Netherlands – Page 100

Maxima Sparkles in Eemland

10.25.2017 by The Court Jeweller // Leave a Comment

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King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands made a regional visit to Eemland on Tuesday, and Max brought multicolored gems along with her.

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The highlight of Maxima’s jewelry for the day was a pair of oversized stud earrings studded with gemstones.

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Please pardon the awkward angle — here’s a better of the earrings, which feature gems in shades of blue, purple, and yellow.

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She also wore two of her favorite bracelets, both of which are set with multicolored cabochon gems.

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Here’s a look at Maxima’s entire ensemble, including her jacket…

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…and, because I know some will be interested, here’s a view of her dress without the jacket.

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And finally, just because I enjoyed it immensely, here are Wax ‘n Max posing beside a very photogenic horse who very much loves the camera.

Royal Jewel Rewind: Luxembourg Royal Wedding (Part 1)

10.19.2017 by The Court Jeweller // Leave a Comment

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Five years ago tomorrow, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg married his Belgian fiancee, Countess Stephanie de Lannoy, at the Cathedral of our Lady of Luxembourg. Royals from around the world attended the ceremony, and today, we’ve got a two-part flashback to all of the sparkle. Enjoy, and stop back here later today for part two!

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Stephanie wore jewels from her own family and her new husband’s family on her wedding day. Her bridal tiara is the Lannoy family’s diamond tiara, a delicate sparkler with a large pear-shaped diamond at its center. (Learn more about the tiara’s history, and see close-ups, over here!)

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Her diamond earrings are the same ones she wore for her pre-wedding gala the night before. They were reportedly a wedding gift to Grand Duchess Maria Teresa from her parents in 1981, and they’ve now been worn by three Luxembourgish royal brides: Maria Teresa, Stephanie, and Claire.

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Stephanie did suffer a slight tiara malfunction on the day. The Lannoy Tiara, which was secured to her hair at each end. Because the base wasn’t anchored in the middle, the tiara was able to flip backward. Thankfully, putting it back into position wasn’t a difficult task.

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As she did at the gala the night before, Stephanie also wore a necklace hidden under the neckline of her gown. The thin chain almost certainly supports Stephanie’s Miraculous Medal pendant. (You can read more about this religious medal over here.) Stephanie is rarely seen without the necklace.

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Here’s a close-up view of the simple gold wedding bands that the couple exchanged, engraved with their names and their wedding date. As she did the night before, Stephanie also wore two diamond rings: her own engagement ring and the engagement ring that belonged to her late mother.

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Stephanie’s new mother-in-law, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, wore a brightly-colored ensemble by Natan for the wedding. The sparkling flower on her jacket is a part of the outfit, not a separate jewel.

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She did wear sparkling earrings for the wedding; the central stone here looks a bit like a brown diamond.

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Guillaume’s sister, Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg, served as one of the bridesmaids for her new sister-in-law. She kept her jewelry extremely minimal, wearing only a pair of pearl earrings.

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Another sister-in-law, Princess Tessy, wore gold and turquoise tassel earrings with her dove gray ensemble.

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Here’s a good view of the details of the earrings.

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Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg wore pearl and diamond sunburst cluster earrings with her bright red outfit.

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And Countess Diane de Nassau wore a vibrant set of jewels set with multicolored gemstones, including a heart pendant — appropriate for a wedding!

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Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria, who was born a princess of Luxembourg, wore elegant jewels, including a pearl choker with a gem-set clasp. Her earrings featured both pearl studs and pearl drops, and her insect brooch was also set with a pearl.

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Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein, also born a princess of Luxembourg, chose diamonds and sapphires for the wedding, including a lovely pair of earrings and a whimsical brooch.

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Margaretha’s sister-in-law, Princess Marie Aglae of Liechtenstein, wore a fantastic four-stranded pearl choker with a diamond floral embellishment, plus classic diamond and pearl earrings.

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Queen Paola of Belgium, who is the groom’s great-aunt, glittered in diamonds and pearls. Her floral brooch featured a bright red central portion. You can also just spot a second brooch pinned to her hat.

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Queen Mathilde, who was then the Duchess of Brabant, really does excel at daytime glitter. For this wedding, she wore the white and yellow diamond earrings given to her by her husband, plus the beautiful diamond waterfall brooch given to her by Queen Fabiola.

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Diamond earrings with luminous pearl drops were Princess Astrid of Belgium’s main accessory — but don’t miss that enormous diamond ring on her finger!

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Simple pearl stud earrings were Princess Claire’s jewel selection for the day. The sequined flower on her lapel is part of the jacket — I suspect Natan here, too.

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The always-elegant Queen Fabiola wore pearls for her great-nephew’s wedding, plus a very interesting headpiece!

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From the Netherlands, Queen (now Princess) Beatrix piled on the diamonds, including diamond earrings, a diamond riviere, and a diamond circle brooch.

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And the ever inventive Queen (then Princess) Maxima wore pieces from Queen Wilhelmina’s fascinating Borneo Suite. The gold and diamond jewels were Wilhelmina’s coronation gift from the Sultan of Kutai in 1898. Note the earrings here, plus the brooch on Maxima’s belt.

Stay tuned later this morning for the second part of our flashback to the royal wedding in Luxembourg!

Royal Jewel Rewind: Pre-Wedding Gala in Luxembourg (Part 2)

10.18.2017 by The Court Jeweller // Leave a Comment

Guy Wolff/Grand-Ducal Court of Luxembourg via Getty Images

Time for the second installment of our look back at the glittering pre-wedding gala held in Luxembourg five years ago! If you missed our first post, check it out here. Otherwise, get ready for some royal glitter!

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The grand ducal family of Luxembourg and the royal family of Belgium are closely related. The late Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte was the sister of King Albert II of Belgium, which means that the current rulers of each nation are first cousins. Add in the bride’s Belgian nationality, and it’s no wonder, then, that there was a major contingent of Belgian royalty and nobility at the wedding. Queen Paola arrived wearing some of her best personal jewels, including Queen Elisabeth’s Art Deco Bandeau (more here!), her diamond and pearl half-moon earrings (more here!), and a diamond necklace.

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Queen Mathilde, who was then the Duchess of Brabant, wore one of her wedding gifts: her sparkling diamond laurel wreath tiara (more over here!). She also wore her diamond and pearl wedding earrings, a diamond necklace, and a pair of diamond bracelets.

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Princess Astrid wore the Savoy-Aosta Tiara, a diamond sparkler from the family of her husband, Prince Lorenz. (More on the tiara over here!) She paired it with stunning diamond and emerald drop earrings.

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Also in green: Princess Claire, who wore her small diamond and pearl tiara (more on that here!) with her pearl wedding earrings.

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The wedding was one of the last major public appearances of Queen Fabiola of Belgium, who was a beloved aunt to both the Belgian and Luxembourgish royals. On this occasion, she accessorized with a diamond daisy ornament in her hair, plus a pair of coordinating earrings.

Guy Wolff/Grand-Ducal Court of Luxembourg via Getty Images

Belgian friends and relatives of the bride were also in attendance. Wearing an impressive diamond tiara above is Countess Blanche de Merode, a member of one of Belgium’s most important noble families. She was one of Stephanie’s witnesses at the wedding. Blanche wore the same tiara for her wedding to Baron Philipp von und zu Bodmann in 2010. (Thanks to Svenja for helping jog my memory on Blanche’s tiara — of course, some of the best coverage of this wedding can be found at Luxarazzi!)

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One of Stephanie’s sisters-in-law, Countess Luisa de Lannoy, wore a petite diamond tiara for the gala, plus diamond earrings and a diamond brooch.

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Also very elegant and sparkly: Stephanie’s sister, Nathalie Hamilton, who wore tassel earrings with a lovely diamond necklace. The Lannoys are experienced jewel-sharers; Stephanie herself has also worn the same necklace.

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Stephanie has also worn the lovely diamond earrings worn by another sister, Isabelle de la Court, at the gala. Isabelle also wore a triple-stranded pearl necklace with diamond spacers, a diamond brooch, and a diamond and pearl bracelet.

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The Benelux representation at the gala was rounded out by Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, who was then still a princess. She wore pieces from one of her favorite sets of Dutch royal jewelry, the Mellerio Ruby Parure. (More here!)

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We were also treated to a rare appearance by Princess Marie Aglae, the wife of Prince Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein. She wore a major pair of diamond earrings and a pearl choker with an elaborate diamond clasp.

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We’ll round out this second installment of gala jewels with a very sparkling appearance by Princess Caroline, who represented the princely family of Monaco at the event. She wore her grandmother’s fantastic Cartier Pearl Drop Tiara (more here!), her diamond fringe necklace (more here!), and diamond earrings.

We’ve got even more royals on the way in our third installment, coming in a few hours! Stay tuned!