jewelry: Diamond Jubilee

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Royal Asscher Releases Diamond Jubilee Edition of Stars of Africa Jewelry

The Royal Asscher Diamond Company released a limited edition version of its Stars of Africa jewelry line in honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s yearlong Diamond Jubilee celebration.

The “Diamond Jubilee Stars” is based on the same design introduced in 2009 that incorporates a clear half-sphere or full-sphere made of sapphire crystal filled with tiny diamonds. The crystal shells are filled with a clear silicone, which allow the diamonds to float inside the sphere jewelry in the same manner that paper confetti floats inside a snow globe.

The newest collection consists of a ring and pendant made of 18k rose gold. The half-sphere of the ring contains a total of 2.12 carats of white, blue and fancy pink floating diamonds. The full sphere of the pendant contains 4.91 carats of white, blue and fancy pink diamonds. The colors of the diamonds resemble the three colors of The Union Jack, the British National Flag.

The Diamond Jubilee Stars are available in a very exclusive edition of six pieces, each with its own serial number and certificate and are only available at Harrods, London.

There are few in the jewelry and diamond industry that has had as long or as close of a relationship with with the British Monarchy as Royal Asscher. It began in 1908 when the Asscher brothers of Amsterdam cut the biggest diamond in the world: the Cullinan. The Cullinan I (530 carats) was mounted in the head of the Scepter with the Cross. the Cullinan II (317 carats) was mounted in St. Edward's Crown. Both are part of the Royal Crown Jewels and on permanent display in the Tower of London.

On the fourth day of the National Diamond Jubilee celebrations, Queen Elizabeth wore the brooch set with the Cullinan III and IV in front of a worldwide audience on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee Jewelry Exhibition

Queen Victoria wears the Coronation Necklace and Earrings and the small diamond crown in an 1890 portrait by Heinrich von Angeli. Photo Credit: The Royal Collection (c) 2011, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

The yearlong celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee will hit a crescendo with the special exhibition, “Diamonds: A Jubilee Celebration,” which will mark the annual summer opening of the State Rooms of Buckingham Palace.

More than 10,000 diamonds set in works acquired by six British monarchs over three centuries go on display to mark the queen’s 60-year reign. The exhibition runs from June 30 – July 8 and July 31 – October 7 at Buckingham Palace. It includes a number of the queen’s personal jewels and works from the Royal Collection, the art collection of the British Royal Family.

Queen Victoria wears the Coronation Necklace and Earrings and the Small Diamond Crown in an 1890 portrait by Heinrich von Angeli. Photo Credit: The Royal Collection (c) 2011, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

The items for the exhibition were chosen for their artistic significance and their historic importance, and for the supreme skill in diamond cutting and mounting they embody, said Caroline de Guitaut, exhibition curator.

“The exhibition shows how over the past three centuries monarchs have used diamonds to display magnificence, whether in personal adornment or as a statement of power,” de Guitaut said. “Each piece demonstrates breathtaking workmanship and extraordinary ingenuity in design.”

Several jewelry pieces—such as the Delhi Durbar Tiara, Queen Victoria’s Fringe Brooch and the Kokoshnik Tiara—are on display for the first time. The exhibition also includes jewelry made from the world’s largest diamond, the Cullinan Diamond, which weighed 3,106 carats as an uncut stone. Pieces containing seven of the nine principal stones cut from the Cullinan Diamond are reunited for the first time. They include the Cullinan III and IV Brooch, worn by the queen for the National Service of Thanksgiving for Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee, at St Paul’s Cathedral, June 5, 2012.

The exhibition contains several pieces commissioned by Queen Victoria, the only other monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee. They include the Coronation Necklace created for her and subsequently worn by Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth (The Queen Mother) and Queen Elizabeth. Also on display is the miniature crown worn by Queen Victoria for her official Diamond Jubilee portrait in 1897. The crown’s 1,187 diamonds give it a grandeur that belies its tiny proportions – it measures just 9 x 10cm (3.5 x 4 inches).

Diamonds acquired by previous monarchs continue to play an important role on State and ceremonial occasions. The Diamond Diadem, made for the famously extravagant coronation of George IV in 1821, has been worn by the queen to and from the State Opening of Parliament throughout her reign. Set with 1,333 brilliant-cut diamonds, it is one of Her Majesty’s most widely recognized pieces of jewelry, appearing on British and Commonwealth stamps and also on certain issues of banknotes and coinage.

Among items of the queen’s personal jewelry are a number of pieces marking important events in her life. The South Africa Necklace was presented to the then Princess Elizabeth on her 21st birthday in 1947. The Williamson Brooch incorporates at its center what is considered to be the finest pink diamond ever discovered. The diamond was found in Tanzania in 1947 by the Canadian geologist Dr JT Williamson, who gave the uncut stone to Princess Elizabeth for her wedding in November that year.

To learn more about the jewelry in the pictures follow this link to visit the slide show.

You can also follow this link for a more detailed explanation of the jewelry.

The exhibition also includes historic objects that show the skill and ingenuity with which diamonds have been used in different cultures and traditions. They include the exquisite 18th-century bloodstone box made for King Frederick the Great of Prussia. The box incorporates nearly 3,000 diamonds arranged pictorially to represent flowers, insects and musical instruments. The Jaipur Sword was presented to King Edward VII for his coronation in 1902 by the Maharajah of Jaipur. It is set with 719 diamonds, weighing a total of 2,000 carats.

Diamond Tiara from Maureen Swanson Could Fetch $235,000

Diamond tiara from the late Countess of Dudley, also known as the actress and dancer Maureen Swanson.

With the ongoing celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee, it seems fitting that Christie’s London sale of Important Jewels on June 13 would focus on royal and aristocratic jewels.

A total of 368 lots include jewels from the collections of Princess Soraya Esfandiary Bakhtiary, Beatrice Countess of Granard OBE, and the late Countess of Dudley. Spanning four centuries, the sale has rare historic rings, diamonds and pearls. The roll call of signed jewels by the leading houses and designers includes: Boucheron, Cartier, Chaumet, Chopard, Graff and Van Cleef & Arpels.

One of the top pieces of the sale is an Art Deco diamond tiara by Cartier (pictured above) from the collection of the late Countess of Dudley, also known as the actress and dancer Maureen Swanson, with an estimate of £100,000 – £150,000 ($156,850 – $235,270). It is one of 17 jewels offered from the collection up for sale. The tiara is “composed of five graduated shield shaped clip brooches, each resembling the Pylon, the tapering monumental towers of ancient Egypt whose bold form inspired so much 1930s design,” Christie’s said. “Together, mounted atop the simple diamond line frame, these clips are transformed into a modern soaring geometric skyline, their design recalling both the architectural innovations of the era together with its inimitable style.”

The sale also will be led by the Cowdray Pearls, a rare natural pearl necklace, composed of a single row of thirty-eight graduated natural grey pearls, with an estimated price of £280,000 – £350,000 ($440,000 – $549,000). It is from the collection of the late Viscountess Cowdray, Lady Pearson (1860-1932).

Leading the small group of jewels formerly from the collection of Princess Soraya Esfandiary Bakhtiary is a 12.15 carat diamond circular single-stone ring (estimate: £70,000 – £100,000; $110,000 – $156,850). Another ring with notable provenance is an Edwardian sapphire and diamond ring, circa 1905, which was formerly in the collection of Beatrice Countess of Granard OBE (estimate: £30,000 – £40,000; $47,000 – $63,000).

A selection of 40 lots from Cartier, including jewels, cufflinks, watches and clocks, is a highlight of the auction. This portion of the sale is led by an Art Deco diamond and gem bracelet of Oriental inspiration, circa 1925 (estimate: £100,000 – £150,000; $156,850 – $235,270), and a pair of platinum and diamond ear pendants, composed of a graduated line of three brilliant-cut diamonds, suspending a pear-shaped diamond drop (estimate: £100,000 – £150,000; $156,850 – $235,270).

For information on all the lots offered in the sale, view the online catalog.

Queen Elizabeth to celebrate Diamond Jubilee with Diamond Exhibition

The miniature crown worn by Queen Victoria for her official diamond jubilee portrait in 1897.

For those of you still brimming with joy from the pomp and majesty of the royal wedding there will be another royal celebration next year.

In February 2012, Queen Elizabeth II will become only the second sovereign in British history to have reigned for 60 years. To mark the occasion, Buckingham Palace will host an exhibit of the many ways in which diamonds have been used and worn by British monarchs over the past two centuries. The exhibition includes an unprecedented display of a number of the queen’s personal jewels—either inherited or acquired during her reign.

The exhibition titled, “Diamonds: A Jubilee Celebration,” presented by The Royal Collection, will coincide with the 2012 summer opening of Buckingham Palace. It will be held in August and September of 2012. Final dates have yet to be confirmed. It is one of several exhibitions celebrating the queen’s diamond jubilee.

Queen Victoria is the only other British monarch to celebrate a diamond jubilee. The exhibition will include the coronation necklace and earrings created for Victoria and subsequently worn by Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, and the current queen at their coronations. The necklace is formed of 25 graduated cushion-shaped brilliant-cut diamonds and a central drop-shaped pendant of 22.48 cts.

Other items to be displayed include:

Queen Victoria’s fringe brooch, which was designed to be worn along the top of the fashionably low-cut bodices of the period. It consists of a large emerald-cut brilliant diamonds surrounded by twelve large brilliants, from which are suspended nine diamond chains. It was made in October 1856 by R & S Garrard, who remodeled an existing piece of jewelry and added the stones that had been presented to the Queen by the Sultan of Turkey, Abdul Mejid I, in May that year. It was left to King Edward VII and often worn by his consort, Queen Alexandra. The Queen Mother wore the brooch for the coronation in 1953.

The miniature crown worn by Queen Victoria for her official diamond jubilee portrait in 1897 (top picture), by R & S Garrard in 1870. It was designed to be worn over a veil, which the queen adopted following the death of Prince Albert. The crown’s 1,187 diamonds give it a grandeur that belies its tiny proportions (3.54 inches by 3.94 inches). Probably because of its physical lightness, Queen Victoria favored this crown over any other throughout the last 30 years of her life.

The “Girls of Great Britain Tiara,” a wedding present to Princess Victoria Mary of Teck (later Queen Mary) on behalf of the “Girls of Great Britain and Ireland.” The tiara was presented to the queen as a wedding present and is still frequently worn her.

The exhibition also includes a number of historic objects to show the skill and ingenuity with which diamonds have been used in different cultures and traditions. They include the 18th century bloodstone snuff box made for King Frederick the Great of Prussia. The box incorporates nearly 3,000 diamonds arranged pictorially to represent flowers, insects and musical instruments.

For tickets and visitor information, go to www.royalcollection.org.uk or call +44 (0)20 7766 7300.

Fabergé Invades London with an Egg for the Queen and an Easter Egg Hunt

The Fabergé Diamond Jubilee Egg.

Luxury jewelry house, Fabergé, has unveiled a custom bejeweled egg honoring Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee in London Tuesday as residents scoured the city streets to begin a 40-day hunt for elaborately decorated Easter eggs in a charity benefit.

Crafted with precisely 500 grams of rose gold, the design of the one-of-a-kind Diamond Jubilee Egg is topped with 60 gemstones—one for each year of the Queen’s reign—set in the pleats of its quilted rose gold surface and comprising diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires. Actress Emilia Fox displayed the egg during the unveiling outside the recently opened Fabergé London boutique.

Actress Emilia Fox with the Fabergé Diamond Jubilee Egg.

The Diamond Jubilee Egg is valued at $157,850 and is the top prize in the The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt. It will be on display at the Fabergé boutique from February 21 until April 1, and then at Harrods in Knightsbridge from April 2 -8.

More than 200 eggs, each around 2 ½ foot in height and designed and decorated by designers and artists have been “hidden” around central London as residents try to find the eggs. Each egg holds a unique code which, when texted to the number provided via SMS, provides an entry to win the Diamond Jubilee Egg. Each additional code submitted provides an additional entry, increasing the chances of winning the Diamond Jubilee Egg. Charges apply to each text message, with the proceeds going to the two charities: Action For Children and The Elephant Family. Fabergé seeks to raise one million pounds for each charity

The creative talent decorating the eggs represents many disciplines—including architects product designers, fashion houses, jewelry designers and artists. They include Marc Quinn, Chapman Brothers, Sir Peter Blake, Zaha Hadid, Nicky Haslam, Candy & Candy, Gordon Murray, Bruce Oldfield, Robinson Pelham, Sir Ridley Scott, Diane von Furstenberg and Mulberry.

Each of these works of art will be sold by auction to raise funds for the charities. See www.thebigegghunt.co.uk for more information.

Queen Elizabeth Displays her Diamond Jubilee Jewelry

Britain's Royal Family released an official Diamond Jubilee portrait of Queen Elizabeth adorned with jewelry from The Royal Collection in honor of her 60th anniversary as Britain’s Monarch.

The Queen is wearing the State Diadem (crown), a circlet of diamonds, created in 1820. She wears this during the procession to and from the State Opening of Parliament, and she wore it on her Coronation Day, for the procession to Westminster Abbey.

The Queen is also wearing Queen Victoria’s Collet Necklace which has been worn by five generations of Royal Ladies (Queen Victoria, Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) and the present Queen). Queen Victoria (The Queen’s great-great grandmother) wore this necklace for her own official Diamond Jubilee photograph, issued in 1897.

On the blue Garter Riband (or sash) The Queen is wearing the Royal Family Orders of her grandfather, King George V, and father, King George VI.

Her dress is made of white silk, satin and lace with silver colored sequins. The dress has a flowing scalloped edge, and was created in Buckingham Palace by Miss Angela Kelly. In the background is the Queen Victoria Memorial.

The portrait was taken by John Swannell in the Centre Room in Buckingham Palace in December 2011. It is one of two commissioned Diamond Jubilee photographs of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh that were released Sunday.

“This is the third time I’ve had the pleasure of photographing Her Majesty, and I always find these events very exciting,” Swannell said. “The Queen and Prince Philip, I thought, were patient and very relaxed on the day, which I hope is reflected in the photographs.”

Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne of Great Britain on Feb. 6, 1952, upon the death of her father King George VI. She is only the second monarch to celebrate diamond jubilee of her reign.