Queen Elizabeth II: Inside the Jewel Box
Queen Elizabeth II passed away peacefully at Balmoral at the age of 96. Seven decades made up Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's amazing reign. During her reign, a great deal of change occurred, but she persisted and, with her love and devotion to duty, preserved the monarchy.
Some of the most magnificent stones in the world were used in Queen Elizabeth II's jewelry during her reign, including the imperial state crown and her coronation necklace.
Over 1000 pieces of the British monarch's personal collection have been examined by Leslie Field, author of Queen's Jewels: The Personal Collection of Elizabeth II. That is one enormous jewelry box!
Favorite Brooches
Richmond Brooch
The municipality of Richmond gave Mary the brooch, created by Hunt and Roskell, as a wedding present in 1893. Even though Mary's father's family was German, she had resided in White Lodge in Richmond Park for more than two decades, making her feel somewhat like a local in the English town. They presented Mary with a brooch made of diamonds studded with two pearls: a removable pear-shaped pearl drop and a huge round center pearl. Initially, Mary wore the brooch in secret while staying at Osborne House for her honeymoon.
George and Mary were visiting with Queen Victoria, so she had lots of opportunities to show off her new jewelry; it wasn't exactly a secluded or laid-back trip. Additionally, she has the brooch from the top jewel-encrusted image fastened to the bodice of her dress.
The Richmond Brooch was then inherited by Queen Elizabeth from Queen Mary. Early in her reign, Queen Elizabeth II wore the brooch to a number of formal ceremonies she attended with her husband. She also wore it to commemorative military events. The pearl drop is removable and can be worn with or without the brooch. Its ability to bring everything together made it the ideal brooch for Prince Philip's funeral. It was a reminder to him of her unwavering loyalty because he was her constant love and partner.
The brooch’s most high-profile appearance in recent memory came at the royal wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. In St. George’s Chapel that morning, both the Queen and the bride wore brooches from Queen Mary’s wedding gift haul.
The Albert Brooch
This priceless family heirloom was initially given to Queen Victoria by Prince Albert as a wedding present. In addition, to include it in her wedding outfit, Queen Victoria treasured this gift so highly that she eventually designated it an heirloom of the Crown. It will always belong to the king in power.
Favorite Tiaras
GRAND DUCHESS VLADIMIR CIRCLE TIARA
The Queen has numerous tiaras in her collection but the grand duchess Vladimir's circle tiara was on top of it all, which is obvious. This Tiara was the most gorgeous tiara that the Queen has. The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara, which can also be found on currency, is a thing of extraordinary beauty. The Grand Duchess Maria Petrovna initially ordered this tiara from the regal jewelry firm Bolin. The Grand Duchess' jewelry collection was rescued when the Tsar was forced to abdicate and their family retreated into hiding. Her jewelry was retrieved by a friend, and this tiara was one of the pieces that Albert Stopford (a British antiquities and art dealer who specialized in Fabergé and Cartier) spared.
Many of the Grand Duchess' diamonds were sold after she passed away in 1920 to help her children. Queen Mary purchased the magnificent tiara and delivered it to the House of Garrard because it had been harmed during shipping. While they were there, Queen Mary had the tiara changed so that the hanging diamonds could be replaced with emeralds to make it more adaptable.
The Queen Mary also gave her cherished granddaughter the Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara. This magnificent option is frequently thought to be the Queen's favorite tiara.
QUEEN MARY FRINGE TIARA
The fringe necklace worn by Queen Adelaide is substantially older than that worn by Queen Mary. E fashioned it out of diamonds that were placed in gold and silver. Wolff and Co. in 1919 for Garrard. The diamonds, however, date from a little earlier; they were a component of a Collingwood necklace that Queen Victoria gave to Mary as a wedding present in 1893. However, Queen Mary, the pioneer of jewelry design, struck again, tearing apart that present and using the diamonds to create this fringe.
Other Precious Stones
Queen Elizabeth's Engagement Ring
Jewels belonging to the British royal family frequently have histories. Consider the ring that Queen Elizabeth II wore during her marriage.
On Friday, Prince Philip, who was 99 years old, proposed to the Queen with a 3-carat ring. It has 10 smaller stones on its sides and one circular diamond in the middle. Those diamonds are particularly noteworthy since they were taken from a tiara that belonged to Princess Alice of Battenberg, the mother of Prince Philip
Town & Country claims that the princess gifted her son the tiara in 1946 with the knowledge that he would shortly pop the question. The publication claims that Prince Philip later collaborated with London jeweler Philip Antrobus Ltd. to create the Queen's engagement ring.
Of course, not every diamond on the tiara was necessary for the ring. The Duke of Edinburgh decided to create a one-of-a-kind bracelet for his future wife using the surplus.
She wore the bracelet on a number of occasions and in photos after receiving it from him as a wedding gift.
The George VI Sapphire
The sapphires were given to the Queen by her father as a wedding gift in 1947; thus, the set's common name. These are also referred to as "Victorian" sapphires, which makes sense given that they are thought to have been produced in the middle of the nineteenth century. (Leslie Field, for instance, assigns an 1850 date to them.
Initially, the set only came with a necklace and a pair of earrings. The necklace was shortened in 1952 by the Queen, who also had the biggest stone and one link is taken out. Seven years later, the larger sapphire was transformed into a pendant. A bracelet was created to match the demi-parure in the early 1960s.
Queen's Pearl
As a young girl, Queen Elizabeth II developed a fondness for pearls. According to the legend, Queen Victoria gave each of her children a string of pearls before giving them one apiece on their birthdays. This wonderful custom was carried on by the parents of Queen Elizabeth II, although they chose to present her two pearls each year for her expanding string.
Even images of the Queen as a toddler frequently featured a strand of seed pearls because of how frequently she wore pearls. She enjoyed them throughout her long life; they were timeless and gorgeous without being over the top.
Final Verdict
It is undeniable that the Queen is a remarkable person, especially to the people of U.K. We, from Bova, do admire her love for jewels and how she values them. Although we didn't get to feature all of her precious collections as there was a load of them, we do hope that you get what we are trying to say.
May the UK's longest-serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II rest in peace and we hope that she knows how thankful we are for her contribution not just only to the U.K but also to the world of jewels.