Colorful gemstones abound in this afternoon’s brooch contest!

The Cambridge Emerald Cluster Brooch vs. The Colombo Floral Brooch

The Cambridge Emerald Cluster Brooch

This classic brooch comes from the Cambridge emerald suite. The piece features a round cabochon emerald set in a double cluster of diamonds, with one of the emerald drops from the suite suspended as a pendant. The jewel can be worn with or without the pendant, and in recent years, the Queen has often chosen to wear the cluster portion alone.

The Colombo Floral Brooch

This colorful floral brooch was a gift to the Queen from the Mayor of Colombo during her 1981 state visit to Sri Lanka. It’s set with pink, blue, and yellow sapphires, as well as garnets, rubies and aquamarines. The Queen often wears it for occasions related to both Sri Lanka and the larger Commonwealth of Nations, including her 2007 state visit to Uganda.

Be sure to come back to vote for more brooches tomorrow morning — and to marvel at our Nightly Necklace later on today!

Diamonds and pearls meet up in our first contest of the day…

The Australian Wattle Brooch vs. The Pearl Trefoil Brooch

The Australian Wattle Brooch

This eye-catching brooch, set with white and yellow diamonds, is designed to resemble the national flower of Australia, the wattle. Made by an Australian firm, it was given to the Queen during her grand Commonwealth tour in 1954. She’s worn it regularly ever since, both at Aussie/Commonwealth events and more generally.

The Pearl Trefoil Brooch

We don’t know when or where this classic piece was made, but we do know that its design is timeless. The piece features a trefoil of diamonds studded with pearls, with a large pearl cluster at its center. It’s one of the Queen’s favorites, worn regularly for a wide range of occasions over the past four decades, including holidays, royal tours, and Christmas broadcasts.

Stay tuned: our next brooch contest tips off in just a few hours!