HM Queen Elizabeth II, has the best jewellery collection in the world, from diamond-encrusted tiaras, sapphire adorned necklaces, brooches, rings, diadem, bracelets etc; that are seen adorned by HM at formal occasions. In my article, I will be talking about the jewellery gifts received by HM Queen Elizabeth II on occasions of her wedding, birthdays, royal visits and gatherings.
So, ladies and gentleman fasten your seat belts as we travel to Buckingham Palace to open the Royal Treasury!!
Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace and Diamond Tiara
Gifted by: Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan.
Occasion: It was a wedding gift to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947.
Description: The Necklace and Tiara inspired by English roses were personally chosen by HM and purchased from Cartier in 1930s. The original necklace consisted of eight double-drop and three triple-drop pendants. However, nine of the pendants (all eight double-drop and the larger of the triple-drop pendants) were later removed and sold separately. The rest of the set is still in use and consists of a long chain of 38 diamonds with a diamond-encrusted clasp and pave-set with detachable double-drop pendant. The Nizam of Hyderabad necklace is one of HM’s favourites necklace, worn by her at several occasions and was recently loaned to the Duchess of Cambridge.
The tiara has three diamond floral brooches that can be detached and used separately as brooches. The Queen wore this tiara from time to time until 1973, after which it was broken to create the Burmese Ruby Tiara.
Queen Anne and Queen Caroline Pearl Necklaces
As you all know, Natural Pearls are one of my favourite gemstones; it gives me immense pleasure to talk about the rarest strings of Natural Pearl Necklace, HM received as a gift.
Gifted by: HM’s parents; King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
Occasion: It was a wedding gift to HM Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947.
Description: Both necklaces consist of a single row of large graduated pearls with pearl clasps. The smaller necklace is Queen Anne, which is strung with 46 pearls; the slightly longer necklace is Queen Caroline stung with 50 pearls. HM recently wore the necklaces at the Diamond Jubilee Concert outside Buckingham Palace in 2012.
Provenance: The Queen Anne Necklace belonged to Queen Anne, the last British monarch of the Stuart dynasty. The necklace was given to her by Prince George.
Queen Caroline had a great collection of valuable pearl necklaces. She had 50 best pearls selected to make one large necklace.
HM had left this pearl necklace at St James’s Palace on her wedding day. Her private secretary, Jock Colville, was asked to bring them to Buckingham Palace, who completed his journey to St James’s Palace on foot, and got the necklaces for the HM just in time!
The stories associated with these jewels make them all the more appealing, right?
Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara.
Gifted by: Queen Mary; Queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions.
Occasion: It was a wedding gift to HM Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947.
Description: Queen Mary, received this tiara as a gift from the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland in 1893 on the occasion of her marriage to the Duke of York, later George V. This tiara was commissioned by Lady Eva Greville from Garrard and made by E. Wolff & Co. using money collected from the girls of Great Britain & Ireland. The tiara could be worn on a smaller coronet frame or as a necklace.
In 1914, Queen Mary had the top pearls replaced with diamonds from the County of Surrey Tiara. The pearls were then used in the Cambridge Lovers Knot Tiara. The base of the tiara was removed and worn separately.In 1969 Queen Elizabeth II had it reattached to the rest of the tiara. The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara is one of HM’s most recognisable pieces of jewellery due to its widespread appearance in portraits of the monarch on British banknotes and coinage.
The City of London Fringe Necklace.
Gifted by: The City of London = Lord Mayor of London, the Governor of the Bank of England, and the Chairman of the Stock Exchange.
Occasion: It was a wedding gift to HM Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947.
Description: A 19th-century necklace made in diamonds, set in gold and silver and threaded on silk. This necklace doesn’t include a setting to form a tiara.
The royalty and class of this piece shines off its very details and enigma, doesn’t it?
Emir Of Bahrain Brooch
Time to brooch it up, the classic style!
Gifted by: Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Emir of Bahrain in 1979.
Occasion: The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were hosted by the Emir of Bahrain on their State Visit to Bahrain after its independence from the UK.
Description: The brooch was one of the gifts received by HM during her visit to Bahrain. The boat is made in gold and embellished with Rubies; the sail is made with diamonds.
Bahrain Diamond and Pearl Earrings.
I couldn’t be more excited today to talk about my favourite natural pearls, The Bahrain Pearls again! Here’s giving you another glimpse at their royalty!
Gifted by: Sheikh of Bahrain, Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa.
Occasion: It was a wedding gift to HM Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947.
Description: On receiving seven large pearls in a pearl shell from the ruler of Bahrain as a wedding gift; HM got the Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings made in 1947. Each earring has one Bahraini pearl, three baguette diamonds, one large round diamond, and four small round diamonds.HM had lent these earrings to Diana, Princess of Wales, the Countess of Wessex, and the Duchess of Cambridge occasionally.
The Grima Ruby Brooch.
Gifted by: The Duke of Edinburgh in 1966.
Occasion: It was a present from the Duke to HM.
Description: Made of recycled carved rubies, free-form gold, and diamonds, this brooch was created by jeweller Andrew Grima, who won ‘The Duke of Edinburgh Prize for Elegant Design’ in 1966. HM wore the brooch for official photos to mark 70 years of marriage to Prince Philip in 2019.
This year, HM and Duke of Edinburgh will celebrate their 74th wedding anniversary. Let’s guess which brooch will be adorned by HM. Leave your answers in the comments!
George VI Victorian Suite
Let’s understand what does the word “Parure” mean.
Parure means ‘Set’ in French, it’s the formal name given to a SUITE of jewellery which is a combination of a matching necklace, earrings, brooch and bracelet.
Speaking of Suite; now we will learn about the Sapphire Suite HM received as a gift!
Gifted by: HM Queen Elizabeth’s parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
Occasion: It was a wedding gift to HM Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947.
Description: This suite was made in 1850 and it consisted of a long necklace of oblong sapphires and diamonds; along with a pair of matching sapphire earrings.
HM had the necklace shortened by removing the biggest sapphire in 1952 and used it as a pendant or a brooch. In 1963, HM added a tiara known as ‘Modern Sapphire Tiara’ and bracelet to the set.
Flower Basket Brooch
Gifted by: HM Queen Elizabeth’s parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
Occasion: It was gifted to mark the birth of Prince Charles in November 1948.
Description: Flower Basket brooch depicts a basket filled with ruby, diamond, and sapphire flowers. HM wore it for Prince Charles’ first official picture. This brooch remains one of HM’s favourite brooch and is frequently worn at multiple occasions and events.
South African Necklace
Gifted by: South African Government.
Occasion: 21st birthday gift.
Description: In 1947, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth took their daughters Elizabeth and Margaret on a tour to Africa. On the occasion of her 21st birthday, the South African government presented a diamond necklace with 21 diamonds, the largest of which was 10cts.
The larger size diamonds were separated by groups of a baguette diamond with a small brilliant on either side to form a long necklace.
In 1952, HM shortened the necklace from 21 to 15 large diamonds and created a bracelet with the remaining diamonds. To the bracelet, she added a 6 cts diamond given to her by De Beers from her 1947 tour. HM refers to the South African set as “My Best Diamonds”. Little Mary Oppenheimer presenting the De Beers diamond to Princess Elizabeth.
Ruby and Diamond Floral Bandeau Necklace
Gifted by: HM Queen Elizabeth’s parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
Occasion: It was a wedding gift to HM Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947.
Description: This necklace was a part of the jewellery collection left to Queen Elizabeth by Mrs Greenville; it was purchased from Boucheron in 1907. It’s embellished in rubies and diamond flowers, set in silver and gold, in a bandeau format, a deep v-shape culminating in a diamond pendant. HM had shortened the necklace by removing the two smaller floral pieces which may have converted to earrings.
In 2017, the necklace was loaned to the Duchess of Cambridge for a State Banquet for King Felipe VI of Spain. The Queen wore it again for the first time in over 30 years in 2018 at a dinner, as a part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Queen Mary’s Diamond Indian Bangle Bracelet
Gifted by: Queen Mary, Queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions.
Occasion: It was a wedding gift to HM Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947.
Description: Each bangle is made of Diamonds set in gold and silver. These were originally a wedding gift to Queen Mary from the Bombay Presidency.
Bangles are an intricate part of the Indian fashion and culture, signified by religious relevance. From monumental occasions to everyday fashion, they are a staple to our culture.
Queen Mary’s Stomacher
Introducing a very interesting royal jewelry, “Stomacher” a piece of jewellery designed to be worn across the front of the bodice. Let’s learn more about it.
Gifted by: Queen Mary, Queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions.
Occasion: It was a wedding gift to HM Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947.
Description: Queen Mary had received the Kapurthala Stomacher by the Maharajah of Kapurthala and Diamond Crescent from the town of Swansea as gifts; on the occasion of her wedding in 1893. After redesigning them into easy to wear stomacher which could also be worn as three separate brooches; Queen Mary had gifted them to her granddaughter Princess Elizabeth as a wedding gift in 1947. HM preferred wearing the bottom part of the stomacher as a brooch and was seen wearing the full stomacher to a dinner celebrating her Golden Jubilee with other monarchs in attendance in 2002.
If you were gifted a stomacher, would you embrace and ace the look? Leave a comment!
The County of Cornwall Ruby Diamond Bracelet-Brooch.
Gifted by: Queen Mary, Queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions.
Occasion: It was a wedding gift to HM Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947.
Description: The story goes; when Princess Victoria Mary married Prince George, Duke of York, on July 6, 1883, the County of Cornwall gifted the future Queen consort a ruby and diamond bracelet set in gold. The central rose of the bracelet can be detached and worn as a pendant or a brooch. Queen Mary gifted the bracelet to her granddaughter Princess Elizabeth (HM) in 1947 as a wedding present. HM uses the bracelet occasionally with her other ruby jewels.
And it’s a wrap of my article of the Royal Gifts! If you belonged to the vintage times, what would you gift your loved one or like to receive as gifts? Let me know in the comments below.
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Very Informative blog. Thanks
Thank you!