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Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

Archives for June 2019

A Grimaldi Heirloom for Charlotte Casiraghi

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This weekend, Charlotte Casiraghi, the elder daughter of Princess Caroline of Monaco, married Dimitri Rassam in a civil ceremony at the Palais Princier in Monaco. At the reception that followed, she dipped into the princely jewel vaults to bring out one of her grandmother’s most famous jewels.

Charlotte wore a white gown for the reception, accessorizing it with the Diamond Festoon Necklace that belonged to her grandmother, the late Princess Grace of Monaco.

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The necklace was one of Grace’s wedding gifts. Made by Cartier in 1956, the piece features both round and baguette diamonds in its mid-century design.

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By wearing the necklace for the reception following her civil wedding ceremony, Charlotte followed directly in Grace’s footsteps. Grace wore the necklace with the Bains de Mer Tiara (more here!) for the opera gala held on the night of her civil wedding ceremony, before her religious wedding the following day. (Charlotte’s religious wedding is reportedly scheduled for a later date in France.)

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The necklace is most often seen these days as part of various exhibitions, but it has been worn since Grace’s death. In 2006, for example, Princess Caroline wore it for the National Day gala at the opera house in Monte-Carlo.

State Banquet Jewels at Buckingham Palace

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The Queen hosted a state banquet at Buckingham Palace tonight in honor of the American President and First Lady, and the royal ladies wore stunning tiaras for the occasion.

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The Queen donned the Burmese Ruby Tiara, which was made in the 1970s. (More on the tiara’s creation here!) She paired it with a much older suite of jewels: the Crown Rubies, which were originally set with opals but transformed to ruby jewels by Queen Alexandra. (More on the set here!)

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She secured the sash of the Order of the Garter with a diamond bar brooch that belonged to Queen Victoria. She’s also wearing the family orders of her father and grandfather.

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The Duchess of Cornwall wore familiar jewels, including the grand Greville Tiara. (More on the tiara here!) She paired it with her pearl choker necklace with the imposing pink topaz clasp.

Victoria Jones- WPA Pool/Getty Images

She also wore diamond floral earrings from her family collection.

Victoria Jones- WPA Pool/Getty Images

A diamond bracelet was also visible on Camilla’s left wrist. On her gown, she wore the sash and star of the Royal Victorian Order, plus the Queen’s family order.

Victoria Jones- WPA Pool/Getty Images

The Duchess of Cambridge paired Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara with diamond and sapphire fringe earrings that belonged to the Queen Mother. (More on the tiara over here, and the earrings over here!) She secured her brand-new Royal Victorian Order sash with her Oak Leaf Brooch. (More on the brooch here!)

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Kate also wore the Queen’s family order and a four-stranded pearl bracelet.

Victoria Jones- WPA Pool/Getty Images

The Princess Royal wore diamonds and aquamarines, including the Aquamarine Pineflower Tiara. (More on the tiara here!) The diamond and aquamarine brooch that secured her Garter sash was once the central element of the tiara. She’s also wearing her mother’s family order.

Victoria Jones- WPA Pool/Getty Images

A thrilling tiara moment came courtesy of the Countess of Wessex, who debuted a remodeled version of her wedding tiara at the banquet. The tiara’s elements have been reconfigured, and the base has been completely redesigned. (See the previous version of the tiara here!) She’s also wearing a diamond demi-parure we’ve seen before (but for which we have no known provenance), as well as the sash and star of the Royal Victorian Order and the Queen’s family order.

Victoria Jones- WPA Pool/Getty Images

The Duchess of Gloucester wore the lovely all-diamond setting of Queen Mary’s Honeysuckle Tiara for the banquet. (More on the tiara here!) Her additional diamond pieces (earrings, necklace, buckle brooch, clips) all come from the collection of her mother-in-law, the late Princess Alice. The sash and star of the Royal Victorian Order and the Queen’s family order complete the look.

Victoria Jones- WPA Pool/Getty Images

Princess Alexandra chose her only personally-owned sparkler, the Ogilvy Tiara, in its pearl setting for the banquet. (More on the tiara here!) She also wore one of her diamond choker necklaces, a pearl bracelet, pearl earrings, and an astonishing pearl and diamond brooch. That jewels secured her Garter sash. She’s also wearing the Queen’s family order, as well as the family order of King George VI. (Alexandra and the Queen are the only surviving recipients of the George VI family order; the Queen is the only living recipient of the George V order.)

Victoria Jones- WPA Pool/Getty Images

Princess Michael of Kent wore diamonds and pearls for the banquet, including the grand Kent Pearl Festoon Tiara. (More on the tiara here!)

Please note: As always, this website is not a place for discussion of contemporary American politics. Please respect my wishes and restrict your comments only to the jewels pictured in this post. Thank you for your cooperation.

State Visit Jewels: UK-US Welcome Ceremony

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As the American President and First Lady arrived on Monday for the start of a state visit to Britain, the Queen and the royals hosted a series of welcome ceremonies for the couple. Here’s a look at the jewels worn by the royal ladies during these events.

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The Queen chose a classic heirloom brooch for the official arrival of her guests: the Cambridge Emerald Cluster Brooch, with its glossy emerald pendant drop. (Learn more about the brooch here!)

Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

For the arrival ceremonies, the Duchess of Cornwall wore pearl earrings with one of her signature pearl choker necklaces. This necklace features a large, shield-shaped diamond clasp.

TOBY MELVILLE/AFP/Getty Images

Camila also wore several bracelets on her left wrist, including a distinctive silver-toned bangle.

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Inside the palace, the Queen sported another brooch — the delicate Cullinan VI and VIII Brooch —  for the usual viewing of relevant items from the Royal Collection. (More on the brooch here!)

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The Duchess of Gloucester was also present to enjoy the Royal Collection display. It’s tough to see, but it looks like she wore jewels from her collection of sapphire pieces.

VICTORIA JONES/AFP/Getty Images

Camilla changed into a second ensemble to host the presidential couple for tea at Clarence House. She wore another of her pearl choker necklaces (this time with the round diamond clasp). She’ll change again shortly for the banquet at Buckingham Palace, and we’ll have a post featuring the royal jewels from that event up later this evening.

Please note: As always, this website is not a place for discussion of contemporary American politics. Please respect my wishes and restrict your comments only to the jewels pictured in this post. Thank you for your cooperation.