The then Princess Elizabeth was on a royal tour with her parents of South Africa on her 21st birthday, April 21, 1947. Her parents gave her this twin pair of Cartier ivy leaf brooches of platinum, each covered with pave-set diamonds and a large round brilliant diamond in the centre. These clips are from the Greville treasures, which were left to the Queen Consort Elizabeth.
To mark her 70th Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II wore the Greville Ivy Leaf Clips Brooches made by Cartier, in 2022, 6th February.
Pavé-set, each brooch in the shape of an ivy leaf, mounted centrally with a brilliant (one an old-cut, the other a modern cut), in eight- and four-claw settings respectively; with sprung, two-prong fastenings.
These diamond clips were made by Cartier for Mrs Greville, one apparently before 1930, when a diamond was reset, and the second in 1937, using Mrs Greville's own stones. At this point, the earlier piece was modified to match the new clip. They were bequeathed to Queen Elizabeth in 1942, The Queen continues to wear the clips regularly.
Cartier Archive, AWF.164989, 1 August 1937: ‘As Jul 31 Mtg yr 94 dia & 6 rose dia as ivy leaf clip brooch. Supp one dia in centre. Convtg yr brooch into clip £72 4s 6d’. The first part of this entry probably refers to the clip with the smaller and more finely set diamonds. An entry in the Cartier ledgers dated 8 August 1930 (‘Restg diamond in ivy brooch £3’) may refer to the earlier brooch.
Christie’s 1942, p. 4, no. 7.Cartier, London, before 1930 and 1937 Diamonds, platinum 3.6 × 3.5 cm; one signed: Cartier London - Queens Diamonds
Sapphire, diamond, emerald, amethyst and ruby leaf-shaped brooch, given by the Duke of York (the future King George VI) Duchess of York (the future Queen Elizabeth, later The Queen Mother) in 1928 made by Cartier, London and to Princess Elizabeth by her parents as a birthday present. during the Second World War. The five sapphire cabochons, four emerald, three amethyst cabochons und a small ruby cabochon, are not facetted, the diamonds in the frame are in baquette cut, the stem in brilliants.
Honeycomb band, with sapphires and diamonds set as a bracelet, again from Cartier. The King gave to Princess Elizabeth in 1944 as an 18th birthday present.Its madstriking geometric design, mounted with alternating baguette-cut diamonds and square-cut sapphires is typical of jewellery of the 1920s.
Many of the items of jewellery worn by The Queen for the portrait sittings held personal
connections for the young monarch. They included a sapphire and diamond Cartier bracelet, which was given to her by her father King George VI as an 18th birthday present in 1944.
