jewels!



10. Even though she’s already dressed to the nines in her Garter finery, Queen Elizabeth II always wears a pair of elaborate earrings with her regalia on Garter Day. This year, she selected diamond chandelier earrings from her personal collection.

9. To introduce the world to the newest Luxembourgish princess — her daughter, Princess Amalia of Nassau — Princess Claire of Luxembourg wore her engagement and wedding rings, plus a silver pendant necklace.

8. Grimaldi girlfriend Beatrice Borromeo attended an event in Milan sans Pierre Casiraghi, but she brought along a stunning pair of bejeweled blue earrings in his stead.

7. Prince George stole the show at the polo on Sunday, but his great-gran shone in bright blue and a silver-toned brooch with a Tudor rose motif.

6. Queen Maxima went casual to watch the Netherlands take on Australia at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, but she still managed to bring along a bit o’ bling, courtesy a stack of bracelets and a pair of rather fun green earrings.

5. The Duchess of Cambridge stepped into the shoes of her late grandmother, WWII code breaker Valerie Middleton, on a visit to Bletchley Park this week. She sparkled on the day in a pair of diamond and sapphire earrings that many believe originally belonged to Diana, Princess of Wales.

4. At her father’s abdication ceremony on Wednesday, Infanta Elena (for my money, one of the most elegant members of the Spanish royal family) wore pearls and an unusual gold brooch.

3. Here’s a princess who is starting her foray into jewelry early! Infanta Sofia, the younger daughter of the new King Felipe VI of Spain, wore an adorable headband with a small crystal dragonfly ornament to her father’s proclamation ceremony on Thursday.

2. Queen Sofia, who was rightly honored with a standing ovation at her son’s proclamation ceremony on Thursday, used her jewelry to remember her Greek roots and honor Spain. The pendant on her pearl necklace is a diamond and ruby piece that belonged to her late mother, Queen Friederike of Greece. And combined with her pale yellow dress, her ruby jewels echoed the red and yellow colors of the Spanish flag. Way to go, Sofia! You’ve done good work.

1. How could we give the top spot this week to anyone other than Queen Letizia, the new queen consort of Spain? While the new queen eschewed serious jewels at her husband’s proclamation ceremony on Thursday, she wore a pair of gorgeous diamond earrings the previous evening at her last public appearance as the Princess of Asturias. I cannot wait to see what jewelry surprises this new queen has in store for us!

Pssst — looking for jewelry from Royal Ascot? Stay tuned for a full post on all the jewels worn at the races later this weekend!