anniversary jewels

Bejeweled Anniversary Portraits for Victoria and Daniel

06.21.2020 by The Court Jeweller // Leave a Comment

Elisabeth Toll, The Royal Court of Sweden

We’re not the only ones celebrating Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden’s tenth wedding anniversary! Last week, the Swedish royal court issued a series of new portraits to mark the occasion, including some seriously bejeweled images! (Note: you should be able to enlarge each of these significantly by clicking on them!)

Elisabeth Toll, The Royal Court of Sweden

In this gorgeous portrait, the couple’s gala attire is a fun contrast with the bucolic setting of their home, Haga Palace. Here, Victoria wears the Baden Fringe Tiara with the Diamond Epaulette Earrings and the Diamond Lozenge Brooch.

Elisabeth Toll, The Royal Court of Sweden

Victoria wore modern earrings with a stunning Frida Jonsvens gown for this portrait.

Elisabeth Toll, The Royal Court of Sweden

More portraits were taken inside Gustaf III’s Pavilion on the Haga Palace grounds. The eighteenth-century building provided a suitably grand backdrop for the images.

Elisabeth Toll, The Royal Court of Sweden

Here, Victoria wears even more heirloom jewels from the Bernadotte vaults, including the Connaught Diamond Tiara, the Vasa Earrings, and the Diamond Rose Brooch.

Elisabeth Toll, The Royal Court of Sweden

You’ll also note, of course, that she’s wearing the very same Elie Saab gown that she wore for her pre-wedding gala ten years ago!

Elisabeth Toll, The Royal Court of Sweden

Daniel also looked dapper in gala attire for an official portrait…

Elisabeth Toll, The Royal Court of Sweden

…and equally dapper in business attire for another image.

Elisabeth Toll, The Royal Court of Sweden

Victoria also posed in a day dress for the series. She still brought out some impressive jewels, though, including a pair of the family’s diamond and pearl drop earrings, as well as a diamond and pearl ivy leaf brooch that belonged to one of her ancestors, Victoria of Baden.

Elisabeth Toll, The Royal Court of Sweden

One last one from the series, featuring Victoria looking very much like a future monarch. The last decade has been good to Victoria and Daniel: they’re happy and healthy, with two happy and healthy children. The future of the Bernadotte family looks bright.

Romantic Danish Royal Jewels

02.13.2020 by The Court Jeweller // Leave a Comment

SISSE STROYER/AFP via Getty Images

Since tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to highlight a rather romantic collection of royal jewels. The late Prince Henrik of Denmark loved to lavish inventive modern jewels on his wife, Queen Margrethe II. Here’s a look at some of the interesting pieces he gave her during their five decades of marriage.

ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images

In October 1966, when Margrethe accepted his proposal of marriage, Henrik (then Henri de Laborde de Monpezat) presented her with this incredible toi et moi engagement ring. The ring, made by Van Cleef and Arpels, features a pair of diamonds that reportedly weigh in at about six carats each. (!)

SISSE STROYER/AFP via Getty Images

For their silver wedding anniversary in 1992, Henrik gave Margrethe a suite of jewelry made of gold, pearls, and ruby beads. Made by one of the couple’s favorite jewelers, Torben Hardenberg, the set includes a pair of earrings and a necklace with a removable center section. Here, she wears the section as a brooch, plus the earrings, during the Icelandic state visit to Denmark in January 2017.

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Here’s a look at Margrethe wearing the suite with the full necklace, worn in January 1998 during the 60th birthday celebrations for Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands.

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For Margrethe’s own 60th birthday in 2000, Henrik gave her a striking brooch. The jewel has a mythological motif in its design, which includes an image of Diana, goddess of the hunt, and a deer. The piece is made of three large turquoises, gold, silver, and diamonds. Henrik bought the turquoises himself in Egypt, and he collaborated with Torben Hardenberg on the design. The brooch can be worn with or without its turquoise pendant section. Here, she wears the brooch for the Hans Christian Andersen Bicentenary Celebrations in April 2005.

Nigel Waldron/Getty Images

Ten years later, in 2010, Henrik offered her a pair of earrings to match the brooch. Also made by Torben Hardenberg, these turquoise earrings can be worn either as studs or with pendants of various lengths. Above, she wears the earrings with a single pendant, plus the brooch, for the celebration of the constitutional bicentenary in Norway in May 2014.

KELD NAVNTOFT/AFP via Getty Images

In April 2015, Henrik added one final gift to round out Margrethe’s collection of modern gold and turquoise jewels. He presented her with a turquoise and gold necklace as a gift to celebrate her 75th birthday. Though it’s similar in design to the brooch and earrings, the necklace is not a Torben Hardenberg creation. However, like the other pieces, it does feature turquoises purchased by Henrik himself in Egypt. He wasn’t well enough to attend Margrethe’s birthday gala that year, but he made sure she had her present in time to wear it for the celebration at Fredensborg Palace. She paired the new necklace on that occasion with the brooch and the earrings with their long pendants.

The Wessexes Celebrate Twenty Years of Marriage

06.19.2019 by The Court Jeweller // Leave a Comment

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Today, the Earl and Countess of Wessex celebrate their twentieth wedding anniversary, a milestone that they marked on Tuesday with a new set of official portraits.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The images of Edward and Sophie were taken at Royal Ascot. Sophie wore pearl drop earrings, a diamond tennis bracelet, and a diamond rose brooch with her ensemble, while Edward donned a tie pin featuring the cap badge of the Rifles.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Edward is the second of the Queen’s four children to celebrate a twentieth wedding anniversary. His sister, the Princess Royal, has been married to Sir Timothy Laurence for twenty-six years.

MARTYN HAYHOW/AFP/Getty Images

Prince Edward, the youngest of the four children of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, married Sophie Rhys-Jones at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on June 19, 1999. Their wedding, which fell in the midst of the busy Order of the Garter/Royal Ascot season in Windsor, featured Garter-themed outfits for their young attendants. Sophie wore a diamond tiara given to her by her new mother-in-law, as well as a suite of black and white pearl jewelry designed by the groom.

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Recently, Sophie debuted a new setting of her wedding tiara, which many have deemed a major improvement to the piece.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Sophie and Edward have two children, Louise and James. The entire family recently gathered with the Windsors on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s annual birthday celebrations.