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Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

Holiday Wishlists 2014: Van Cleef & Arpels

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Time for our final Holiday Wishlist of 2014! If you’ve missed any of this month’s wishlist posts, you can find all of them here!
Holiday Wishlist: Van Cleef & Arpels

We’re wrapping up our series of holiday wishlists with yet another major name in royal jewelry: Van Cleef & Arpels. The firm is headquartered on the jewel-rich Place Vendôme in Paris, but they sell their jewelry and watches all over the world. Here are five of my favorite pieces from their current collections…
The Magic Alhambra Earclips take one of the company’s iconic designs and triples it in white gold and diamonds. ($48,000)

I’d love to see if the Oiseaux de Paradis Volutes Necklace really did make me feel like a bird of paradise when it rested against my collarbone. I’m guessing yes. (Price on request)
The Perlée Cuff Bracelet is equal parts warrior princess and elegant lady. ($35,100)
Why check the time when you can stargaze in Paris? Even better: the Midnight in Paris Poetic Complications Watch lets you do both! ($89,000)
If any of you still haven’t bought my Christmas present, I will happily accept the Icône Solitaire Ring, FYI. ($7,300)
Which pieces from Van Cleef & Arpels do you hope are waiting under the tree this year?

Disclaimer: I was not compensated for writing this post in any way, and Van Cleef & Arpels did not sponsor it. The opinions expressed here are solely mine.

Birthday Jewels: Queen Silvia of Sweden

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Happy birthday to Queen Silvia of Sweden! Silvia, who turns 71 today, is the longest-serving Swedish queen, so she has had more than a few opportunity to wear pieces from the family’s immense collection of royal jewels. To celebrate her birthday, let’s look at some of her most glittering appearances during her tenure as the country’s queen.

Cameos at her wedding (June 1976)

The grand Braganza tiara and pink topazes for her first formal portrait (1976)

Jewels from Queen Sofia at her first Nobel Prize ceremony (December 1976)

Leuchtenberg sapphires at the ’78 Nobels (December 1978)

Wearing Queen Sofia’s tiara during the Mexican state visit (May 1980)

The sapphires at Versailles (June 1980)

Sapphires at the ’82 Nobels (December 1982)

Silver wedding of Margrethe and Henrik of Denmark (June 1992)

Diamonds at the ’94 Nobels (December 1994)

Wearing the Edward VII Ruby Tiara at the wedding of Prince Joachim of Denmark (November 1995)

The Connaught with the pink topazes for King Carl XVI Gustaf’s 50th birthday (April 1996)

Cameos at the ’96 Nobels (December 1996)

Cut steel and diamonds for the 60th birthday of King Harald of Norway (June 1997)

Cameos for the ’98 Nobels (December 1998)
Gala held before the wedding of Alexia of Greece and Denmark (July 1999)

Connaught and topazes for the 60th birthday of Queen Margrethe of Denmark (April 2000)

Diamonds for the ’00 Nobels (December 2000)

Twenty-fifth wedding anniversary celebrations (June 2001)

Wedding of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway (August 2001)

Bejeweled hair at the ’01 Nobels (December 2001)

Emeralds for the 90th birthday of Otto von Habsburg (November 2002)

Diamonds at the ’02 Nobels (December 2002)

Glittering in pink at the ’03 Nobels (December 2003)

Diamonds for the state visit to Brunei (February 2004)

Processional Jewels for Count Lennart Bernadotte’s birthday (May 2004)

Wedding of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark (May 2004)

Sapphires for the ’04 Nobels (December 2004)

Connaught and pearls at a gala for the Norwegian royals (September 2005)

Modern Fringe for the state visit to Australia (November 2005)

King Carl XVI Gustaf’s 60th birthday celebrations (April 2006)

Silver wedding of Henri and Maria Teresa of Luxembourg (June 2006)

Japanese state visit gala (March 2007)

State visit to Denmark (May 2007)

King’s Dinner during the ’07 Nobels (December 2007)

Crown Princess Victoria’s wedding (June 2010)

Wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco (July 2011)

Sapphires at the ’12 Nobels (December 2012)

Princess Madeleine’s wedding (June 2013)

Diamonds at the ’13 Nobels (December 2013)

Sapphires at the ’14 Nobels (December 2014)

Holiday Wishlists 2014: Chaumet

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Holiday Wishlist: Chaumet
From Romanov tiaras to French imperial jewels, the House of Chaumet has been an important part of the royal jewel landscape for two centuries. The firm was founded by Marie-Étienne Nitot, later Napoleon’s court jeweler, in 1780, and they’ve been making remarkable jewels ever since from their atelier in the Place Vendôme in Paris. Here are five of my favorite pieces from their current collections…
The Joséphine Tiara Ring is a tribute to one of the firm’s first major customers, Joséphine de Beauharnais, the first wife of Napoleon. Made of platinum and set with diamonds, the ring echoes the shape of a tiara in miniature. (Price on request)

This charming Bee Pendant is from the “Attrape-moi… si tu m’aimes” collection, which roughly translates to “catch me … if you love me.” I will definitely catch you, you adorable citrine-and-diamond bee. (Price on request)
The Grand Frisson Brooch is absolute geometric perfection. (Price on request)
The Hortensia Earrings are exuberant chandeliers of rubies, garnets, and red tourmalines. (Price on request)
It wouldn’t be Chaumet without a tiara, would it? I’m absolutely gaga over the delicate simplicity of the Joséphine Tiara, which places a single Paraiba tourmaline amid a field of diamonds and white gold. (Price on request)
If you could be a Chaumet client, which pieces would you want to bring home with you?
Disclaimer: I was not compensated for writing this post in any way, and Chaumet did not sponsor it. The opinions expressed here are solely mine.