Masterpiece of the Week: The Queen Mother’s Ruby Necklace, 1907

Necklace
Boucheron, 1907
Rubies, Diamonds, Gold
The Royal Collection

A close friend of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, and King George VI, the Honorable Mrs. Ronald Greville was known for her beauty, style and impeccable taste. Mrs. Greville was a keen collector of jewels, and during her life amassed an unprecedented assortment of diamond and gemstone pieces.


Upon her death in 1942, Mrs. Greville bequeathed her amazing collection to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother presented her daughter (now Queen Elizabeth II) with many of the pieces from Mrs. Greville’s collection on the day of her wedding in 1947.

This magnificent necklace was among those jewels given to Her Majesty on her wedding day. Created specifically for Mrs. Greville by Boucheron in Paris in 1907, the necklace of diamonds and bold red rubies is the epitome of Edwardian style with its floral pattern and dense settings.

The only change to the necklace since being presented to the Queen in 1947 is that it has been shortened by the two smallest, uppermost, flower clusters.

Saturday Sparkle: A Diamond and Emerald Brooch, 1930

Diamond and Emerald Brooch
French, 1930
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Dense configurations of diamonds in geometric patterns defined the jewelry design of the 1930’s. Very often, designers, especially the French, adapted these rigid designs into stylized organic forms. Especially popular were feathers and flowers.


This brooch is the epitome of 1930’s style. Brilliant cut and baguette diamonds set in platinum take on an abstracted feather form—contrasted by cool green cabochon emeralds. The platinum framework is easily removed so that this brooch can be worn as a flexible pendant.



 
 

Mastery of Design: An Ivory and Diamond Ring, 1750-1800

Ivory and Diamond Ring
Gold, Crystal, Diamonds, Ivory and, possibly, shell.
1750-1800
Possibly German.
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In the late Eighteenth Century, ivory was prized as an exotic and valuable medium. Ivory found its way into a variety of uses from household items to jewelry. Due to its durability and its ability to be carved into delicate and intricate patterns, ivory was a highly desirable material.


This ring by an unknown maker probably comes from Germany between 1750 and 1800. German jewelers were known for their fine ivory carvings and rings such as this were often imported into Britain. Housed behind a crystal dome, an ivory carving shows an intricate pastoral scene. Ethereal in its frame of diamonds, the piece has been set in gold.

For a ring like this to survive this long is quite remarkable. Very often, the crystal was broken from daily wear. This example is in exquisite condition.

Object of the Day: An Antique Hardstone Cameo Stickpin

Since the Third Century BC, cameos have been a popular art form used in everything from seals to jewelry. During the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries, cameo jewelry wasn’t just reserved for women. Gentlemen wore cameos in rings, watch fobs and stickpins. Only in recent years have cameos been exclusively the stuff of women’s jewelry.


This lovely hardstone cameo has been set into a delicate stickpin which dates to the late Nineteenth Century. Set in a gold bezel, the cameo is a dramatic contrast of white and black, showing a neatly carved profile of a woman in classical style.

Onyx, jet and dark sardonyx jewelry was often set aside to be worn during a time of mourning when the choices for adornment were limited. A stickpin such as this could have added a bit of pizzazz to mourning attire without being overly flashy. Today, she serves as a reminder of a sense of style and beauty which, also, has sadly passed.

Painting of the Day: A Stickpin Portrait of Queen Victoria, 1850

Stickpin with Portrait of Queen Victoria
William Essex after Franz Xaver Winterhalter
English, 1850
Gold, Enamel
The Victoria & Albert Museum

When young Queen Victoria ascended to the throne in 1837, she was quickly celebrated for her grace and beauty. Images of the Queen became popular decorations and even found their way into the design of jewels. This gold stickpin (or scarf pin) features a portrait of the Queen based on the 1843 canvas by Franz Xaver Winterhalter.


The portrait, beautifully rendered in enamel, is the work of the miniaturist William Essex—much beloved of the Queen and Prince Albert. Essex has taken great care to painstakingly reproduce one of the Queen’s favorite portraits.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Dorset Bow Brooch, 1893 (Reposted from May 12, 2011)

The Dorset Bow Fan
English, 1893
The Royal Collection

This exceptionally fine diamond brooch helped start a trend in jewelry design, giving rise to the popularity of “bow brooches,” a style which endures to this day. The brooch was a gift to Mary of Teck on the occasion of her marriage (to the future King George V) in 1893.


When Mary’s granddaughter, Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) married in 1947, this was among the many exquisite diamond pieces which Queen Mary lavished on the young bride.

Mastery of Design: A Pendant with Tassie Cameos of George III and Charlotte, 1780 (Reposted from May 12, 2011)

This delicate pendant gold, enamel, glass cameo and pearls bears the likenesses of King George III and Queen Charlotte. The cameos are referred to as “Tassie Cameos” because they are made in the style of William Tassie who perfected a means of crafting sparkling silhouettes in glass of famous people.

Pendant with Tassie Cameos
of King George III and
Queen Charlotte
1780
The Royal Collection

The pendant, created in 1780, was given by King George III and Queen Charlotte to the Honorable Georgiana Townsend, daughter of the 1st Viscount Sydney—the Leader of the House of Commons who was largely responsible for reaching terms of peace with the United States in 1783 following the American Revolution. It was interesting the Sydney was so instrumental in smoothing things over with the Colonies considering that the whole kerfuffle started with the Stamp Act of 1765—an act passed by Sydney’s cousin, Charles Townsend.

Georgiana had spent most of her life in the favor of the Royal Court and was a favorite of Queen Charlotte. Later in her life, Georgiana was appointed to the sinecure of State Housekeeper at Windsor, a position she held until the end of her life. She lived in the Norman Tower at Windsor Castle until her death.

In 1915, most of the items in the Sydney collection were auctioned off. Mary of Teck purchased this pendant at that auction as part of her quest to return as many Royal objects as possible to the Royal Collection.

Object of the Day: A Moonstone Stickpin

Mystical and mysterious, the moonstone was a popular gem of the Victorian era. It was prized for its milky blue glow and the way in which it seemed to absorb light. Moonstone was frequently used with other stones in elaborate settings, but it often found itself center stage.


Such is the case of this lovely English stickpin of 9 karat gold. The large moonstone is set into a sterling silver bezel which has been chased with a minute pattern of laurel leaves. A stickpin such as this would have been used by a gentleman in less-formal situations such as daily business or trips to the country.

Just as appealing as the day it was set, this moonstone stickpin continues to demonstrate the ethereal refraction which made this simple stone a super star.

Gifts of Grandeur: Queen Mary’s Diamond Bangles, 1893

Pair of Gold and Diamond Bangles
Presented to Mary of Teck in 1893
The Royal Collection

In 1893, as a wedding gift, Mary of Teck (after 1911, known as Queen Mary), was presented with a gorgeous pair of gold and diamond bangles by the Bombay Presidency. Knowing how much Mary loved sparkly things, I’m pretty sure she liked them.


There were two things that Queen Mary cared for more than art and jewels—her family and her country. In 1947, she presented these bangles to her granddaughter, Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) on the occasion of her marriage to the Duke of Edinburgh.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Queen Mother’s Diamond Chandelier Earrings, 1918

Pair of Diamond Chandelier Earrings
Cartier, 1918 and 1922
Commissioned by The Hon. Mrs. R. Greville
Bequeathed to the Queen Mother, 1942
Presented to Queen Elizabeth II, 1947
The Royal Collection

The original owner of these magnificent earrings was the Honorable Mrs. Ronald Greville who asked Cartier to create the pair using every conceivable cut of diamond. In 1918, Cartier presented Mrs. Greville with the earring sans the six large pear-shaped drops. In 1922, the jewelers are Cartier added the drops, giving the finished product an astonishing variety of modern diamond cuts: half moon, trapeze, square, pear, baguette and emerald.


These were among the magnificent collection of jewelry which Mrs. Greville bequeathed to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, upon her passing in 1942. In 1947, the Queen Mother gifted the earrings to her daughter, the future Queen Elizabeth II, as a wedding gift.