The Greville Chandelier Earrings

The Greville Chandelier Earrings

Mrs. Ronald Greville left her extensive jewel collection to Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) in 1942. Some have said King George VI was a bit uneasy about his wife collecting such a stash in such a way, but apparently he got over it, because the Greville collection provided jewels which still sparkle on the ladies of the royal family today.

Two items from the Greville jewels were gifted to Princess Elizabeth for her wedding in 1947: these chandelier earrings, and a large floral ruby and diamond necklace. The Greville Chandelier Earrings are made of platinum-set diamonds in a great variety of cuts (emerald, pear, square, half moon, trapeze, baguette, and more). Made by Cartier, they started out in a simpler form and evolved to what we see today by 1929.

The Queen used these often in her early years; after the wedding, they were her main showstopper earrings for formal events. They are not worn as often these days, but it's always a pleasant surprise when they are – they’re really quite pleasant and cohesive for a concept that seems a bit gimmicky at first (combining all the cuts of diamonds could have gone wrong in so many ways!). And the swing of the long earrings adds a tremendous amount of sparkle power.

Appearances:
2010: Visit to Canada 
1992: State Visit to Germany 
1986: State Visit from Spain
1983: State Visit to Sweden  
1978: State Visit to Germany
1967: Visit to Malta  
1958: State Visit from Germany
1958: State Visit to the Netherlands 

Photos: Leslie Field/Royal Collection/Getty Images