The Countess of Barcelona’s Pearl Drop Brooch

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As Queen Letizia of Spain has grown into her royal role in recent years, we’ve seen her embrace more and more heirloom jewels. Today, we’ve got a closer look at a brooch she debuted last year: the Countess of Barcelona’s Pearl Drop Brooch.

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The lovely diamond and pearl drop features a large central pearl and diamond cluster, from which is suspended an additional round diamond and a pear-shaped pearl drop. The piece was a gift to the Countess of Barcelona, mother of King Juan Carlos of Spain, for her wedding in 1935.

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The brooch has long been a favorite of Mercedes’s daughter-in-law, Queen Sofia of Spain. She often wears it for receptions and dinners that are not tiara events. Above, she wears the brooch in January 2005 at a gala dinner during a state visit to Morocco.

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In April 2011, Queen Sofia wore the brooch at a dinner at the Royal Palace in Madrid given for the Emir of Qatar.

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She has also used the brooch for important daytime occasions. In April 2008, she chose to wear it for a military review outside parliament in Madrid.

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Queen Letizia’s debut in the brooch came in October 2017, during the country’s National Day festivities in Madrid.

A photo of Letizia wearing the king’s grandmother’s brooch on National Day even made it to the family’s Christmas card this year.