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Purple has long been a color associated with royalty, so it should come as no surprise that gorgeous purple amethysts are featured in some truly gorgeous royal brooches. Today, I’ve got a roundup of some of my favorite royal amethyst brooches—with one fit for royalty thrown in, too.
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If antique flair is your thing, you can’t go wrong with the beautiful diamond and amethyst brooch from the Kent Amethyst Demi-Parure. First owned by Queen Victoria’s mother, the Duchess of Kent, the jewel is part of a suite of royal jewels that also includes a necklace and a set of hair combs. The brooch can be worn with or without a set of pendant drops, just to up the drama even more.
Royal Collection |
The British royal collection also includes a petite diamond and amethyst brooch made by Fabergé. The bauble was presented to Queen Mary by the last Emperor of Russia in 1909, and though it hasn’t been worn in public anytime recently, it’s still sometimes included in royal exhibitions.
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If classic antique brooches are your style, look no further than the Swedish royal collection, which includes an amazing brooch set with a large amethyst hugged by a triple cluster of diamonds. The brooch, which forms part of the family’s Napoleonic Amethyst Parure, is a handy reminder of the family’s French imperial roots.
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Interested in something a bit more modern? Queen Elizabeth II owns a fascinating pair of amethyst and diamond floral brooches. The coordinating set hearkens back to the middle of the twentieth century, when coordinating pairs of brooches or clips were all the rage.
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Today, though, the Queen generally wears the brooches one at a time. You can spot the difference easily by looking for either a pair of leaves or a tiny blossom at the top of the brooch.
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Another interesting royal amethyst floral brooch can be found in the royal vaults in the Netherlands. The Dutch royal family owns this brooch made of diamonds set in a carved amethyst flower. The brooch has a modern feel, and the dark color of the amethyst is suitably dramatic. Across the channel in the UK, a similar brooch is worn by Princess Michael of Kent.
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And—last but not least—we’ve got the Whitney Wrapped Heart Brooch. The jewel hasn’t been worn by a royal lady, but it’s certainly whimsical and gorgeous enough to fit easily into any princess’s jewelry box. The brooch, which belonged to Betsey Cushing Whitney, was made in 1950 by Verdura. It features a heart-shaped amethyst studded with diamonds, creating a sort of polka-dot effect, and wrapped with a gold and diamond ribbon
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