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The crown jewels of Holland

Published on March 18, 2024

Even the royals of Holland can boast a good number of important jewels. Here are what are ♦

Years ago, Maxima from the Netherlands was included among the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine for her social commitment. And she really seems like a lucky woman: she married a prince, she became queen, after Beatrice of Holland abdicated in favor of her son Willem-Alexander in 2013. Maxima Zorreguieta Cerruti, born in Argentina, also had access to one of the richest jewelery collections in Europe. It is a heritage accumulated over the centuries and kept intact thanks to a brilliant solution: that of bringing together the most important pieces in a foundation. And if the female members of the family can use them based on their dynastic role, some of these very precious jewels are reserved exclusively for the reigning queen or consort. Just like Queen Máxima, who one year after her coronation demonstrated great skill in modifying and wearing them. Because these are tiaras that can be dismantled and reassembled like necklaces and bracelets and vice versa. Here’s how, starting from the diamond-sapphire tiara worn on the day of the coronation.

Maxìma d’Olanda con la tiara e gli orecchini della parure di zaffiri — Maxima of Holland with the tiara and earrings of the sapphire set

Sapphire Parure. Made in 1881 for Queen Emma, the tiara, which is part of the Sapphire Parure, has 655 South African round brilliant cut diamonds with a total of 242 carat and 33 sapphires of Cashmere 155 carats. One cushion cut sapphire surrounded by two smaller sapphires and five diamonds on each side is the central element, that can also be worn separately as a brooch. To make it lighter than the new queen has eliminates the three diamonds set in the shape of lilies on the top and replaces them with a single large diamond. The choker of this parure was worn as a tiara adding on top five elements each constituted by one central sapphire surrounded by diamonds in a diamond-shaped set.

Maxìma d’Olanda con la collana della parure di zaffiri indossata come tiara — Maxima of Holland with the sapphire set necklace worn as a tiara

Diamond tiara .It’s a Queen Emma wedding gift from the in 1879, and it was originally topped by three star of diamonds 12-pointed. Now it is composed of three central diamonds that can be replaced by rubies.

Dettaglio della tiara con 34 diamanti taglio rosa — Detail of the tiara with 34 rose-cut diamonds

Rose-cut diamond tiara Tiara formed by a row of 34 large diamonds embedded on the plaque of platinum (chaton) a very popular fashion in the mid-nineteenth century, which can be used as a tiara or necklace.

Maxìma d’Olanda con la tiara di 34 diamanti taglio rosa — Maxima of Holland with the tiara of 34 rose-cut diamonds

Tiara of antiques pearls Belonged to the Grand Duchess Ana Pavlovna of Russia, wife of William II of the Netherlands, is made up of diamonds and seven pear-shaped pearls that appears to date back to 1600.

Maxìma d’Olanda con la tiara delle perle antiche — Maxima of Holland with the tiara of ancient pearls

Tiara of daisies Transformed several times, initially had on top five pearls round each surrounded by ten diamonds brilliant cut, in order to form a daisy, in fact. In 2002, in lieu of flowers the stars were included handed down by Queen Emma, the second wife of William III. The star-shaped jewelry were popular in the late nineteenth century, and it was Sissi Empress Elisabeth of Austria to bring it to its success using them as barrettes in her hair.

La tiara delle margherite — The daisy tiara

Tiara Mellerio is part of a parure consisting of a necklace, a bracelet and a brooch with rubies and diamonds in large quantities: 385 gems in the tiara, necklace in 425 and 135 in the cuff.

La tiara Mellerio con bracciali e orecchini — The Mellerio tiara with bracelets and earrings

Wurttenberg Tiara is a tiara with an intricate design of diamonds and pearls forming swirls and lilies, surmounted by two rows of pearl teardrop-shaped, six at the bottom and five in the top, both of which are removable and are therefore four possible versions : with or without beads, with the first or second row. It has always been the favorite of the former Queen Beatrix, who since her wedding day worn it in all official occasions.

Dettaglio della tiara Wurttenberg — Detail of the Wurttenberg tiara

Maxìma d’Olanda con la tiara di tre diamanti centrali sostituibili con i rubini — Maxima of Holland with the tiara of three central diamonds replaceable with rubies

Dettaglio della tiara delle margherite-stelle — Detail of the daisy-star tiara

La tiara dele perle antiche senza perle — The antique pearl tiara without pearls

The jewels of Letizia of Spain

Published on January 2, 2024

The jewels, and especially the tiaras, of the Queen of Spain Letizia ♦ ︎

Like all the queens, letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, wife of Philip VI of Spain, loves jewelry. As a former network journalist such as Bloomberg, CNN and the Spanish public broadcaster Tve, he is well aware of the value of image and visual communication. Clothing and jewelry selection are, therefore, particularly taken care of by Letizia, who married the then Prince of Asturias, Felipe di Borbone, on May 22, 2004. The ceremony was an event followed by TV stations all over the world: on the screens, one of the innumerable tiaras that are part of the royal kit has appeared. It’s a kind of jewel that seems to be among the queen’s favorites.

La tiara regalata dall'ex dittatore Francisco Franco alla allora regina di Spagna, Sofia, e ora indossata da Letizia — La tiara regalata dall’ex dittatore Francisco Franco alla allora regina di Spagna, Sofia, e ora indossata da Letizia

It is no coincidence that to celebrate the wedding anniversary, King Philip VI gave a tiara worth € 50,000 to Letizia: it is made up of 450 brilliant cut diamonds and five pairs of Australian pearls. Alongside the tiaras, of course, the Queen of Spain has many other jewels, including a pair of earrings with three sapphires each and a large Cartier bracelet in white gold and diamonds. About bracelet: Letizia has also decided to turn a diamond crown of Queen Victoria Eugenia. The set diamonds have been removed to be reused in two identical bracelets.
The Prussian tiara. From the neoclassical line with Greek inspiration, the tiara was made in Berlin in 1913 by the jeweler Koch. In platinum and diamonds, it is composed of two bands: the upper part with laurel leaves and the bottom with greek, in the middle a row of vertical bands of diamonds with a central motif from which hangs a pear-cut diamond. She was presented to Sofia by her mother for her eighteenth birthday.

tiara e1531652614656 — La tiara prussiana

Letizia Ortiz indossa la tiara prussiana il giorno delle nozze con Felipe di Borbone

The chatones necklace. King Alfonso Alfonso XIII’s wedding gift to his wife was a type of necklace very popular in the mid-nineteenth century: diamonds set on a platinum plate (chaton) with a very discreet four-stemmed frame. The king used to have two diamonds on every anniversary, birthday or birth. Result? A 90-carat necklace that came up to life. Divided into two parts, one touched Juan Carlos and is often seen at the neck of Sofia of Spain.

La regina Sofia indossa la tiara di Cartier e la collana chatones

The Cartier tiara. Created in the Twenties for Queen Victoria Eugenia, the diadem is composed of a central aigrette, or a frame or jewel in the shape of a feather, in platinum and diamonds and three sloping curls with a pearl set in the center. In a second time the pearls were replaced by emeralds inherited from the empress Eugenie of France, her godmother. Which were then sold during the Roman exile and the tiara returned to its original appearance.

Senza titolo 3 e1531653028930 — La tiara Cartier in un immagine precedente all’eliminazione della perla sulla sommità

The Mellerio or de la Chata tiara. Isabella II’s gift for her daughter’s wedding, nicknamed Chata, is one of the few jewels that has been saved from the sale during the Paris exile. The platinum structure ideally depicts the foam of a wave in the center and on the sides of the shells from which pear-shaped pearls hang and 12 diamonds that sway following the movements of the head. But a reader of gioiellis.com (see comments at the bottom of this page) points out that the story is another: the Mellerio diadem of pearls and diamonds, he specifies, was not sold to Drouot (30 June 1878) by Isabelle II simply because the queen received an annuity from Spain after the return to the throne of her son, Alfonso, and it is with this money that she bought new jewels from the French jeweler, like a necklace and a star-shaped tiara.

Senza titolo 22 — La principessa delle Asturie con la tiara de la Chata

The floral tiara. It turns into a necklace or brooch the diadem composed of large diamond flowers, given by Francisco Franco to Sofia of Greece, betrothed to Juan Carlos of Bourbon.

tiara floerale franco — La tiara floreale regalo di Francisco Franco a Sofia di Grecia per le nozze con Juan Carlos

The Niarchos rubies. By Van Cleef et Arpels, they are a wedding present in Sofia of Greece by the Greek shipowner. The necklace consists of a chain mounted in gold with cabochon rubies of different sizes, each surrounded by diamonds. The tiara is a double row of the same motif of the necklace and can be used as a two-round necklace or as a long sautoir. To complete the set of drop earrings.

The Russian tiara. Made of platinum, pearls and diamonds for Christine of Austria, regent of Spain, is inspired by the traditional Russian female headdress Kokoshnikc, from which the name comes.

Senza titolo 4 — Sofia di Spagna con la tiara russa, appartenuta a Cristina d’Austria reggente di Spagna

The tiara of lily flowers. The most spectacular among the wedding gifts of Alfonso XIII, was created in 1906 by the jeweler Ansorena of Madrid and is composed of brilliant cut diamonds and cushion, on a platinum frame that draws the heraldic symbol of the Bourbons: the lilies. Queen Sofia has worn it only on special occasions.

Senza titolo 9 — La tiara con i fiori di giglio simbolo araldico dei Borboni

La tiara regalata da Filippo per l'anniversario di nozze — La tiara regalata da Filippo per l’anniversario di nozze

La ex regina di Spagna Sofia con la tiara prussiana — La regina di Spagna Sofia con la tiara prussiana

Queen Victoria’s love crown

Published on June 17, 2023

La corona appartenuta alla regina Vittoria, con zaffiri e diamanti

The story of Queen Victoria’s most loved crown and designed by her husband, Prince Albert. It is now exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London ♦ ︎

Do the jewels of the British royal house fascinate you? Here is an opportunity not to be missed: the Victoria & Albert Museum in London exhibits one of Queen Victoria’s most beloved jewels, a small crown with sapphires and diamonds. The reason why Queen Victoria loved this crown is that it was designed by her husband, prince Albert. The crown is the most prized piece of gallery named to William e Judith Bollinger. William Bollinger is an Irish-American millionaire of hedge funds, his wife is Judith.

The Victoria & Albert Museum has one of the most beautiful and complete jewelry collections in the world: over 3,000 jewels, from antiquity to the present day. Among these there are also particularly fine pieces, including a golden Celtic armor, pendants donated by Elizabeth I to her courtiers, diamonds worn by Catherine Grande of Russia, jewels of the art nouveau designer Réné Lalique, Cartier tiaras and contemporary works by Wendy Ramshaw, Peter Chang and Marjorie Schick.

La regina Vittoria con la corona indossata sulla nuca, nel ritratto di Franz Xaver Winterhalter — Queen Victoria with the crown worn on the back of her neck, in the portrait by Franz Xaver Winterhalter

The little crown of the queen

The crown of Queen Victoria is very flexible, it can be folded back and forth: its size is almost that of a diadem, but a little wider. The jewel was designed by the queen’s wife, Albert, in 1840, the year of the couple’s marriage. It was then materially made by Joseph Kitching, of Kitching and Abud, jewelers of the queen. In 1842 Victoria wore the crown on the occasion of a portrait by Franz Xaver Winterhalter. The chaplet was very important to Victoria, because it reminded her of her husband, who died in 1861. Five years later, still mourning the death of Albert, Victoria chose that little crown, instead of the official one, to open the Parliament.

La regina Vittoria con il marito Albert, ritratto circa 1840 — Queen Victoria with her husband Albert, portrait circa 1840

The heirs of the crown

After the death of Queen Victoria, the crown was inherited by the descendants: it was first addressed to Edward VII, then to George V and to Queen Mary, and finally to their daughter, Princess Mary. But years ago, the crown was bought by an anonymous American private buyer: the British government had blocked the export. However, in 2016 it was purchased for 5 million pounds by the Bollinger family and donated to the museum.

In addition to the crown, the William and Judith Bollinger gallery of the jewelery museum exhibits 3000 objects including 49 art deco pieces collected by Freddie Mercury’s sister, Kashmira Cooke, and lent to the museum in the memory of the singer with the prospect of becoming a permanent gift.

Pendente in smalto con cameo in agata, fa parte della la galleria William e Judith Bollinger — Enamel pendant with agate cameo, is part of the William and Judith Bollinger gallery

Ornamento per capelli a forma di orchidea, circa 1905 — Orchid hair ornament, circa 1905

Lovers Eye, spilla inglese, circa 1800, in oro con perle e diamanti — Lovers Eye, English brooch, circa 1800, in gold with pearls and diamonds

For sale is the historical medallion of George III

Published on June 15, 2023

Jewelled and enamel gold medallion, celebrating the King’s "recovery from illness"

For history buffs, but above all for British royals, Christie’s is on sale on 6 and 7 July in Bayreuth (Germany) a series of pieces that belonged to George III, King of Great Britain and Ireland between the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (1738-1820 ). Objects in silver and gold are on sale (201 lots in total), but also from a pendant containing a rare medallion commissioned by his wife, Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744-1818) married at 17, as a gift to friends who had remained faithful during King George III’s illness. Medallion made to celebrate the recovery of the king in 1789. Although, in reality, recovery was only a hope. The story of George William Frederick of Hanover, king from October 25, 1760 has been quite difficult.

George III by Sir Thomas Lawrence, Royal Collection

Of German origin, he was also Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Elector of Hanover. He was the third ruler of Great Britain of the House of Hanover, but the first to be born in England and to use English as his mother tongue. The problem is that in 1765 he started showing signs of insanity, which got worse over time. Perhaps a consequence of porphyria, a hereditary blood disease Or, according to others, the king fell ill eating sauerkraut cooked in lead pots, a poisonous metal. More recent analyzes have found a high concentration of arsenic on samples of the king’s hair. In any case, the king’s eldest son, George Augustus Frederick, Prince of Wales, ruled as regent for seven years from 1811 until his father’s death.

Charlotte von Meclemburgo Strelitz by Thomas Gainsborough

The locket, however, follows an announcement from Queen Charlotte that the king had recovered. Announcement greeted with celebrations and Parliament congratulating the King on 10 March, the date commemorated on the medallion. The medallion was presented by Queen Charlotte on 19 March 1789. It was later surmounted by an enamelled crown, encrusted with diamonds, rubies and emeralds.

Scatola in oro e smalto appartenuta a re George III — Gold and enamel box appears held by King George III

George III enamelled two-colour gold freedom box with mark of James Morisset, London, 1797, offered alongside other presents awarded to Vice Admiral and Third in Command,the Hon. William Waldegrave on 1st June 1797 for the Battle of St. Vincent

The cross of Diana for sale at Sotheby’s

Published on December 22, 2022

For sale is a piece of jewelery owned and worn by Princess Diana. Sotheby’s is putting it up for auction. The jewel will be auctioned off at the auction house’s annual Royal and Noble auction (January 6-18), which features an eclectic collection of exceptional objects and heirlooms of aristocratic provenance. Not just jewellery, furniture, ceramics, decorative objects and more are on sale. But the jewel that belonged to the princess will be guided to attract attention. This is the Atallah cross, owned by the former group managing director of Asprey & Garrard, the late Naim Attallah.

La croce indossata da Diana. Courtesy of Sotheby’s

According to Ramsay Atallah, son of Naim and current owner of the cross, Princess Diana was a friend of the family: King Charles’ ex-wife often visited him in the historic Garrard shop in Regent Street, where his office was located, and asked borrowed the pendant on several occasions. The cross, which has a Renaissance design, is made of gold, silver, amethyst and diamonds and was worn by Diana on several occasions, as evidenced by the photographs that portray her. For example, at a benefit ball for Birthright, the women’s health organization of which she became patron in 1984, where the cross was attached to a long pearl necklace.

La croce, che ha un disegno rinascimentale, è realizzata in oro, argento, ametista e diamanti. Courtesy of Sotheby’s

Jewelry owned or worn by the late Princess Diana very rarely makes it to market, especially a piece like the Atallah Cross, which is so colourful, bold and distinctive. To some extent, this unusual pendant is symbolic of the Princess’s growing self-confidence in her sartorial and jewelery choices at that particular time in her life. We are confident that this unique 1920s piece of jewelery from Garrard, with such exceptional provenance and worn only by the Princess herself, will attract the attention of a wide variety of bidders including collectors of royal and noble jewelery as well as fans of the princess eager to share part of her story.
Kristian Spofforth, Head of Jewellery, Sotheby’s London

How much are the Windsor jewels worth?

Published on October 18, 2022

La spilla appartenuta alla regina Vittoria. Al centro il numero 60 in caratteri slavi

British princes, kings and dukes buy jewels of great value. Which over time are re-evaluated.

The jewels of the British royalty, the crown jewels, consist of more than 140 pieces. The entire collection uses 23,578 precious stones, including Cullinan I, the largest cut diamond in the world with its 530 carats: its value is estimated at 400 million pounds, about 440 million euros or 521 million dollars. The most recent addition to the collection was a 22-karat gold bracelet that was presented by the late Queen Elizabeth II at the time of her coronation in 1953. Giving a global price to the jewelry collection is difficult, not least because there is no possibility that the jewels are put up for sale. Some time ago, however, a rough calculation estimated the real collection at over 3 billion pounds or 3.3 billion euros or almost 4 billion dollars.

La corona britannica: sulla fascia in basso il diamante Cullinan di 317,4 carati — La corona britannica: sulla fascia in basso il diamante Cullinan

The collection is kept inside the Jewel House in the Tower of London with the exception of the jewels usually used by the royal family. The ring was worn by Kate Middleton and, before her, by Diana Spencer, it was arguably the most recognizable royal engagement jewel in history and is now priced appropriately for her fame. The 12-carat Ceylon sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds worn by the Duchess of Cambridge has been valued at £ 300,000 (about € 360,000), ten times the amount paid 34 years ago. The ring, which originally belonged to the mother of Prince Williams, Princess of Wales, was purchased by King Charles of England in 1981 for £ 28,000.

apertura — L’anello con zaffiro e diamanti di Kate Middleton

Even the one that belonged to Queen Elizabeth, a 3-carat solitaire diamond mounted on platinum and surrounded on each side by five small diamonds, has been revalued: it was purchased for 28,000 pounds in 1947 and is now valued at 100,000 (about 120,000 euros). From the Queen Mother to the new Queen: the Camilla ring received by Charles in 2004 is also revalued. It is an Art Deco example from 1930, consisting of a large emerald-cut diamond flanked by three baguette-cut diamonds on both sides. It was valued at 100,000 pounds in 2004, 250,000 (300,000 euros) today.

Anello di Meghan — L’anello di fidanzamento di Meghan Markle

L'anello di fidanzamento della regina Elisabetta II — L’anello di fidanzamento della regina Elisabetta II

collana oro giallo smeraldi — La regina Elisabetta con collana in oro giallo e smeraldi

Meghan Markle con la tiara Diamond Bandeau a la tiara a fascia della Regina Mary, che la Regina Elisabetta le aveva prestato per l'occasione — Meghan Markle con la tiara Diamond Bandeau a la tiara a fascia della Regina Mary, che la Regina Elisabetta le aveva prestato per l’occasione

La principessa Beatrice con lo sposo Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, indossa la Queen Mary's Fringe Tiara — La principessa Beatrice con lo sposo Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, indossa la Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara

All the Camilla jewelry

Published on September 9, 2022

Collana e orecchini di Van Cleef & Arpels

The future queen of England is Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and wife of king Charles III. You want to know what are her jewels?

What is the collection of jewels of the new Queen of England, Camilla Duchess of Cornwall? To show the Crown Jewels, and to estimate the value, was time ago the British newspaper Daily Mail. According to a survey of the newspaper, Camilla has accumulated, 12 years after the marriage with king Charles, a considerable collection of beautiful jewelery. For example, a magnificent necklace of diamonds and rubies, which should be a gift from the king of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah, died in January 2015. The series is combined with a bracelet and earrings. A particularly eye-catching piece of jewelry, but brought tastefully, has underlined the British newspaper.

La duchessa di Cornovaglia con la preziosa collana di diamanti e rubini

Much of the jewelry are gifts, in particular of Arab sheiks. After a two-day tour in Saudi in 2006, for example, here is a 37 rubies necklace and as many diamonds, with an estimated value of nearly 1 million euro. Two years later came a set of jewels with rubies and sapphires: necklace, earrings and bracelet. Another bracelet is a tribute by the Emir of Bahrain, while a necklace, brooch and belt are the kind of the present ruler of Kuwait.

Camilla con collana di perle e fermaglio appartenuto alla bisnonna, Alice Keppel

Obviously, you must add those of the same Charles, in addition to those of the family. The Duchess, apparently, is particularly fond of his collection of pearl choker (it also owns half a dozen). Curious coincidence: the staples of the necklaces are made with precious and semi-precious belonged to her great-grandmother, Alice Keppel, the last and most famous mistress of King Edward VII. When you say keep family traditions … Anyway, Charles was always amused by the connection between Camilla and the mistress of his great-great-grandfather. So much so that, with the help of jeweler Wartski, the prince was looking to buy jewelry collection that belonged to Alice Keppel. For example, with 120 thousand euros for a tiara of diamonds and rubies that was the great-grandmother of Camilla, acquired at the time by Edward VII in Paris.

Charles, in any case, has bought a pink topaz by Sotheby’s, to be transformed into a clasp for a pearl necklace with three wires. He then donated the earrings Alhambra, symbol of luck, a brooch in the shape of a dancer, and one with the silhouette of dragonfly, all of Van Cleef & Arpels. The inspiration for the dancer is the result of collaboration between the jeweler Claude Arpels and choreographer George Balanchine. The ruby, which symbolizes passionate love, is said to be the favorite stone of Camilla, also because it is not associated with Diana, who preferred sapphires. Camilla has another series (as well as donated by King Abdullah) of rubies and sapphires, worth 3.5 million euro. A pin with emerald drop, which was a favorite jewelry of Princess Diana, is composed of a circle of diamonds with the insignia of three feathers of the Prince of Wales, as a pendant emerald cabochon. Remains a doubt: it was just the pendant of a necklace of Diana, it has reappeared in the form of a brooch on the lapel of the Duchess?

Due collane di diamanti, con zaffiri e smeraldi

In 2006 Camilla has also received a necklace decorated with sapphires and emeralds, valued at more than 1 million euro. The Snake Necklace is a gift of Charles in 2001, four years before their marriage: it consists of round diamonds and emerald cut, in a platinum setting. Then there is the engagement ring by 250 thousand euro: belonged to Carlo’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth. This ring with diamonds, art deco, it was estimated 250 thousand euro.
The brooch Ladies of North Wales is another element of the collection that belonged to the Queen Mother. The brooch of Hesse diamonds, diamonds and sapphires, has a long history: it was given to Queen Victoria from grandchildren Hesse, Germany, for her Diamond Jubilee.

Camilla chose to wear for his 60th birthday the diamond necklace worn by the Queen Mother for the coronation of her husband, in 1937. A necklace commissioned in 1858 by Queen Victoria using two insignia of the Order of the Garter and the hilt of a sword. The original series included 28 stones, and is estimated to be worth around 7 million Euros.

Camilla con collana di perle e grande smeraldo

Camilla indossa uno dei chocker di perle

Camilla con una delle spille della sua collezione

Due tra le preziose collane della collezione di Camilla

The jewels of Queen Elizabeth seen up close

Published on September 9, 2022

La regina Elisabetta indossa la tiara The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland

The farewell to Queen Elizabeth touch millions of people. But the queen leaves a legacy not only linked to her institutional figure, but also to her material. Starting with her jewels. And one of the events related to the queen’s jubilee, celebrated just two months before her death, concerns the display of her majesty jewels. The exhibition, organized by the Royal Collection Trust, is located in what used to be the Queen’s home, Buckingham Palace, London. Visitors can admire many of the Queen’s historic jewels, accompanied by original hand-finished images and prints taken by Dorothy Wilding (1893-1976), who has portrayed Elizabeth II on multiple occasions. The exhibition is titled The Platinum Jubilee: The Queen’s Accession and runs until October 2nd.

Jewelery is the most exciting item for aficionados. Also because there are not only jewels that have an exclusively historical value, as well as being precious. Many of the jewels on display, on the other hand, are among the favorites of the queen, who has worn them several times on official occasions and for the portraits of her that have become icons of her. For example, the Diamond Diadem tiara and The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara.

La tiara The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland. La regina fece riattaccare la parte superiore e la fascia nel 1969 e da allora la tiara è diventata uno dei suoi gioielli più riconoscibili

The Diamond Diadem was created on the occasion of the coronation of George IV in 1821. It is a jewel made with 1,333 brilliant-cut diamonds and a band with two rows of pearls. Two diamonds are set in the shape of a rose, a thistle and two shamrocks: they are the national symbols of England, Scotland and Ireland. The diadem was inherited in 1837 by Queen Victoria and, among other things, appears on the first stamp ever created, the legendary Penny Black. The diadem went to Queen Alexandra, then to Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and then to Elizabeth II, who wore it on the day of her coronation and for the opening of parliament from the first year of her reign.

Il Diamond Diadem. È incastonato con 1.333 diamanti taglio brillante e 169 perle. Il diadema è stato originariamente creato per l'incoronazione di Giorgio IV nel 1821 — Il Diamond Diadem. È incastonato con 1.333 diamanti taglio brillante e 169 perle. Il diadema è stato originariamente creato per l’incoronazione di Giorgio IV nel 1821

The Vladimir diadem, on the other hand, is so called because it was made for the Grand Duchess Vladimir of Russia and sold by her daughter to Queen Mary in 1921. Inherited from the current queen in 1953, the diadem was worn with its original pearl drops. . But there are also jewels that are visible in public for the first time, such as the Dorset bow brooch and a pair of diamond bracelets.

Diadema Vladimir. Realizzato per la Granduchessa Vladimir di Russia, questo diadema è stato venduto da sua figlia alla regina Mary nel 1921. Ereditato dalla regina nel 1953, il diadema è stato indossato con le sue gocce di perle originali

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara, on the other hand, has been owned by the queen since 1947, as a wedding gift from her grandmother, Queen Mary. Among the jewels there is also the Nizam of Hyderabad necklace in platinum with 300 diamonds: it was donated to Princess Elizabeth by the Nizam of Hyderabad (governor of the Kingdom, title of the native sovereigns of the Indian state of Hyderabad) as a wedding gift in 1947. Elizabeth II he wore it was often worn for official engagements and formal portraits.

Collana Nizam of Hyderabad in platino con 300 diamanti

Bracciale di Cartier in platino, diamanti e zaffiri

Collana Delhi Durbar. È composta con nove smeraldi originariamente di proprietà della nonna della regina, Mary. Il diamante ovale da 8,8 carati è stato tagliato dal diamante Cullinan, il più grande mai trovato — Collana Delhi Durbar. È composta con nove smeraldi
originariamente di proprietà della nonna della regina, Mary. Il diamante ovale da 8,8 carati è stato tagliato dal diamante Cullinan, il più grande mai trovato

Garrard, collana regina del Sudafrica, 1947

Garrard, bracciale della regina del Sudafrica

La regina Elisabetta II ritratta da Dorothy Wilding

La regina Elisabetta II indossa il Diamond Diadem e la collana Nizam of Hyderabad

Spilla con diamanti dono della contea del Dorset alla regina Mary nel 1893. È stata donata alla principessa Elisabetta come regalo di nozze nel 1947

Bulgari high jewelery for Elizabeth’s jubilee

Published on May 15, 2022

alta gioielleria//Showroom

La tiara è anche un gioiello trasformabile, che può diventare una collana

It’s time for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. London has decided to celebrate the anniversary, from 2 to 5 June, with events and celebrations. And the queen, passionate about jewelry (she can boast an exceptional collection) is also a source of inspiration for designers. Bulgari, for example, announced the Jubilee Emerald Garden tiara, inspired by the Queen of England. Along with the tiara, a high-end jewelery watch was announced. The set of two unique pieces was created, says the Maison, in over 1,500 hours of work: it is the result of the skill of a master goldsmith in collaboration with a group of five artisans, two of which dedicated exclusively to the manual setting of gems.

The set consists of emeralds and diamonds mounted in a platinum frame. And platinum, in fact, is the Queen’s Jubilee. The jewelry design is inspired by a floral bouquet. In the center is a 63.44-carat Zambian emerald. But not only. The gem is engraved with a lotus flower. The tiara is also a transformable piece of jewelry, which can become a necklace.

The Divas’ Dream watch is made of white gold, set with eight Zambian emeralds (approx.18.40 carats), round brilliant diamonds and pavé diamonds set on the case and bracelet. The dial has snow-set diamonds (approx.11.40 carats). Making the clock was also complex: it involved five craftsmen, for a total of a thousand hours of work. In this case the emeralds were cut into a fan shape.

Lo smeraldo di 63.44 carati dello Zambia inciso con un fiore di loto

L'orologio Divas' Dream è realizzato in oro bianco, con otto smeraldi dello Zambia — L’orologio Divas’ Dream è realizzato in oro bianco, con otto smeraldi dello Zambia

How to recognize Victorian jewelry

Published on April 3, 2022

Campus/

Spilla con zaffiro e diamante appartenuta alla regina Vittoria

How to recognize Victorian jewels (maybe you have one in the drawer): they can have a very high value ♦

The jewels of the mid-nineteenth century, if of Anglo-Saxon origin, are defined as Victorian. Maybe you have them at home and you do not know it. Better to know them, then. The Victorian era of British history, that is, the reign of Queen Victoria, starts on 20 June 1837 and continues until the death of the sovereign, on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, improvement of economic conditions and development for the jewelery. From the jewelry standpoint, the Victorian period is divided into two parts. The first begins immediately after the Late Georgian period and goes as far as the American Civil War, ie between 1837 and 1860.
The second part arrives until the beginning of the new century, the twentieth century.

The first period was characterized by the romantic era, in which the link with nature and human feeling was central. Romanticism, as well as music, art and literature, also involves jewelery. For example, in the miniatures, which Queen Victoria also loved a lot. Or the medallions, which perhaps contained a lock of hair (Queen Victoria had one with those of Prince Albert). Moreover, the goldsmith’s workshop discovered the electroplating, which allowed the gold to be plated. In this way even those who could not afford a solid gold jewel had the opportunity to buy one plated.

The jewels of this period, however, were handmade. The stylistic motifs of this period were often inspired by nature: flowers, leaves, ivy, but also snakes, were often used as symbols of a deeper concept. For example, ivy symbolizes marriage and friendship. Snakes, instead, indicate wisdom. Another recurrent motif was that of the joined hands: they signify friendship and eternal love. Pearls, on the other hand, wanted to allude to tears. And the green emeralds symbolized hope.

Collezione di gioielli di epoca vittoriana

The shape of the jewels. The jewelers made pieces that had to adapt to fashion, yesterday and today. The necklines were banned: few and short, then, the necklaces. They were often combined with a medallion, sometimes engraved with writings or poems. The cameo, especially in Italy, was a very appreciated type of jewelry. The big brooches, worn on clothes, in the middle of the neck, are much more fashionable. In the middle of the century the hairstyles with long curls have given way to hairstyles with the central parting. A style that left the ears uncovered and led to a revaluation worthy earrings, usually pendants. Bracelets and bracelets were very large, often with hinged clasps and made of laminated gold.

Gold and stones. Diamonds, emeralds and rubies were appreciated, but the cut was often much more crude: there were no machines with the precision of those of today. Even the quality of the gems was on average much lower. For diamonds, the “old miners” cut was popular, used for Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian jewels. It was a popular design in the nineteenth century, replaced in the twentieth century by a brilliant cut. Coral, pearls, garnets, pink and turquoise topazes were also used. The so-called acrostic rings were very fashionable, with many different stones, whose initials formed the English word dearest (carissima): diamond, emerald (emerald), amethyst, ruby, emerald, sapphire, topaz. The gold was hardly pink and the yellow one usually had a high number of carats. Cosimo Muzzano

Anello vittoriano con rubino e due diamanti, circa 120 carati. Prezzo: 12.750 sterline

Collana floreale di diamanti per 100 carati

Spilla di diamanti a forma di farfalla, circa 1860

Bracciale e anello con granati, fine Ottocento

Cameo pendente per collana, revival rinascimentale

Collana serpente, oro e turchese. Circa 1850

The rings of the British royals

Published on February 15, 2022

Rings/

L'anello di fidanzamento di Meghan Markle

Engagement rings of the protagonists of the British royal family. Those of Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, Camilla and … ♦ ︎

The many fans of chronicles from the British royal family are preparing for a new wedding. After those of Prince Harry and Maghen Markle there were those of Eugenie, second child of Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, with Jack Brooksbank, then those of Beatrice of York with Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Or of nobles linked in some way to the royal family, such as Lady Gabriella Windsor, daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, who married Thomas Kingston.

Lady Gabriella Windsor con Thomas Kingston

The father of the bride, Prince Michael of Kent, is the son of George, Duke of Kent and Navy of Greece. He is also the nephew of King George V, who reigned from 1910 until January 20, 1936. He is therefore the first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. In short, it is always part of the royal family, as evidenced by the fact that Lady Gabriella got married in the same place where the weddings of Meghan Markle and Princess Eugenia were celebrated (Kate Middleton and William instead said yes in the Abbey of Westminster).

As always, attention is also paid to everything around events of this type. For example, to the jewels that noble brides wear. Often the jewels worn by members of the royal family, in fact, reveal bonds and hierarchies, as well as being particularly valuable objects. In particular, the rings worn by girlfriends and brides of the British royal family all have a story to tell.

Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge

Kate Middleton presented herself in public with the ring of engagement that belonged to Princess Diana: a way to emphasize also a leading role and an unconditional entry into the royal family. The ring has a 12 karat Ceylon oval blue sapphire and is surrounded by 14 diamonds. The gift was a symbolic act and also a decision on which Prince William has meditated: before offering it to the future bride it seems that he kept the ring in his pocket for three weeks while on vacation with Kate in Kenya. In short, it is certainly not an impulsive one.

Kate Middleton con l'anello appartenuto a Diana — Kate Middleton con l’anello appartenuto a Diana

Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex

Meghan’s engagement ring was designed by Prince Harry personally. The ring is of the trilogy type, with three diamonds: the center stone, larger, comes from Botswana, where the couple had spent their holidays together. Not secondary aspect: the other two diamonds belonged to the Princess Diana jewelry collection. Also in this case, in short, there is a clear connection with the family history.

Queen Elizabeth II

Like his nephew Harry, Prince Philip, husband of Elizabeth II, who passed away in 2021, also designed the engagement ring. This is a square diamond ring of approximately 3 carats, made for her more than 70 years ago. This is not an exceptional link, but for a reason: austerity after the Second War advised against excessive ostentation of wealth. The diamond had previously been set in a tiara that belonged to Philip’s mother.

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall

The second wife of Prince Charles (from February 2005), received a ring with five carat diamonds. In this case it is a family ring: it was built in 1920 and belonged to the Queen Mother. The central diamond is square cut and is surrounded by six baguette-cut diamonds.

L'anello di fidanzamento di Camilla — L’anello di fidanzamento di Camilla

Zara Phillips

Zara (Anne Elizabeth) Phillips, married to Mike Tindall, is the daughter of Princess Anne, sister of the Queen, and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips. She is therefore the second granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth. For engagement Zara received a diamond solitaire ring set by Mike Tindall on a platinum band studded with small diamonds.

Princess Eugenia

Sarah Ferguson’s daughter sported a ring with sapphire padparadscha, one of the rarest varieties of stone. It is an oval sapphire surrounded by diamonds and set on a Welsh gold ring, perhaps a gift from the queen. Among other things, the ring resembles that of Eugenie’s mother, Sarah Ferguson, when she became engaged to Prince Andrew in 1986.

L'anello della principessa Eugenia — L’anello della principessa Eugenia

Sarah Ferguson

The engagement ring of the Duchess of York was a Burmese ruby surrounded by diamonds, designed by Prince Andrew. Which, however, has confessed to having been helped by jewelers in charge of making the ring.

Princess Diana

In 1981 Lady Diana’s engagement ring was the first tear to the royal protocol: it was chosen, in fact, from the catalog of Garrad, a London jeweler. The tradition, in fact, foresaw that members of the royal family did not wear jewels that could be bought by any citizen (obviously rich enough to be able to afford it).

La principessa Diana con l'anello di fidanzamento — La principessa Diana con l’anello di fidanzamento

How to wear the jewels of the queen

Published on January 14, 2022

news/

RIproduzione della spilla della regina Elizabeth con diamanti e perla a goccia

Do you want to wear Queen Elizabeth’s jewels? Or Kate Middleton? And maybe you want to present yourself with a bow-shaped brooch with 506 diamonds, chosen by the British Queen Victoria, in 1858. Or, again, you might like the brooch given by Princess Fedorovna and her husband Alexander III to Queen Mary, with a large diamond and a cabochon sapphire.

Riproduzione della corona di regina madre, che ha al centro il famoso diamante Koh-i-Noor

And how about the emerald necklace adored by Princess Diana? Not to mention earrings, tiaras and bracelets that have touched regal skins. Well, owning these regal jewels is no longer a problem. Of course, they are replicas, but they are similar to the originals, made with great care, even if in silver plated and with crystals instead of precious stones.

They could be fun for present themselves in a royal capacity in front of friends. The idea is of stagejewellery.com, a British company that supplies jewelery for theater and cinema. Through the website royalexhibitions.co.uk, the company offers the possibility of replicating any jewel, including crowns, scepters and signs of knightly orders. The most challenging pieces, such as gift wreaths, can also be rented. For the rest, the prices are absolutely within reach: for example, a brooch is around 100 pounds, while for a crown the cost goes up.

Tiara appartenuta alla principessa Alexandra di Russia (riproduzione)

Collana di perle di Camilla, duchessa di Cornovaglia (riproduzione)

Corona imperiale britannica (riproduzione)

Orecchini della regina Elisabetta d'Inghilterra (riproduzione) — Orecchini della regina Elisabetta d’Inghilterra (riproduzione)

Spilla dell'ordine Victoria And Albert (riproduzione) — Spilla dell’ordine Victoria and Albert (riproduzione)

Collana di smeraldi della principessa Diana (riproduzione)

Spilla regalada dalla principessa Fedorovna (riproduzione)

Spilla a forma di fiocco della regina Victoria (riproduzione)

The most loved jewels from the British royals

Published on December 31, 2021

news/

William porge l'anello di Wartski a Kate Middleton

British royal jewels always attract curiosity. Here are the Windsor’s most loved jewels ♦

Prince William last year gave his wife, Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, a pair of sapphire and diamond earrings. And this after having donated as a engagement ring a large sapphire, surrounded by diamonds. It would not be surprising, if it were not for those jewels that belonged to Lady Diana, William’s mother. For some devotees to the former princess who died in tragic circumstances in Paris it was a desecration. But they are extreme positions: it is obvious that the jewels that belonged to the mother are destined for the wife. Better to wear a princess than a museum, right? What is certain is that in the treasury of the royals of Great Britain there is no shortage of curiosities, as the Royalcenter.co.uk website lists.

Read also: Harry’s ring for Meghan

Matrimonio preziosissimo — Matrimonio con orecchini di zaffiri e diamanti, e la tiara storica di famiglia

The miniature crown of Queen Victoria

After Prince Albert’s death in 1861, Queen Victoria wore a crown that was not “too ostentatious” on rare public occasions. For this she commissioned a small crown perched above a white veil. Made by London-based jeweler Garrard, the crown measures just 3.5 inches (8.9 centimeters) and is 4 inches tall, but is set with 1,200 diamonds (white, because Victoria associated colorful jewelry with happiness). Thanks to her light weight, the mini crown has been preferred over any other for the last 30 years of her life. Victoria’s crown was then worn by Queen Alexandra, consort of King Edward VII.

The brooch of Prince Albert

Another jewel favored by Queen Victoria was a brooch with sapphire and diamond. In past years it has been worn many times since the passing of Queen Mother. The brooch, a large oblong sapphire surrounded by 12 round diamonds, was donated by Prince Albert to Queen Victoria the day before their wedding in 1840. Victoria appreciated it very much, so much to wear it on her wedding day, pinned to the front of her wedding dress. He brought it constantly until Albert was alive, but rarely during his forty years of widowhood. In his will, Vittoria ordered the pin to be part of the Crown Jewels, run by a trust and available to all future British queens. Alexandra, for example, wore the brooch for her coronation in 1902, and Queen Mary (wife of King George V) often wore the brooch during the day. It was also a favorite of the Queen Mother. And the queen Elisabetta often sported an almost identical pin.

The engagement ring of the Duchess of Cambridge

The best known sapphire of the Windsor is, however, what is found in the engagement ring of the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton. As mentioned at the beginning, the ring was given by Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. On the Sunday that preceded the announcement of their engagement the couple had dinner with the Queen at Windsor Castle. The ring was chosen by Diana in a tray of jewelry that had been sent from London. The large oval sapphire was chosen immediately, together in a cluster of 14 brilliant cut diamonds. When Diana died in 1997, Prince William asked to have the ring. In 2010, in Kenya, he gave it to Kate, who has been wearing the ring ever since.

L'anello di fidanzamento con diamanti e zaffiro appartenuto a Diana e ora alla duchessa di Cambridge — L’anello di fidanzamento con diamanti e zaffiro appartenuto a Diana e ora alla duchessa di Cambridge

Cartier’s tiara

This tiara is well known since it was lent by the Queen to the Duchess of Cambridge, who wore it on her wedding day, in 2011. But even though the tiara was never worn in public by the Queen, she was often carried by her mother when she was the duchess of York. It was given to Princess Elizabeth for her eighteenth birthday in 1944, and since then the diadem has been lent to Princess Margaret and Princess Anne.

The Princess Zara’s diadem

Royal watchers know the importance of the diadem worn by Zara Phillips at her wedding to Mike Tindall. Zara is the daughter of Princess Anna (herself Elizabeth’s only daughter) and her ex-husband Mark Phillips. Jewelery design is commonly known as “Greek pattern”. It incorporates a wreath of leaves and swirls on both sides and it was her mother-in-law’s wedding gift. The Queen never wore it in public and gave it to Princess Anne in 1972. She then lent it to her daughter in 2011.

Zara Phillips con diadema il giorno del matrimonio

Mary Cambridge’s tiara

Queen Mary had this diadem, produced by Garrard in 1914. The jewel was made just by one of her designs, with pearls and diamonds that were already in possession of the queen, and is a copy of a property of her grandmother, the duchess of Cambridge. It was originally made with pearls in an upright position. When the queen died in 1953, she left the tiara to her daughter Elizabeth, who then gave her as a wedding present to Diana in 1981. At the death of the princess, the tiara was returned to the Queen and she was no longer worn since then.

Diana con la tiara appartenuta alla Regina Mary, moglie di Giorgio V

The Queen Mother’s brooch

When King George VI and Queen visited Canada in 1939, he was presented with this large diamond in a maple-leaf brooch, a national symbol of Canada. Then, Princess Elizabeth, on tour in Canada for the first time with Prince Philip in 1951, borrowed the brooch to wear during the trip. Since then it has been worn on every Queen’s or Queen’s Mother’s visit to Canada. The Queen lent the pin to the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge, both who wore it during their travels to Canada in 2009 and 2011.

La regina Elisabetta con la spilla a forma di foglia di acero immortalata su un francobollo

Queen Mary’s Bandeau Tiara

The Queen Mary Bandeau tiara was worn by Meghan Markle on her wedding day. The center stone of the tiara is detachable and becomes a ten diamond brooch that Queen Mary received as a gift from Lincoln County in 1893, when she married then Prince George, Duke of York. Forty years later, in 1932, the diamond and platinum band tiara was made specifically to house the brooch. The jewel is composed of ovals intertwined with a diamond pavé and large and small brilliant cut diamonds. Queen Mary bequeathed the tiara to Queen Elizabeth when she died in 1953.

Meghan Markle con la tiara Diamond Bandeau

The most expensive jewels of royalty

Published on October 28, 2021

COLLANE//news

I gioielli top secondo il siro Jewellerybox

Who is the richest in the world? We periodically read rankings with the usual names at the top: Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, with positions that vary according to the performance of the stock market. But who owns the most expensive jewels? Jewelerybox, London-based online jewelry retailer, tried to answer this question in regards to jewelry owned by royal families. The conclusions are interesting, but a clarification must be added: the value is only theoretical, because if put up for auction these jewels could be valued differently, more or less. In any case, the result is somewhat surprising: the most expensive piece of jewelry belongs to the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, wife of Prince William. In fact, the Nizam of Hyderabad necklace is valued at 66.3 million pounds, which at the current exchange rate is equivalent to 75 million euros or 87 million dollars.

The Jewelerybox analysis (you can find the original article here) also holds many other surprises, but with one fixed point: the royal family English has more expensive jewelry than the others. Queen Elizabeth, for example, sports a brooch with the two diamonds Cullinan III and IV: they cost 50 million pounds (59 million euros or 69 million dollars). Another British Queen’s brooch, the Queen’s Williamson Diamond Brooch, comes in third place, at a cost of £ 25 million. The fourth most expensive jewel in and around Buckingham Palace is, however, owned by Princess Eugenie. It comes from the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara, costing £ 10 million.

Princess Eugenie of York con la Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara

Curiously, the same article also lists less expensive jewelry (so to speak). Like the large amethyst necklace worn by the Duchess of Cornwall Camilla Parker Bowles: according to the Jewelerybox estimate it is worth just £ 50,000. But even an aquamarine necklace worn recently by the queen stops at the modest valuation of £ 150,000.

La duchessa di Cornovaglia con la collana di perle e ametista

Don’t think that the only royal families with incredible jewels are only those from the UK. The ranking, in fact, also finds in the top ten jewels of the kings or former rulers of Norway, Yugoslavia and Iran. While the fact remains that the four most expensive royal jewels in the world (together worth £ 151.3 million), they are all owned by the British royal family.

La classifica dei gioielli delle famiglie reali

Wartski, royal jewels

Published on August 14, 2021

Showroom/

Wartski, the jeweler who sells vintage pieces and provided the wedding ring to William and Kate ♦ ︎

Do you want a wedding ring like that bought by Prince William to marry Kate Middleton? The right address is No. 14 of Grafton Street, London. Here is the official jeweler of the British Royal, Wartski. In 2011 Wartski produced William’s wedding ring with Catherine Middleton: a simple yellow metal hoop, modeled with the use of a small Welsh gold bullion given to Prince by his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II. But already in 2005 Wartski had made wedding rings for Prince Charles and Camilla, current consort of the successor to the throne.

Wartski, however, is a particular jeweler: apart from wedding rings, he does not offer his own jewelery, but sells antique or vintage pieces of great value. It has a long and adventurous history. The jewelery company was founded in 1865 in Wales by a Russian refugee, Morris Wartski, escaped pogrom. After the Russian Revolution, Wartski specializes in jewelery created by Carl Fabergé, Russian-born goldsmith-artist, famous for the elaborate eggs created for the czars and then, more generally, in the jewelry trade of the era. Not only vintage but above all jewels of great designers, or of great Maison. In 1911, the jewelery store, led by the founder’s sons, moved to London after some shift, settled in the modern headquarters in the Mayfair district. Wartski is one of the most exclusive British jewelers. It participates in antiques fairs such as Tefaf and is now owned by Nicholas Snowman, Kenneth’s son and Morris Wartski’s grandson. Geoffrey Munn, on the other hand, is the current Ceo and is a well-known face of the BBC, as well as author of numerous books on jewels and Wartski’s story.

Anello in oro bianco, diamanti e zaffiri

Spilla primi Novecento in oro e diamanti

Collana in oro firmata Giacinto Melillo, orafo napoletano, 1870

Collana in oro e cristallo di René Lalique

The strange story of the tiara worn by Beatrice

Published on July 26, 2020

bijoux/

Most of the comments in the newspapers and on the web about the wedding of Princess Beatrice with Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi centered on the Norman Hartnell dress. Few, however, have underlined the choice to wear a tiara that has a long and surprising history. So, it is worth telling the story of the tiara worn by Princess Beatrice, daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York and second son of Queen Elizabeth.

The tiara that Beatrice wore is special: suffice it to say that it was in the hair of Queen Elizabeth on the day of her wedding with Philip, Prince of Edinburgh in 1947. It is the Queen Mary Fringe, who is over one hundred years old. The tiara, in fact, was made by the London jeweler Garrard on commission from Queen Mary in 1919. But it has an even older origin because it is made with diamonds of a necklace that Queen Victoria had given to Queen Mary in 1893 on the occasion of his marriage to what would become George V, and then he was the granddaughter of the tenant of Buckingham Palace.

Embed from Getty Images

One step back. The diamond necklace, which became tiara, was originally owned by George III and his wife, Queen Charlotte. Precisely for this reason the tiara is also called as a diadem of George III or Hanover, in the past the noble title of the royal family, which has German origins. But it was a necklace with an exotic shape and, above all, in a kokoshnik style: a word that indicates a traditional headdress of Russian women. The necklace, in fact, was convertible and could also be worn on the hair as a diadem.

Embed from Getty Images

The tiara, therefore, was worn by Queen Mary for her wedding and then by Queen Elizabeth for her wedding with Philip Mountbatten. But with a little drama: while Elizabeth was getting dressed for the ceremony, the mechanism that keeps the shape of the frame of the tiara was blocked. A problem solved, with some anxiety, after the jewel was hurriedly brought to the jeweler’s laboratory. Despite this, the central fringe of the tiara remained slightly tilted, as evidenced by the photos taken on the occasion.

La regina Elisabetta il giorno del suo matrimonio

The story of the tiara is not over. It was still worn, in fact, by Princess Anne in 1973, on the occasion of her marriage to Mark Phillips. Queen Elizabeth later inherited the tiara in 2020 when Queen Mother died and wore it in a Diamond Jubilee Portrait, an image taken in the Blue Room at Buckingham Palace by Julian Calder for the Governor General of New Zealand in 2011. And now it was Beatrice’s turn. Who will be next to wear the jewel?

La Queen Mary's Fringe Tiara — La Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara

The grandmother’s turquoise for the Queen

Published on April 6, 2020

La regina Elisabetta indossa una collana con tre fili di perle e una spilla con diamanti e turchese

Queen Elizabeth appeared on television for a message to the nation. And to make news are (also) her jewels. On the other hand, it was inevitable that, in addition to attention to the topic addressed by the queen (the coronavirus emergency), attention was also focused on the look of the sovereign. Also because the choice of jewelry for such an important moment could not be accidental. And the queen’s main choice fell on pearls. In fact, it is said that they are always fine.

But not only, together with the necklace with three strands of natural pearls, Her Majesty wore a brooch that comes from his vast collection of jewels. It is the brooch that belonged to Queen Mary with turquoise and diamonds. Queen Mary, wife of George V and grandmother of Queen Elizabeth, received the brooch in 1893 as a wedding gift from her in-laws, the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, at that time Prince and Princess of Wales.

La regina Elisabetta indossa gli orecchini con perle e la collana a tre fili

Queen Elizabeth inherited the brooch, which however remained in the drawer (at least it was not worn in public) until 2014. In this case the brooch was in tune with the turquoise green color of the dress. As a stone, turquoise is often associated with calm, but also with wisdom, care and healing. And it is no coincidence that the queen spoke of the coronavirus.

La regina Elisabetta con spilla di diamanti

The V by Laura Vann earrings worn by Meghan Markle immediately sold out

Published on March 11, 2020

Showroom//Orecchini

Il principe Harry con Meghan Markle che indossa gli orecchini di V by Laura Vann

In ancient times there was King Midas, who transformed everything he touched into gold, while today Meghan Markle transforms the gold he touches into successful jewels. Or rather, the jewelry he wears. British newspapers report on the umpteenth miracle performed by the Duchess of Sussex before her self-exile in Canada.

The British jewelry brand V by Laura Vann, in fact, has seen an increase in business since Meghan Markle wore a pair of earrings during one of his last events in the land of His Majesty. Yes, she is a true influencer (not like many others who have followers but, in reality, they count for nothing).

Gli orecchini Daphne indossati da Meghan Markle

In fact, the Duchess was spotted with a pair of Daphne earrings, made with synthetic emeralds and black agate, in the distinctive style of the brand, which is inspired by art deco. Proposed in autumn 2017, the earrings seem to be in perfect harmony with Meghan’s choices. Too much, in a way: the earrings were sold out in a few days.

Collana Daphne in argento placcato, smeraldi sintetici, agata nera, cubic zirconia

Anello Darcy, in argento riciclato, con smeraldo sintetico a forma esagonale e zirconi cubici affusolati a taglio baguette

Orecchini in argento placcato e cubic zirconia

Orecchini Audrey, in argento sterling, con cubica zirconia e smeraldi sintetici

Here is Beatrice of York’s engagement ring

Published on September 28, 2019

Rings/

The engagement ring between Beatrice of York and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi: was made by Shaun Leane ♦ ︎

Another ring enters the history of the British royal family. And, this time, it also has a pinch of Italy. It is the ring of Princess Beatrice of York, first-born of Andrea, Duke of York and Sarah Ferguson. She is therefore the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and Philip of Edinburgh. Beatrice will marry Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, an Italian entrepreneur active in the real estate sector, who has long since moved to London. At the official announcement of the engagement (but he is divorced and with a son), the ring was followed.

L'anello di fidanzamento di Beatrice di York — L’anello di fidanzamento di Beatrice di York

Edoardo, Edo for his friends, designed the engagement ring with Beatrice in collaboration with British jewelry designer Shaun Leane. He is a designer that appeals to real young people, and in particular to Meghan Markle. His jewels are very modern, often with unusual shapes. The engagement ring with Beatrice, however, is very classic. It was made of platinum, with a central brilliant-cut diamond of 2.5 carats and flanked by two other tapered baguette diamonds.

Beatrice di York con Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

It is not a stone of exceptional size, but still above average and, above all, the diamond is of the best quality for cut and clarity, Gia certified. The ring was handmade in the Shaun Leane Mayfair atelier. The pride of the jeweler, who expressed his happiness for the choice of his Maison, is obvious.

Anello di Beatrice di York con diamante di 2,5 carati

Anello in oro bianco e diamanti di Shaun Leane

Anello in oro bianco e giallo, con diamanti e zaffiri gialli di Shaun Leane

The alternative jewels of Meghan Markle

Published on October 15, 2018

Rings//bijoux

The jewelry worn by Meghan Markle is from the “alternative” designer Pippa Small ♦ ︎

Meghan Markle is pregnant and it’s the news that has thrilled all the fans of events of the British royal family. But those who follow the Buckingham Palace and its news with assiduousness also monitor the clothes and jewels worn by the protagonists of the royal house. In addition to the diadem of Princess Eugenie, of which we have spoken, the profusion of rings, bracelet and earrings, all in yellow gold (her favorite metal), worn by Meghan Markle on the occasion of the wedding ceremony, has aroused curiosity.

We can unveil the origin of the Sussex Duchess’s jewelry: they are from Pippa Small.

Meghan Markle al matrimonio della principessa Eugenie, con gioielli di Pippa Small

It was probably not a casual choice: Pippa Small, in fact, is not an elite jewelry brand. Indeed, it is just the opposite: it is a brand that brings with it words like sustainability, fairness, respect for minorities. And with this choice, Meghan reiterates her role as a nonconformist woman in the royal family.
Pippa Small, in fact, is a London designer who loves to travel and “was inspired by the many fascinating cultures she met”. He completed a master’s degree in medical anthropology and has since focused his interests on human rights among minorities, indigenous groups. It is not by chance that she was appointed ambassador of the human rights organization Survival International in 2008 and in 2013 she won an Mbe by the Queen for ethical jewels and charity works. He worked with the first fair trade gold mine registered in the world in Bolivia and with the esteemed Fair Trade Fair company based in Kibera, a shantytown in Nairobi. When he started his second life as a designer, he also collaborated with famous brands such as Gucci in Tom Ford, Chloe, Bamford. In 2016 he also won the Ethical Jeweler of the Year award and the prestigious Walpole Corporate Social Responsibility award.

Pendente in oro con diamanti. Prezzo: 10000 sterline

Meghan Markle al matrimonio della principessa Eugenie

Anello Eternity dei Fiori in oro di Pippa Small

Anello con fiori ispirato alle forcine giapponesi del XIX secolo

Collana Phaseolus Vulgaria, metalli diversi. Prezzo: 4.000 sterline