Diamonds: A Diamond Jubilee Exhibition

Queen Victoria's Fringe Brooch
Made by R. & S. Garrard & Co., 1856
Photo Source: The Royal Collection, 2012

Diamonds are the quintessential gemstone of queens, and Queen Elizabeth II certainly prefers them over other gemstones. Beginning at the end of June, Her Royal Majesty graciously agreed to allow The Royal Collection to host an exhibit of some of the most exquisite historical diamond jewelry in the United Kingdom. Some of these pieces from her personal collection have never before been shown in public, making this a historical jewelry event in and of itself.

More than a static display of glittering jewels, the Jubilee Diamond Exhibition will be a lesson in jewelry history spanning nearly 200 years. Among the most exquisite jewels from Her Royal Majesty’s personal collection is Queen Victoria’s Fringe Brooch. Made in 1856 by Garrard & Co., this brooch was bequeathed from the Queen Mother to HRM Elizabeth II in 2002. Featuring a large emerald-cut diamond surrounded by 12 smaller (but still substantial) brilliant-cut diamonds, this portion of the piece is detachable and can be worn with or without the nine graduated chains inset with diamonds.

Another of Her Majesty’s personal items has seen a number of transformations since she first received it as a birthday gift on April 21, 1947. Presented to Princess Elizabeth on behalf of the Government of the Union of South Africa, the South Africa necklace was designed in a repeating pattern of a large brilliant diamond (graduating in size to culminate with a 10-carat diamond center stone), followed by a smaller brilliant-cut diamond, a baguette diamond, and another smaller brilliant-cut diamond.

On April 18, 1947, Princess Elizabeth visited the Big Hole Mine with her parents (George VI and Queen Elizabeth I), where she met Sir Ernest Oppenheimer, Chairman of the De Beers Consolidated Mines. Sir Oppenheimer gave the Princess a 6-carat diamond, which was later used to make a detachable snap-piece for the South Africa necklace.

The stunning necklace underwent its final transformation in 1952, when six of the larger diamonds, as well as the snap-piece made from the De Beers diamond, were removed in order to fashion the bracelet that now completes the Queen’s South Africa necklace and bracelet set.

Truly a remarkable display, you will not want to miss the Diamond Exhibition, on in London through The Royal Collection.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Royal Collection, The. "Diamonds: A Jubilee Celebration." Accessed June 8, 2012. http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/exhibitions/summer-opening-of-buckingham-palace-diamonds-a-jubilee-celebration.
2. Royal Collection, The. "Queen Victoria's Fringe Brooch." Accessed June 8, 2012. http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/exhibitions/diamonds-a-jubilee-celebration/queen-victorias-fringe-brooch.
3. Royal Collection, The. "The Queen's South Africa necklace and bracelet." Accessed June 8, 2012. http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/exhibitions/diamonds-a-jubilee-celebration/queen-victorias-fringe-brooch.
4. Tert.am. "Queen Elizabeth' collection of jewels revealed for first time." Posted May 5, 2012. Accessed June 8, 2012.http://www.tert.am/en/news/2012/05/05/elizabeth/.
5. Kauri, Vidya. "Queen's diamonds to go on display for Diamond Jubilee." National Post. May 16, 2012. Last modified May 16, 2012. Accessed June 8, 2012. http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/05/16/queens-diamonds-to-go-on-display-for-diamond-jubilee/.

*Clip art courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

Treasures from the Royal Palace: A Diamond Jubilee Exhibition

Mosaic Easter Egg by Peter Carl Faberge, 1914
The Royal Collection, copyright 2012, HM Queen Elizabeth II
Photo Source: History Extra Magazine

Treasures from the Royal Palaces is a special exhibition celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. The exhibit officially opened on March 16, 2012, with public displays in the Queen’s Gallery of Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Holyroodhouse (the Queen’s official residence in Scotland).

Though a large portion of the collection features paintings from old masters, as well as drawings from Leonardo da Vinci, a significant array of jewelry, gemstones, and jeweled decorations is also on display. Among the jewels, you will see several cameos from the Hellenistic period (1^st and 2^nd century BC), acquired by King George III from the collection of Consul Joseph Smith of Venice in 1762.

These ancient cameos appear to have been reset in gold as pendants during the late 1700s. The cameo collection also includes carvings from Imperial Rome, Northern Italy, and England, all from the 1700s.

One of the most beautiful displays of jewelry is a parure, which has an equally beautiful history. Exquisitely fashioned in 1899, this beautiful ensemble was made of enamelled gold, pearls, rubies, and emeralds, and was originally given as a gift by Mary, Queen of Scots, to her faithful attendant, Mary Seton.

Ms. Seton’s family maintained ownership of the matching jewels until they sold them at auction through Christie’s in 1894. The daughter of the new owner, Lilias Countess Bathurst, gave the set to Queen Mary during George V’s Silver Jubilee in 1935.

Probably the most impressive jeweled item on display at the Queen’s Palaces is the Mosaic Easter Egg, one of the most ornate of the Faberge Imperial Easter Eggs. The Mosaic Egg was commissioned in 1914 by Tsar Nicholas II for his wife, Tsarina Alexandra (grand-daughter of Queen Victoria).

Designed by Alma Theresia Pihl, the egg was hand crafted with tiny individual squares cut precisely out of platinum. Into each perfectly calibrated slot a square-cut gemstone was inlaid by hand. Set with rubies, sapphires, demantoid, garnets, diamonds, and pearls, this beautiful egg harbored a surprise, which was revealed on Easter morning 1914, when Tsarina Alexandra opened it for the first time.

The egg's hidden surprise featured an enamelled medallion bearing the Russian (Romanov) Imperial Crown made out of diamonds and platinum. On the front of the medallion the five Romanov children were carved in profile, and on the back a Victorian-style basket of flowers sits surrounded by the names of their children.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Royal Collection, The. "Treasures from The Queen's Palaces: Gems and Jewels." Accessed June 8, 2012. http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/exhibitions/treasures-from-the-queen039s-palaces/gems-and-jewels.
2. Royal Collection, The. "Treasures from the Queen's Palaces." Accessed June 8, 2012. http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/exhibitions/treasures-from-the-queens-palaces.
3. Royal Collection, The. "Zeus." Accessed June 8, 2012. http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/65600/zeus.
4. Royal Collection, The. "Parure with necklace, brooch and earrings." Accessed June 8, 2012. http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/65600/zeus.
5. de Guitaut, Caroline. "Imperial Easter Egg by Albert Holmstrom." (Video.) Accessed June 8, 2012. http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/exhibitions/treasures-from-the-queens-palaces/imperial-easter-egg-by-albert-holmstrom.
6. Royal Collection, The. "About The Queen's Gallery." Accessed June 8, 2012. http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/queensgallerylondon/about.<
7. Royal Collection, The. "About the Palace of Holyroodhouse." Accessed June 8, 2012. http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/palaceofholyroodhouse/about.

*Clip Art courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

The Queen—Art & Image: A Diamond Jubilee Exhibition

Queen Elizabeth II
Portrait by Dorothy Wilding, circa 1952
Featuring the necklace from the Nizar of Hyderabad
Photo Source: Visit London

In the wake of the grand celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, several different museums will showcase special exhibitions which will be of particular interest to jewelry enthusiasts. The first of these exhibits opened on May 17, 2012, at the National Portrait Gallery at St. Martin’s Place in London

The Queen: Art & Image is a treasury of portraits of Queen Elizabeth II throughout her reign as queen. The exhibit features the works of prolific portraitist, Bassano; photographer, designer, and writer, Cecil Beaton; painter, Pietro Annigoni; photographer and 5^th Earl of Lichfield, Thomas Patrick John Anson; as well as many others. This gorgeous display features Queen Elizabeth II in all her glory across the span of her 60-year reign.

By far one of the better historical records of the jewelry Her Royal Majesty chose for each marked occasion, the 712 portraits, which will be on display until October 2012 at the National Portrait Gallery, reveal not only the varied and beautiful jewels of the British Empire, but also which have been the queen’s favorites.

It is clear that in her early days as queen, she favored her three-strand pearls for informal occasions. For more formal occasions, she favored the crown she affectionately calls “Granny’s Tiara” and the Cartier diamond and platinum necklace, which was a wedding gift from Osman Ali Khan, the Nizar of Hyderabad, in 1947. In the new millennium, she began to favor the Diamond Diadem (formerly known as the George IV Diadem) and what appear to be the Duchess of Teck pearl and diamond earrings. Though there is a bit of sleuthing involved with piecing her jewelry history together, it is made easier through thanks to these portraits.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Directgov. "The Queen's Diamond Jubilee--celebrations and events." Accessed June 8, 2012. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/Features/DG_WP200687.
2. National Portrait Gallery. "The Queen: Art & Image." Accessed June 8, 2012. http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/the-queen/the-queen-art-image.php.
3. Tert.am. "Queen Elizabeth's collection of jewels revealed for first time." Last modified May 5, 2012. Accessed June 8, 2012. http://www.tert.am/en/news/2012/05/05/elizabeth/.
4. Aguilar, Christine. "Peep the Beauty Queen of Jewelry Collection." Etc. Fashion Blog. Posted June 5, 2012. Accessed June 8, 2012. http://etcfashionblog.com/peep-the-beauty-queen-of-jewelry-collection.html.
5. Royal Wedding, A. "Diamond and platinum necklace." Accessed June 8, 2012. http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/microsites/royalwedding1947/object.asp?grouping=&exhibs=GIFTABROAD&object=200154&row=12&detail=about.

*Clip art courtesy of The Graphics Fairy