Royal Jewels

[FrekeChild]

Date: 2/6/2008 12:16:47 AM
Author: LadyAmythyst69

Date: 2/5/2008 9:56:06 PM

Author: emeraldeyes

Just for the sake of comparison - those of you with weak stomachs should look away. I can''t stand this tiara!

I don''t like the design at all but there is no doubt that those are very fine aquas! What I wouldn''t give for just one of the big ones.

I''ll fight you for the big one in the middle of the tiara LadyA!! Those things are GORGEOUS!!!!

 

[emeraldeyes]

It''s true that the stones themselves are amazing quality, but that just makes their ill-use more aggregious IMO.

 

[emeraldeyes]

When first made in 1957, the tiara consisted of the three upright rectangular stones (detachable for use as brooches), mounted on a simple platinum band. The large central stone was originally the pendant of the necklace given to The Queen by the President and People of Brazil in 1953 as a Coronation present. In 1971 the tiara was adapted to take four scroll ornaments from an aquamarine and diamond jewel given to The Queen by the Governor of São Paulo in 1968.

 

[emeraldeyes]

The necklace and a matching pair of earrings were a Coronation gift to The Queen from the President and People of Brazil in 1953. The perfectly matched stones are in diamond and platinum settings. The original detachable pendant of the necklace was mounted in the centre of the tiara by Garrards and has been replaced by a smaller stone, also detachable.

 

[emeraldeyes]

The earrings and matching necklace were a Coronation gift to The Queen from the President and People of Brazil in 1953. The perfectly matched stones are in diamond and platinum settings.

 

[emeraldeyes]

The bracelet and matching brooch were presented to The Queen by the Brazilian Government in 1958 as a matching addition to the original Coronation gift of 1953.

 

[emeraldeyes]

All preceding information on the pieces taken from the Royal Collection microsite ''Dress for the Occasion''.

If you go to the site you can ''zoomify'' these and other pieces to see amazing detail. Highly reccommended viewing for anyone who hasn''t come across it yet. The emerald pieces in particular are astonishing.


http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/microsites/dressfortheoccasion/default.asp

 

[emeraldeyes]

Another of my all-time fave tiaras.

The Vladimir Tiara, Russia, c.1890

Made for Grand Duchess Vladimir, aunt of the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II, the tiara was smuggled out of Russia during the Revolution by a British diplomat. In 1921 it was sold by the Grand Duchess’s daughter, Princess Nicholas of Greece, to Queen Mary, who adapted the tiara to take fifteen of the celebrated Cambridge emeralds as an alternative to the original pearls. The tiara was inherited by The Queen from her grandmother Queen Mary in 1953.

 

[emeraldeyes]

With the original pearls.

 

[onvacation]

Date: 2/6/2008 9:46:04 AM
Author: emeraldeyes
The bracelet and matching brooch were presented to The Queen by the Brazilian Government in 1958 as a matching addition to the original Coronation gift of 1953.

Lol, talk about ROYAL UPGRADE!

 

[LadyAmythyst69]

Date: 2/6/2008 9:55:48 AM
Author: emeraldeyes

Another of my all-time fave tiaras.

The Vladimir Tiara, Russia, c.1890

Made for Grand Duchess Vladimir, aunt of the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II, the tiara was smuggled out of Russia during the Revolution by a British diplomat. In 1921 it was sold by the Grand Duchess’s daughter, Princess Nicholas of Greece, to Queen Mary, who adapted the tiara to take fifteen of the celebrated Cambridge emeralds as an alternative to the original pearls. The tiara was inherited by The Queen from her grandmother Queen Mary in 1953.

One of my faves too.

My favorite tidbit of info about the Cambridge emeralds is that they were won in a lottery! Can you imagine winning a big box of emeralds in a lottery?

We should dig around and hunt up all the pictures of the pieces in which the Cambridge emeralds were eventually used.

 

[emeraldeyes]

Shouldn''t be too hard to do, although the constant altering and re-setting of them by Queen Mary might make it a bit of a challenge.

Also legend does have it that one of the brooches is still with May''s brother''s mistress''s family.

So Cambridge emeralds were used:

Art Deco choker who most people would identify with Diana, Princess of Wales. (Sorry to opine here, but that headband was dreadful...) This was originally the necklace to the set.
As drops in the Vladimir tiara.
In the bracelet.
As removable ''spikes'' for the Durbar tiara.
Earrings.
As pendants and centre stones on the stomacher.

Most of the pieces can be found and zoomified on the link that I posted above.

The necklace with the negligée pendant commonly referred to as the Cambridge Emerald necklace is in fact properly called the Ladies of India necklace as it was a Durbar gift. Cambridge emeralds were not used in this piece.
I have pics of Queen Mary in various versions of the parure but do not have access to them at this time. Perhaps this evening if no one manages to find anything before that time.

 

[emeraldeyes]

Date: 2/6/2008 2:08:07 PM
Author: SanDiegoLady

Date: 2/5/2008 9:56:06 PM
Author: emeraldeyes
Just for the sake of comparison - those of you with weak stomachs should look away. I can''t stand this tiara!

Actually, I rather like it. Its huge.. but.. the colors are amazing. It doesn''t quite ''fit'' the Queen''s look, but wow, I wouldn''t snort at it for certain. I bet Camilla could pull it off....

I have been told by those who saw the exhibition that the tiara does look a lot better in person. You may be right about Camilla wearing it better. I always think of the thing as ''monumental'' rather than beautiful; but of course it''s meant to portray majesty and I suppose it succeeds in that sense.

 

[emeraldeyes]

Date: 2/6/2008 2:06:36 PM
Author: SanDiegoLady

WOW!! I love this!!! Of course, she''s one of my new favorite royals.

I really like Maxima too. She has such joie de vive and élan and wears jewels so well. It will be fun to watch her wear all those fabulous Dutch tiaras as the years go by...She makes Laurentien and Mabel look so hausfrau and gauche in comparison.

 

[LadyAmythyst69]

Date: 2/6/2008 2:15:00 PM
Author: emeraldeyes

Shouldn''t be too hard to do, although the constant altering and re-setting of them by Queen Mary might make it a bit of a challenge.

Also legend does have it that one of the brooches is still with May''s brother''s mistress''s family.

So Cambridge emeralds were used:

Art Deco choker who most people would identify with Diana, Princess of Wales. (Sorry to opine here, but that headband was dreadful...) This was originally the necklace to the set.
As drops in the Vladimir tiara.
In the bracelet.
As removable ''spikes'' for the Durbar tiara.
Earrings.
As pendants and centre stones on the stomacher.

Most of the pieces can be found and zoomified on the link that I posted above.

The necklace with the negligée pendant commonly referred to as the Cambridge Emerald necklace is in fact properly called the Ladies of India necklace as it was a Durbar gift. Cambridge emeralds were not used in this piece.
I have pics of Queen Mary in various versions of the parure but do not have access to them at this time. Perhaps this evening if no one manages to find anything before that time.

Didn''t Diana get the bracelet too? Or am I mistaken? I seem to remember an emerald bracelet that matched the art deco necklace that she wore early on a bit but not too often after that.

 

[emeraldeyes]

The choker is the only piece that is regularly mentioned as having gone to Diana as a wedding present (although I think both the choker and Lover''s Knot Tiara were really meant as ''lifetime loans''), however The Queen may have loaned her the/a bracelet for some specific occasions. I''ll try to find pics but as Diana was not overly enamored of emeralds the occasions are actually few and far between; pics can be a challenge to uncover.

 

[LadyAmythyst69]

Date: 2/6/2008 2:50:50 PM
Author: emeraldeyes
The choker is the only piece that is regularly mentioned as having gone to Diana as a wedding present (although I think both the choker and Lover''s Knot Tiara were really meant as ''lifetime loans''), however The Queen may have loaned her the/a bracelet for some specific occasions. I''ll try to find pics but as Diana was not overly enamored of emeralds the occasions are actually few and far between; pics can be a challenge to uncover.

She borred quite a bit in the early days but that started to die down around Harry''s birth. She usually wore the emeralds with a green dress and she had two green gowns she wore fairly often in the early days. I''ll try to find pics.

 

[LadyAmythyst69]

Here is Diana wearing the art deco emerald choker.

 

[LadyAmythyst69]

An even earlier photo of Diana wearing the emerald choker. This is one of the green dresses she often wore it with.

 

[LadyAmythyst69]

And one from the late 80''s wearing the choker.

 

[LadyAmythyst69]

The Cambridge Emerald Choker aka Queen Mary''s Art Deco Choker.

 

[LadyAmythyst69]

The Cambridge Emerald Brooch.

 

[LadyAmythyst69]

The Cambridge Emerald earrings. I think Diana is wearing them - on loan from the Queen - in the second picture of her I posted.

 

[LadyAmythyst69]

Another of the choker. The only modern Royal (QEII and on) I can recall having worn it is Princess Diana. Emeraldeyes do you know if any of the other modern royals ever wore it?

 

[LadyAmythyst69]

This is what I have in my records as being the Cambridge Emerald Bracelet - is that right Emeraldeyes? I have not seen this piece worn by any modern royal other than the few times I think I saw Princess Diana wear it.

 

[emeraldeyes]

Yes, Lady A that is the bracelet. It would make sense to me that QEII would wear that with the Vlad tiara, Ladies of India necklace, and Cambridge earrings. Another tidbit to research tonight!
The pic that you posted of Diana in the black cloak with the green taffeta gown underneath is in one of my books at home. I will try to take a close look and see which earrings those are. Drat these small, fuzzy pics that came before the digital age!
AFAIK the choker was not worn in public by QEII.

 

[LadyAmythyst69]

In this photo Queen Mary is wearing the Delhi Durbar Tiara with the original emerald spikes, the Cambridge Emerald Choker, the Cambridge Emerald Earrings, two diamond collet necklaces, the Delhi Durbar necklace, I THINK that could be the Cambridge Emerald Stomacher (it would make sense), and the Dehli Durbar Brooch.

(Is that a Star of the Garter Emeraldeyes? I guess I had better start paying attention to alll these orders and decorations huh?)

 

[LadyAmythyst69]

I also found this gorgous one of the Queen wearing the Vladimir Tiara with the emerald drops. Sadly (since I like the emerald drops so much) the Queen usually wears it with the pearl drops. She is also wearing the Cambridge Emerald Earrings and the Delhi Durbar Necklace and Queen Mary''s Dorset Bow Brooch (a wedding gift to Queen Mary from the county of Dorset and one of several bow brooches the present Queen owns).

Doing some research I have read that QEII has indeed never worn the Cambridge Choker.

 

[LadyAmythyst69]

Another one - this time color yay! - of the Queen wearing the Vlad Tiara with the emerald drops, Cambridge Emerald Earrings and Delhi Durbar Necklace. Oh how I wish I could get a closer look at the bracelet on her right arm. Looks like a colored stone for sure so probably and emerald - but doesn''t seem quite large enough to be the Cambridge Emerald bracelet. What do you think Emeraldeyes?

I think the Queen looks stunning in emeralds.

 

[LadyAmythyst69]

Another of the Queen in the "emerald set" same as above EXCEPT she is also wearing the "other" Cambridge Emerald Brooch (not the one I posted the close up of above). This one is rounder. And also - hooray!- I''m sure that is the Cambridge Emerald Bracelet on her right arm. (Which also leads me to think it actually maybe the bracelet she is wearing in the previous photo as well).

Oh and there''s also Nelson Mandela.