Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein is wearing her sister's Cartier Art Deco Brooch. Cartier's archives show that Princess Marie Louise was a loyal client making some significant purchases.
One of these purchases was "an important diamond, pearl and onyx brooch, composed of a large button pearl forming the centre of the fancy diamond hexagonal panel with trefoil terminals and black onyx trimmings" with a tassel in the same panel setting with diamonds and black onyx terminating in a fringe of pear-shaped diamonds.
The brooch was left by the Princess to her cousin Lady Patricia Ramsay, who later sold it at auction at Christies. When the brooch was sold it did not have its diamond and onyx tassel.
Princess Marie Louise also owned a pair of diamond and onyx clips, possibly by Cartier. They were trefoil in design. She is wearing them at the corners of her neckline in the Cecil Beaton portrait taken in 1953.
The important antique diamond tiara, which Princess Helena Victoria wore in the picture above, was made of eighteen graduated ribbon and collet scrolls. The diamond set trefoils intersected the ornament and there is a palmette centre.
Both Princesses Marie Louise and Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein used the tiara and it was left also to her cousin Lady Patricia Ramsay. It was later sold at auction.
Sources: Christies
