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Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

The Bejeweled Reign of Elizabeth II: The 1950s

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This month, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom marks an incredible milestone. On September 10, she becomes her country’s longest-reigning monarch — and the longest-reigning female monarch in the history of any country in the world. To celebrate, we’re going to be looking more than six decades’ worth of royal splendor, with a bejeweled photograph for every year of her remarkable reign. Today, we’re kicking things off with a look at the glamorous jewels she wore at the very start of her reign, in the 1950s.

1952: A few months after becoming the monarch, Elizabeth opens parliament for the first time. She wears the George IV Diadem, Queen Victoria’s Pearl Drop Earrings, and Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee Necklace

1953: During her coronation year, Baron photographs Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace. She wears the George IV Diadem, the City of London Fringe Necklace, the Greville Chandelier Earrings, Queen Mary’s Bangle Bracelets, and the bottom section of Queen Mary’s Stomacher

1954: While on her post-coronation tour of the Commonwealth, Elizabeth opens parliament in Melbourne. She wears Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik, Queen Mary’s Cluster Earrings, Queen Mary’s Bangle Bracelets, and her own Diamond Festoon Necklace

1955: In Leicester Square, Elizabeth attends the royal premiere of To Catch a Thief (starring another future royal: Grace Kelly). She wears the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, Queen Mary’s Cluster Earrings, the Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace, and Queen Mary’s Bangle Bracelets

1956: During a visit to Nigeria (four years before its independence from Britain), Elizabeth wears the Vladimir Tiara with the Cambridge Emerald Drops, plus the Delhi Durbar Necklace and Earrings

1957: Elizabeth makes a state visit to the United States. At a state banquet with President Eisenhower, she wears the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, the Duchess of Gloucester’s Pendant Earrings, and Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee Necklace

1958: At the German embassy, Elizabeth wears Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik and Queen Alexandra’s Dagmar Necklace (without the cross and the largest pearl pendants) with Queen Victoria’s Pearl Drop Earrings and the Dorset Bow Brooch

1959: During a royal tour of Canada, Elizabeth wears her trademark pearl earrings and pearl necklace with the magnificent Cullinan V Brooch

Sundays with the Queen: The Baring Ruby Necklace

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By the early 1960s, Queen Elizabeth II had already been on the throne for a decade. That’s a decade’s worth of experience in white-tie banquets, state visits, and overseas tours, all of which required the coordination of gowns, order sashes, and jewels. It’s not a coincidence that this is also the point when she began acquiring a few pieces of jewelry of her own, filling in holes in her collection. Today’s jewel, the Baring Ruby Necklace, was one of those additions.

In 1964, the Queen owned at least one ruby necklace — the large, v-shaped diamond and ruby necklace given to her by her parents as a wedding gift — but that piece (pictured above) is fairly difficult to wear. She should have had the majestic crown rubies in her jewelry box, but those stayed with her mother until 2002. An easier-to-wear ruby necklace was apparently on Lillibet’s shopping list, because that year, she purchased the Baring necklace.

The necklace is made of diamonds and flat-cut rubies. It has three distinctive pendant stones, which the Royal Collection states were probably originally made as earrings.

Eventually, after the Burmese Ruby Tiara was made in the 1970s, the piece became a frequent companion of the Baring necklace. The Queen has also worn the Baring necklace with the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara and Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara.

And, intriguingly, when the Queen finally wore the Oriental Circlet Tiara — the piece that her mother had almost always worn with the crown rubies — she wore it with the Baring necklace.

I have a feeling I’m not in the minority when I say that I hope the recent reappearance of the crown rubies signals a kind of semi-retirement for the Baring necklace. Perhaps the piece could be reconfigured into a pair of earrings and a necklace for one of the other Windsor ladies?