Prince Louis of Hesse, son of Charles, Prince of Hesse, and Elisabeth, third daughter of Prince William of Prussia, succeeded his uncle, Louis III, as Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse, in 1877.
He married, in 1862, Princess Alice of Great Britain and Ireland, the second daughter of Queen Victoria.
On her marriage the Princess Alice received some costly royal presents:
From his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales – A parure of very fine sapphires and diamonds, consisting of a necklace and brooch, a pair of earrings and a bracelet. From Messrs Garrard. Both this and the proceeding selected by his Royal Highness the Prince Consort.
Above the Grand Duchess is pictured in 1871, with a Sapphire and Diamond Necklace and ear pendants which were part of her wedding presents in 1862.
The Sapphire and Diamond necklace/tiara is made with natural pearls in 1860s.
The front of the necklace is composed of floral motifs set with cushion-shaped and rose diamonds, the centre of each motif set with an oval mixed-cut sapphire or a natural pearl, the centre supporting a drop shaped natural pearl measuring approximately 15.0 x 9.3 x 9.8mm, length approximately 410mm. There are two large diamond swags and fringes on the pearl motifs as ornament.
It can be mounted on a tiara frame embellished with arched and geometric motifs set with cushion-shaped diamonds, inner circumference approximately 480mm.
After the death of Grand Duchess Alice, the sapphire parure was still in the Hesse family, and worn by her eldest daughter Princess Victoria of Hesse, when she married the Prince of Battenberg, on her wedding day in 1884.
Last seen on Princess Victoria of Hesse, Princess Battenberg in 1885.
Sources: Times; Morning Post; Court Journal; Altonaer Nachrichten; Royal Collection; Hessian Tapestry;Sotheby's
Thank you to Uwe Ripka for the information about the necklace.
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