The Duchess of Cornwall Brings a Snowflake Necklace and More Van Cleef & Arpels to West Africa

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall are on a tour of West Africa. 

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Last year, The Duchess of Cornwall debuted large diamond Snowflake Earrings, another piece in her growing collection of Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry. For a banquet in Ghana today, she debuted a matching necklace, which she wore alongside the earrings. (The necklace has been added to the original post on her earrings.) 

There are multiple necklace styles available in the Snowflake High Jewelry collection (which is, shockingly enough, inspired by flakes of snow). Camilla's is the Pendant with Snowflake Chain. The design can have either a small or large pendant; she has the large model.

The large pendant includes 85 round diamonds totaling approximately 6.05 carats, with platinum. The retail price is currently listed at $71,000. 

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As with all of The Duchess' Van Cleef & Arpels jewels, the provenance is unknown - however, given the sheer quantity she owns, I am left to assume only that either she or The Prince of Wales (or both!) must be big fans of the jeweler. 

The Duchess wears Magic Alhambra Earrings in Malachite and a Royal British Legion Poppy Brooch during the tour
UK in The Gambia

 The couple's West African tour has been a good one for sparkly VC&A sightings, in fact. She wore her Diamond Magic Alhambra Earrings to a dinner in The Gambia (covered here at the other blog), and she also wore her Malachite Magic Alhambra Earrings during that stop (seen above). I was surprised but obviously delighted to see those appear at a daytime engagement.

Poppy Collection Women of the First World War Brooch

Her poppy brooch is new this year and has been worn throughout the trip. It's the Poppy Collection Women of the First World War Brooch, made of enamel with gold tone plating and crystals; The Duchess of Cambridge has also worn one. Each brooch comes with a certificate commemorating a woman who lost her life as a direct result of the First World War. A beautiful addition - and very fitting to The Duchess' interests - for the centenary of the armistice. You can buy one here.

The Duchess of Cornwall's Magic Alhambra Malachite Necklace and Earrings

The Duchess of Cornwall, an avid Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry collector, unveiled a new addition to her collection in May 2016.

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At a reception for British Oscar winners, The Duchess of Cornwall debuted a striking necklace and earring set in Van Cleef & Arpels' Alhambra motif. A staple of the famed Parisian jewelers since 1968, the clover-esque motif has been interpreted in many different designs and materials. The pieces worn by The Duchess use vibrant green malachite to fill in the quatrefoil shapes, which are framed with gold and connected by gold chains.

The Duchess' necklace has multiple strands and could be one of the longer models, wrapped around more than once. When the malachite version of the design was reintroduced in 2013, necklaces from both the Vintage Alhambra collections (which uses motifs of the same size) and the Magic Alhambra collections (using varying sizes) were released. Camilla's version is from the Magic Alhambra collection, with motifs of multiple sizes.

A long Magic Alhambra necklace (left), and a double strand Vintage Alhambra Necklace (right)

The Duchess has either a long necklace wrapped around twice, or a double strand necklace, which looks more likely. The retail version of the long Vintage Alhambra necklace, as an example, includes 20 motifs and is listed for $17,600 currently; 10 motif versions are also available.

 

Camilla's malachite earrings are also from the Magic Alhambra collection, featuring three motifs each. The earrings are listed for $9,350 currently. She also owns this earring design in the diamond and white gold version, which we first saw in 2012. I've always loved those earrings for being among the few long enough to be seen from underneath her hair, and the malachite is such a fun addition to her collection. With its bright color and plentiful striations, this is a stone with a lot of personality.

Appearances:
24 May 2016: Visit to Northern Ireland
4 May 2016: Reception for British Academy Award Winners

Photos: Getty Images/ITN screencaps/Van Cleef & Arpels