The Queen’s Sapphire Jubilee, marking an incredible 65 years on the throne, is on February 6. We’d be remiss if we didn’t use the opportunity to take a look at some of the top sapphires in her collection, so we’ll be counting down the top five (according to, well, me) starting today.
So what qualifies something as a top sapphire jewel? History, absolutely; size, sure. But the jewels I’ve picked for this list also represent different sides of The Queen’s jewel vault.
The Sapphire Chrysanthemum Brooch isn’t an enormous piece. It isn’t one of the more recognizable pieces, either.
Given to The Queen in 1946 for a ship christening, the Sapphire Chrysanthemum Brooch both represents the importance of the pieces she had when her jewel collection was significantly smaller (she wore this brooch all the time in her Princess Elizabeth days) as well as her tendency to continue using those early favorites even as her vault grew more and more packed.
The casual observer of Her Majesty’s jewels might not recognize this brooch until you point out all the notable moments it was worn for, including Princess Anne’s christening and the photographs taken when the young Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh where on their honeymoon. The Queen made sure to match it when they adorably recreated that moment to mark their 60th wedding anniversary. That alone makes it worthy of a place on this list. (Speaking of jubilees, these two kids will hit 70 years of marriage later this year!)
