Collier Necklace Halsband Royal Jewellery & Aristocratic Jewels Jewelry
The story behind the pearls – a gift from Sir Julius Wernher to his wife….
Lady Wernher Alice Mankiewicz| Countess Abercorn |Sir Julius Wernher Important Pearls Jewels
Two more of the wedding gift of Tsar Nikolas II and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna to Grand Duchess Marie Georgievna Romanov:
From her jewel album, we see on the kokoshnik eight diamond buttons as center of the stars, a sautoir – link chain in diamond as frame on the kokoshnik from the Empress Dowager Marie Feodorovna, and the hanging 4-rows of pearls with a large sapphire and diamond clasp(not seen) from the Emperor and Empress of Russia.
The pearl choker on her neck is also with a matching clasp, a cluster with sapphire cabochon and double row of diamonds.
On top an four pedal clover on large diamonds, a earlier present of the groom.
In front of her gown are also diamond buttons from the grooms mother Empress Olga Feodorovna, in total 16 in two sizes. On the head we could see a link chain in large diamond, probably the present of Empress Dowager Marie Feodorovna.
The ruby and diamond stomacher is an heirloom of Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna Romanov, she left it to her son Grand Duke Georg Mihailovich.
PROVENANCE OF THE IMPERIAL SAPPHIRE PARURE
A cord in writing, found between the boxes of jewels, stated that these sapphire jewels were given to Grand Duchess Stephanie of Baden, by her cousin Hortense de Beauharnais, Queen of Holland.
Such an origin is very likely. In many paintings Queen Hortense of Holland, and her mother Empress Josephine, can be seen wearing precious belts. Furthermore, Hortense’s financial papers, which are kept in the Napoléon archive in Paris, give evidence of her fortune between 1817 and 1837, the year she passed away. They show that she left Paris in 1816 with little money, but a lot of jewellery.
After Grand Duchess Stephanie’s of Baden death in 1860 the sapphire parure described as
‘necklace, pendant, earrings, seven pins and a belt’
was inherited by Stephanie’s second daughter, Josephine, Princess of Hohenzollern Sigmaringen.
See at the coronation picture, the sisters of Napoleon Caroline, Pauline, Elise and Hortense are in court gown with „jeweled belts“ and „bandeau head ornaments“ also stetted with large pins of precious centers, like the brooches and pins.
Under Napoléon’s court, belts decorated with precious stones were part of any jewellery parure, as fashion dictated that the waist was very high on dresses and court ladies needed a belt which was placed just under the décolleté. More about the history:
The story of the royal jewels of Duchess Victoria Adelaide and her Wedding in 1905, when the Princess of Schleswig-Holstein, became the Duchess of Sachsen-Coburg and Gotha
The story of the emerald wedding tiara necklace, gift to Alexandrine of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha wore the emeralds, also again at her golden wedding in 1892 at Coburg, together with an golden bridal wreath tiara.
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Royal Wedding in 1905, Princess Margaret of Connaught marries the Gustav Adolph of Sweden, the story behind the wedding gifts, today the necklace of diamonds and rubies from the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the Windsor siblings.
Absolute simplicity was the keynote of the wedding gown of the Royal bride. Foundation and train were white satin with skirt lace gathered round the hips, the bodice being draped with lace, with sprays of orange blossom half in the folds. Princess Margaret wore a simple wreath of myrtle and which carried a marvelous wedding veil presented to her by the ladies of Ireland. …
GORGEOUS PRESENTS TO ROYAL BRIDE. The most valuable gifts were shown in glass-covered cases, and enormous table groaned and other priceless gifts These gift sent their Majesties King and Queen is regal crown, composed of the finest diamonds and largo pigeon’s red rubies‘ sot square in the now manner. The appertains lovely necklace to match, and the crown are arranged that it forms tiara decoration at will. The bride’s parents, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, gave her another crown, call also form various beautiful ornament diamonds of the purest water, and tho pattern is that most elegant one, the Empire wreath. With trembling stones and festoons gems between each circle. From her brother and sister beautiful diamond and pearl ring came, and from the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Victoria of Wales, Princess Charles of Denmark, and the Duchess of Fife diamond and ruby necklace arrived. In tho case is shown an antique bracelet which the Duchess of Connaught remembers child, and which been sent young Princess Frederick Charles of Prussia. King Oscar’s Gifts. It officially announced that the King and Queen have presented to Prince Gustav and Princess Margaret the Castle of Sofjero, in Scania, southern part of Sweden, well tiara of diamonds as a separate wedding gift to the bride.
The Duchess wore the smaller version of the historic sapphire and diamond parure in 1984 and 1985 at least in public.
Unfortunately the historic Cambridge sapphires and diamond set, consist of the sapphire and diamond cluster tiara, the sapphire and diamond choker, the sapphire and diamond earrings, the sapphire and diamond brooch was also sold and is not in the royal family anymore.
When the founder of the jewel house Moira died in November 2020, it came up to the light, the historic smaller parure fragments are owned by her.
Nothing is known about the cluster tiara.
News about the historic Cambridge Sapphires Parure, find out more about the story of the important Cambridge Sapphires…..
The story behind the famous Romanov Emeralds of Tsarina Marie Alexandrovna….
Empress Maria Alexandrovna Empress of Russia jewels…
