Many of the pieces that the Queen wears on a regular basis have serious heirloom pedigrees, but she also frequently receives new items of jewelry, especially as she reaches major milestones and celebrates big anniversary. Today’s piece, a lovely brooch made of tourmalines, was presented to HM by the Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan.
Made by Rachel Mielke of the Canadian jewelry firm Hillberg and Berk, the brooch is made of white gold set with Madagascar tourmalines, diamonds, and a single freshwater pearl. The piece has a floral design, but the geometric edges of the tourmaline “petals” give the piece a fresh, contemporary feel.
The Queen received the brooch in October 2013 — our friend Patricia Treble of Maclean’s reports that she “actually gasped when she saw the gift” — and has quickly made it a part of her regular brooch rotation. She wore it for the first time in public in Norfolk in February 2014.
And in a move that seems to cement the importance of the brooch, it was also worn at Royal Ascot in 2014. The piece coordinates really well with the Queen’s wardrobe — excellent planning on the part of the jeweler — so I imagine we’ll see this continue to be a regularly-worn piece for years to come.
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