The Braganza Rose Brooch

We recently discussed the gorgeous diamond brooches owned by the grand ducal family of Luxembourg, and researching that post made me think of another favorite diamond floral brooch: the gorgeous diamond rose brooch from the magnificent Braganza Parure.

As this still image from the wonderful De Kongelige Juveler shows, the brooch is a part of the incredible Braganza Parure, a set of jewels that originated in Brazil and now belongs to the Swedish royal family. (All the details on how it got from South America to Stockholm can be found over here.)

The craftsmanship on this piece is just exquisite. This view emphasizes the gold and silver settings of the piece, as well as the masterful pave work on the tightly-packed petals and leaves. And just look at that diamond in the center of the wild rose! It’s worth noting, by the way, that the Swedish royals also own another fabulous diamond rose brooch. That brooch, which belonged to Grand Duchess Louise of Baden, features a larger blossom and more widely scattered leaves.

Queen Silvia wears the brooch in various combinations with other jewels, but almost always for major gala occasions. Here, she wears the brooch with other pieces from the Braganza Parure for the celebrations of her husband’s 60th birthday in April 2006.

She also sometimes wears the brooch for the annual Nobel Prize ceremony and banquet, usually paired with Queen Sofia’s Tiara. (See our recent close-up post on that diadem over here.) In December 2009, she wore the tiara and brooch with pearls.

For the December 2013 Nobel festivities, Silvia wore the tiara and brooch with diamonds, specifically earrings and a necklace that are also apparently a part of the larger Braganza suite.

And in September 2023, she wore the brooch with the Braganza Tiara for King Carl XVI Gustaf’s Golden Jubilee banquet at the Royal Palace in Stockholm.

The Bernadottes are always inventive jewel-wearers, so it should come as no surprise that members of the family have also employed the brooch as a diamond hair ornament. Queen Silvia, for example, tucked it into her hair during the celebrations of her 80th birthday in Stockholm in June 2024.