Princess Mary probably received from the Colonel and Lady Eva Dugdale
on the occasion of her marriage an antique turquoise and rose diamond
stomacher.
It is composed of a turquoise collet and rose diamond leaf large cluster
which forms the centre of a turquoise two-row and collet bar with
small turquoise and rose diamond leafage cluster terminals, the bar
enriched with a rose diamond leaf and riband top, the clusters supporting
two graduated turquoise collet festoons with the centre cluster supporting
a rose diamond turquoise kite-shaped panel, rose diamonds collet and
cluster to the turquoise and rose diamond pear-shaped pendant drop,
the two outer clusters supporting by a small rose diamond link a single
pear-shaped turquoise collet, and the bar supporting on each side
of the centre a gruaduated turquoise collet chain to the rose damond
cluster, pear-shaped turquoise collet and rose diamond collet drop,
a rose diamond leaf and pendant drop and another graduated turquoise
collet chain with pear-shaped turquoise pendant drop. Mounted in silver
and gold 12cm wide made in circa 1880. The late Victorian corsage
ornament was auctioned in 1966 and again in 1995. There is no
picture of the Princess Royal with the jewel. Above she is photographed
in gala with her sapphires for the coronation in 1937.
On January 9, 1922, "the West Norfolk Foxhounds met at Sandringham
the
field assembling on the Laycock, not far from York Cottage. . . .
The King walked from York Cottage, and was joined by the Queen, Queen
Alexandra, the Princess Royal and Princess Maud who arrived by motor
cars. Princess Mary, the Duke of York, Prince Henry, and Princess
Victoria were mounted.
Colonel Charles Seymour, the Master, on behalf of members of the hunt,
presented Princess Mary with a wedding gift in the form of a diamond
and sapphire brooch having in its centre a crystal plaque representing
a fox's head."
The crystal plaque actually illustrates a running fox and it was sold
at auction at Christie's in 1966. The catalogue description was "a
diamond, sapphire and crystal brooch, composed of an oblong crystal
plaque carved with a running fox with a calibre sapphire and diamond
three-row section at the top and base, and flanked on each side by
a single diamond line with graduated diamond lozenge-shaped collets
and a diamond stirrup link enclosing five-diamond and one sapphire
collet." It sold for £117.
Sources: The Times, 10 January 1922; 13 Jan 1922;Christie's
Important Jewels June 29, 1966;
Special thanks to Uwe for the picture and Laura for
the resarch and text!