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Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

This Week in Royal Jewels: January 2-15

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January 2-15, 2015
Slowly but surely, the royals are starting to get back in the swing of things. Here are the baubles we saw them wear over the past two weeks…
10. The Dutch royals returned from Christmas break to attend a series of New Year’s receptions. On Wednesday, Queen Maxima wore pearls for the foreign diplomatic reception.

9. Princess Beatrix also attended Wednesday’s reception, wearing a pair of understated gold earrings.

8. Queen Letizia of Spain chose statement earrings and red lips for the Telefonica Ability Awards on Monday.

7. Although she’s favored major earrings lately, Queen Mathilde of the Belgians chose simple pearl earrings for a meeting with the president of the European Council on January 7.

6. On Thursday, the Duchess of Cambridge wore her sapphire and diamond earrings for a visit to a primary school art program.

5. I’m not sure we’ve seen a statement necklace and earring set this year bigger than the one worn by Queen Maxima on a visit to Utrecht on Thursday. WOW.

4. For another awards ceremony on Thursday, Queen Letizia paired ruby earrings with her red outfit.

3. The second and third New Year receptions were held in Denmark last week. Above, Crown Princess Mary wears one of her pairs of aquamarine earrings at the second reception. Here’s Queen Margrethe at the second reception and Margrethe and Mary at the third reception.

2. Zara Phillips was in Australia last week to attend the Magic Millions races, and she piled on precious jewels while she was there. On Friday, she wore a bracelet, earrings, and ring in diamonds — the diamond ring alone reportedly weighs more than five carats. Hello! reports that the jewels are worth more than half a million dollars.

1. On Saturday, Zara wore more diamonds to the races, including a pair of diamond earrings and a gorgeous diamond cuff bracelet.

This Week in Royal Jewels: December 19-January 1

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December 19, 2014 – January 1, 2015
Welcome to a super-sized version of our weekly jewel roundup! From Christmas baubles to New Year’s tiaras, we’ve got plenty of sparkle to help you ring in 2015. Enjoy!
10. Queen Elizabeth II was back at King’s Lynn for church on December 28, this time wearing the Frosted Sunflower Brooch with her usual daytime pearl necklace and earrings.

9. The Dutch royal family posed for pictures on December 22 during a Christmas visit to Queen Maxima’s native Argentina. She wore a stack of familiar bracelets…

… and, keeping with this year’s big trend, rather large orange earrings.

8. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark delivered her annual New Year’s speech on December 31. The Queen wore large purple earrings, gray-toned pearls, and a brooch. You can read more about the Queen’s address here.

7. Emperor Akihito of Japan celebrated his birthday on December 23, and the senior members of the royal family gathered with him for a balcony appearance. Empress Michiko departed just slightly from her usual minimalist jewels, wearing a gorgeous multi-stranded pearl necklace.

6. The rest of the ladies of the imperial family — Crown Princess Masako, Princess Kiko, and Princess Mako — all went with standard daytime pearls and brooches for the Emperor’s birthday celebrations.

5. The senior ranks of the imperial family in Japan grew by one on December 29, when Princess Kako, the younger daughter of Prince Fumihito and Princess Kiko, turned twenty. On their twentieth birthdays, imperial princesses officially come of age, and they’re given the Order of the Precious Crown and a set of jewels to wear at the imperial court. Kako wears her new order and her new mirrored set of jewels, which features a fleur-de-lys motif in diamonds, at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, where she was officially presented to her grandparents.

(source)

4. On January 1, Emperor Akihito delivered his traditional new year greeting at the palace, and the ladies of the family appeared in full court dress. Masako doesn’t attend this event as a general rule (though sometimes we get pictures of her in the car arriving at the palace), and Michiko no longer wears a tiara at the event. But the other imperial princesses do. From left to right above: Princess Kiko wears her wedding tiara and mirrored necklace, and Princess Mako wears the mirrored jewel set she received on her twentieth birthday in 2011, and Princess Kako wears her new jewels. Princess Nobuko and Princess Akiko are also wearing the usual diamond mirrored jewels with delicate diamond drop earrings.

3. The traditional New Year’s Levée was held in Denmark on January 1. The members of the royal family attend in gala jewels and the regalia of the Order of the Elephant. Princess Marie wore a tiara we discussed here recently: Princess Dagmar’s Floral Tiara.

2. Queen Margrethe looked every inch a monarch at the New Year’s Court, wearing the emerald parure from the country’s crown jewels with her Elephant regalia.

1. She may be the second lady in Denmark, but Crown Princess Mary gets my vote for the jewel-wearer of the week. Her continued inventiveness with the heirloom ruby parure fascinates me — here she wears the tiara, the necklace without its pendant drops, and the stud version of the ruby earrings with an added pearl drop. Just lovely. (Plus: purple velvet cape!)

This Week in Royal Jewels: December 12-18

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December 12-18, 2014

This week’s jewel roundup is full of happy holiday gatherings and bittersweet farewells. Be sure to cast your vote for your favorite jewels of the week in the poll at the bottom of the post!
10. Royals from all over the world gathered in Belgium on Friday to say goodbye to Queen Fabiola. The late queen’s niece, Princess Astrid, wore a striking pair of sparkling earrings to the service, which was equal parts somber and hopeful.

9. Empress Michiko traveled all the way from Japan to be at Fabiola’s funeral — it was one of the only trips she has ever made abroad without the emperor. She wore elegant, simple jewelry to the cathedral, including dark earrings and a small brooch.

8. King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians led the procession of mourners at Fabiola’s funeral. Mathilde wore luminous pearls to remember her husband’s aunt; both she and Philippe were very close to Fabiola.

7. Queen Sofia of Spain attended two high-profile funerals this week. After returning from the Spanish-born Fabiola’s funeral in Belgium, she attended the second memorial service for the late Duchess of Alba. Above, she wears pearls and a gold brooch — a fitting tribute to a woman who loved jewelry — while comforting the duchess’s daughter, Eugenia.

6. The Duchess of Cambridge attended a happier occasion this week: the Queen’s annual Christmas lunch for the royal family at Buckingham Palace. The sparkling chandelier earrings Kate wore have been in her collection since before her engagement.

5. Our Magpie of the Month, Princess Alexandra, also attended Wednesday’s Christmas lunch wearing an intriguing pair of earrings.

4. The Duchess of Cornwall attended a Christmas carol concert at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Tuesday evening, wearing her diamond and sapphire butterfly brooch with her usual pearls.

3. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands also selected pearls to open the “Secret of Dresden” exhibition at the Groninger Museum on Friday.

2. The Belgian royals both mourned and celebrated this week. They attended the annual Christmas concert on Wednesday, and Queen Mathilde wore a gorgeous pair of diamond earrings.

1. While Queen Mathilde has favored large earrings this year, her sisters-in-law went with big necklaces for the annual Christmas concert. Princess Claire went with a gold breastplate, while Princess Astrid went with sparkling black beads with a large geometric pendant.