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Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

Kate Brings Some Magic to the BAFTAs

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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stepped out on Sunday evening to attend the BAFTA ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and Kate gleamed in brand-new jewels for the occasion.

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The jewels may have been new, but the dress was a glittering repeat. The BAFTAs red carpet had a theme of sustainability this year, and everyone was asked to wear an outfit they’d worn before. Kate chose to repeat an Alexander McQueen gown she wore in Malaysia in 2012.

Mark Large – Pool/Getty Images

The dress was originally worn for an official dinner in Kuala Lumpur during the couple’s Diamond Jubilee Tour of Singapore, Malaysia, the Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu in September 2012. The dress appears to have been altered since that appearance, especially in the sleeves and shoulders. For the original outing, Kate accessorized with a suite of gold leaf jewels from Catherine Zoraida. (You can read more about them here!)

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This time around, Kate wore a new suite of jewelry from Van Cleef and Arpels.

Tolga AKMEN / AFP) (Photo by TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images

Her necklace and earrings are part of the company’s classic Magic Alhambra range. Her pieces appear to be made of mother of pearl set in yellow gold. The clover-shaped elements of the jewels neatly echoed the glittering floral designs on her gown.

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Kate’s not the only Magic Alhambra fan in the royal family. The Duchess of Cornwall is a collector of Van Cleef and Arpels jewels, and she has several Alhambra pieces. She’s especially fond of this pair of diamond earrings, which she often wears for important state occasions. Above, in December 2019, she wore them with her diamond serpent necklace for the royal film premiere of 1917 in London.

EDDIE MULHOLLAND/AFP via Getty Images

Camilla also has a gorgeous suite of Magic Alhambra jewels, including earrings and a necklace, made of malachite set in gold.

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The jewels have also popped up on other royals. The same necklace worn by Kate at the BAFTAs on Sunday was worn at the Golden Nymph Awards (the closing ceremony of the annual Monte-Carlo Television Festival) in June 2019 by Princess Maria Chiara of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

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Princess Caroline of Monaco has also been spotted recently in Magic Alhambra stud earrings, worn for a luncheon during a visit from the President of China in March 2019.

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Along with her new Magic Alhambra jewels (and her usual engagement, wedding, and eternity rings), Kate also wore an impressive ring on her right hand.

Jeff Gilbert – WPA Pool / Getty Images

Here’s a closer look. The ring features an impressive gemstone — perhaps a citrine or topaz?

The Rockefeller Peridots

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Christie’s

It’s always fun to try to pack as much peridot content into the August posting schedule as possible, and today I’ve got some stunning mid-century jewels set with the olive-hued stone: the Rockefeller Peridots.

Peggy Rockefeller, David Rockefeller, and Lady Bird Johnson at the re-opening of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, May 1964 (Phillip Harrington/Alamy)

The jewels belonged to Peggy McGrath Rockefeller, the wife of David Rockefeller, a billionaire banker and grandson of John D. Rockefeller Sr. She died in 1996, and after David’s death in 2017, an enormous charity auction was held at Christie’s with treasures from their estate. The peridots were among the jewels included in the sale.

Christie’s

The peridot and diamond set was made in 1965 and 1966 in New York by Van Cleef and Arpels, and each piece in the suite is signed. The necklace was even nestled in its own gray suede jewelry case from the jewelry firm.

Christie’s

The entire suite, which is set in 18k yellow gold, is an excellent example of typical mid-century design by VCA. The necklace features a detachable pendant that can also be worn as a brooch.

Christie’s

The earrings feature large peridots set in the stud portion of the jewel, as well as even larger pear-shaped peridot drops.

Christie’s

Both the earrings and the bracelet feature distinctive leaf designs set with diamonds.

Christie’s

The set also featured an impressive peridot ring surrounded by a double halo of diamonds.

Christie’s

The auction estimate for the demi-parure was set at $80,000-$120,000. When the hammer fell at the auction in June 2018, however, the set fetched a much more impressive price: $348,500. And this time, we know who the buyer was: Van Cleef and Arpels! Since the auction, the peridots have gone on public display, including an exhibition in Moscow.

Jack Taylor/Getty Images

Christie’s called the sale “the most significant charity auction ever staged,” with the collection of art, jewels, and other objects fetching an incredible $832,573,469. (One of my favorite pieces sold was Claude Monet’s Nymphéas en fleur, which broke a record at $84,687,500!) All of the estate’s proceeds went to fund twelve philanthropic initiatives. Their son, David Rockefeller Jr., noted, “These funds will provide very meaningful support to important institutions and foundations devoted to scientific research and higher education, support for the arts, foreign policy, and the conservation of coastal and agricultural lands.”

Royal Jewels Fetch a Princely Sum

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Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Sotheby’s, Christie’s
We recently showcased five pieces of incredible antique jewelry here on The Court Jeweller that would soon be sold at auction. Now that the sales have happened, here’s a look at the amount each piece fetched in the auction room…

Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Sotheby’s
Likely made ca. 1903 by Fabergé, this diamond kokoshnik was given to Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin when she married Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia. The piece features three distinctive circular elements set in the middle of the tiara’s lattice and quatrefoil design. Auction estimates for the tiara ranged from just around $200,000-$300,000. When the hammer fell at Sotheby’s on May 14, the tiara sold for almost $435,000.
Christie’s
On May 15, Christie’s sold a diamond and aquamarine tiara made by Fabergé in 1905 for Princess Alexandra of Hanover. The piece was a wedding gift from her new husband, Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and the tiara’s design appropriately incorporated many love symbols in its design. The piece was estimated to fetch around $230,000-$335,000, but it sold for significantly more: just over $1,020,000.
Christie’s

For the second time in recent memory, an emerald and diamond necklace that once belonged to Princess Helene, Duchess of Aosta was sold at auction. In May 2015, a buyer purchased the necklace at auction for more than $2.5 million. On May 15 in Geneva, the necklace sold for a lesser sum of $1.8 million — though this price fell within the piece’s auction estimate, which was set between $1.5 million and $2.5 million.
Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Sotheby’s
This versatile, convertible emerald and diamond necklace, made by Van Cleef and Arpels, is an excellent example of the Art Deco style. It belonged to one of the wealthy socialites of the period, Helene Beaumont. The auction estimate for the stunning piece was set at around $3 million-$4 million. When the bidding finished at Sotheby’s on May 14, the necklace sold neatly within that range, fetching more than $3.5 million.
Christie’s
One of the most impressive auctions of royal jewels last week was the sale of an emerald that once belonged to Grand Duchess Vladimir. The stone, which has since been recut and is now set as a pendant in a diamond necklace, weighs more than 75 carats. Christie’s set the auction estimate for the necklace at a whopping $2.3-$3.5 million, and on May 15 in Geneva, it shattered those numbers, selling for more than $4.2 million.