Archives for July 2020

The votes are in for our Final Fabulous Four round of the Tournament of Brooches! I’ve got the results — and now you get to vote to crown a champion!

The Cullinan III and IV Brooch vs. The Crown Ruby Brooch

The mighty brooch known as “Granny’s Chips” continues to dominate its competition! The Cullinan III and IV Brooch won 64.77% of your votes in this round, while the Crown Ruby Brooch brought home 35.23% of the vote.

The Cullinan V Brooch vs. The Russian Sapphire Cluster Brooch

Diamonds triumphed again in this contest! While the Russian Sapphire Cluster Brooch was favored by 36.05% of you, the Cullinan V Brooch triumphed with 63.95% of your votes!

So, for the chance to claim the title in the Tournament of Brooches, it’s…

The Cullinan III and IV Brooch vs. The Cullinan V Brooch!

The Cullinan III and IV Brooch

The Queen inherited this spectacular diamond brooch from her grandmother, Queen Mary, in 1953. The diamonds were part of the grand Cullinan stone given to King Edward VII in 1907, and the brooch was constructed by Carrington in 1911. Because the original stone was cut by a Dutch jeweler, the Queen often chooses this for occasions related to the Netherlands, including the Dutch state banquet in 2018. She also wears it for the grandest of her daytime outings, like the 2012 service of thanksgiving to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee.

The Cullinan V Brooch

This magnificent diamond brooch features a distinctive heart-shaped diamond. That 18.8-carat stone, the Cullinan V, was one of the major diamonds that resulted from the cutting of the massive Cullinan Diamond. The stone is usually worn in this brooch setting, but was originally designed to be used in other jewels as well, including the Delhi Durbar stomacher and Queen Mary’s Honeysuckle Tiara. Queen Mary wore it in her coronet for her son’s coronation in 1937, but today, it remains in its brooch setting, worn frequently by the Queen.

We’ll have the sparkling results of your final vote this weekend!