Spectacular Swedish Pink Topazes for Queen Silvia

On December 10, 2008, the Swedish royal family joined the Nobel winners at the grand ceremony honoring their work in Stockholm. King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia were joined by all three of their children: Crown Princess Victoria (wearing the Baden Fringe Tiara and the family amethysts), Prince Carl Philip, and Princess Madeleine (wearing the Modern Fringe Tiara and pearls).

For the occasion, Queen Silvia chose a dramatic, romantic ballgown in a shimmering shade of ice blue. The color coordinated with both the sash of the Order of the Seraphim and the ribbon of the King’s Royal Family Order. The dress featured intricate gold and pink embroidery in a floral design.

Silvia’s jewels for the evening were set primarily with diamonds and topazes. She wore the Connaught Diamond Tiara for the ceremony. The convertible tiara, made in 1905, was a wedding gift to Crown Princess Margareta of Sweden from her parents, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught. The jewel later became a favorite of Silvia’s late mother-in-law, Princess Sibylla.

With the tiara, Queen Silvia wore one of the most spectacular suites in the Bernadotte vaults: the Russian Pink Topazes. The demi-parure features a necklace, a pair of earrings, and two brooches. As the name suggests, the jewels began their life in Romanov Russia. They were a gift from Empress Maria Feodorovna to her daughter, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, to mark the birth of her daughter, Princess Augusta, in 1811. (Augusta was the grandmother of Queen Victoria of Sweden.)

Silvia added even more sparkle to her outfit with a pair of bracelets. On her right wrist is a smaller bracelet that appears to be set with diamonds and sapphires. On her left is the large diamond bracelet that belonged to Queen Sofia of Sweden. Crown Princess Victoria notably wore Queen Sofia’s bracelet as part of her pre-wedding gala ensemble in 2010.

Here’s another look at Queen Silvia’s entire bejeweled ensemble for the event. She has loved pairing the topazes with the Connaught Tiara for events, but she’s also worn them with the grand Braganza Tiara, too.