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Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

This Week in Royal Jewels: November 6-12

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November 6-12, 2015
The Brits are taking over the royal jewel starting lineup this week, although we’ve got a few other royals on the roster, too. Be sure to vote for your favorite jewels in the weekly poll!
10. The ladies of the Japanese imperial family — including Crown Princess Masako! — appeared at a garden party on Thursday wearing pearls and brooches.

9. During her trip to New York, the Countess of Wessex observed Veterans Day on Wednesday by wearing a jeweled poppy brooch.

8. Queen Maxima’s spiky statement necklace made another outing on Wednesday in Amsterdam.

7. Elaborate earrings were Queen Letizia’s jewel choice for an engagement in Madrid on Thursday.

6. In New Zealand on November 5, the Duchess of Cornwall wore a diamond thistle brooch that originally belonged to her husband’s grandmother, the Queen Mum.

5. Queen Maxima joined the Windsors on Remembrance Sunday in London this year, wearing pearls and a diamond brooch to secure her poppies.

4. Queen Elizabeth II selected one of Queen Victoria’s diamond bow brooches for Remembrance Sunday this year.

3. Elizabeth II wore one of her most glittering and most frequently worn brooches, the Cullinan V, for a visit to the Home Office on Thursday.

2. At the Festival of Remembrance on Saturday, the Duchess of Gloucester wore a lovely set of sapphire and diamond jewels, including a distinctive pair of clips. The set came from the collection of her late mother-in-law, Princess Alice.

1. My top vote of the week goes to Elizabeth II’s Festival of Remembrance jewels. She donned Queen Alexandra’s Wedding Gift Brooch, complete with its pendants, one of her two-stranded pearl necklaces, pearl drop earrings, her pearl evening watch, and multiple diamond rings.

This Fortnight in Royal Jewels: October 23-November 5

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October 23-November 5, 2015
Lots of jewels to recap from the last two weeks! Here are ten of the best — be sure to vote for your favorites in the poll!
10. Princess Anne wore a delicate pearl necklace and coordinating earrings at a Buckingham Palace engineering prize reception on October 26.

9. Queen Maxima donned multicolored pearl earrings at a conference about women’s shelters in The Hague on Wednesday.

8. For an awards ceremony on Tuesday, Queen Letizia wore her Links of London Hope earrings.

7. The Duchess of Cornwall wore one of her signature pearl necklaces during a welcome ceremony in New Zealand on Wednesday.

6. At a dinner held by The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation on October 29, the Countess of Wessex wore a new pair of earrings and a gold necklace.

5. Queen Elizabeth II selected her Grima Ruby Brooch for Thursday’s visit to Imjin Barracks.

4. As we discussed in depth in this post, the Duchess of Cambridge wore a pair of earrings from the collection of the late Queen Mother on October 27.

3. During a state visit to China last week, Queen Maxima wore lovely emerald jewels, including the family’s large 18th century emerald pendant, with a gown inspired by the paintings of Van Gogh. She had to cut the visit short after she was diagnosed with a kidney infection, but she has since recovered.

2. Crown Princess Victoria wore the Baden Fringe Tiara (and a maternity evening gown previously worn by Princess Madeleine) on Wednesday at a state banquet for the president of Tunisia.

1. At the same state banquet, Queen Silvia wore one of the most glittering tiaras in the Swedish vault: the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Tiara.

Queen Mary II’s Jewels: The Stuart Diamond

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On this date in 1677, a totally unique royal marriage took place in England: the wedding of future co-monarchs. Mary, the daughter of King James II, married her cousin William, who was the Prince of Orange. (The date also happened to be the groom’s birthday). Twelve years later, they ascended to the throne as King William III and Queen Mary II of England, and a special new crown had to be made for Mary so they could be crowned jointly.

William and Mary have many legacies, but for my money, one of their most important achievements was the purchase of a particular jewel: the Stuart Diamond. Today, the gemstone is owned by the Dutch royal family and is mounted in an elaborate nineteenth-century tiara (worn above by Queen Juliana). But it has had a varied and intriguing history, which you can explore below.

Do you like the current setting of the Stuart Diamond, or would you like to see it reset in a new piece of jewelry?