Investiture at Buckingham Palace

The Queen held an Investiture at Buckingham Palace.

Well now, who do we have here? It's none other than Miss Angela Kelly, newly minted Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order.

Unseen Brooch (Likely)

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

Gold Watch

Engagement and Wedding Rings

Photo: PA

The Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings

The Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings

One of the wedding gifts received by Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten in 1947 was a pearl shell containing seven large pearls from the ruler of Bahrain at the time. According to the Royal Collection, two of these pearls were used not long after to create this pair of earrings.

The earrings each contain one large round diamond and four smaller ones, three baguette diamonds, and a Bahrain pearl dangling below. The Queen seems to have worn them mainly in the early years of her reign; they were later unearthed for the Buckingham Palace summer exhibit marking her 60th wedding anniversary. And now, it seems they've found a new home:

The Countess of Wessex

Anna from My Small Obsessions contacted me on Twitter earlier this month. She follows the jewels of The Countess of Wessex, and made a discovery - these sure do seem to be the Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings. We've just seen The Countess in a new-to-her tiara from The Queen's vaults, plus the King Faisal Diamond Necklace and another pair of smaller pearl earrings that look as though they might also have come from The Queen, so perhaps the magic vault keys have finally been properly shared with Sophie. The earrings later returned to The Queen for her own use, and were subsequently loaned out once more, to The Duchess of Cambridge.

Appearances:
8 June 2019: Trooping the Colour (on The Duchess of Cambridge)
26 August 2018: Church at Balmoral (on The Duchess of Cambridge)
13 November 2016: Remembrance Sunday (on The Duchess of Cambridge)
7 November 2015: Festival of Remembrance
The Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II 

Photos: The Royal Collection/The British Army

Queen Victoria's 11 Pearl Brooch

Queen Victoria's 11 Pearl Brooch

Queen Victoria owned this brooch of 11 large pearls: 8 in an elaborate diamond setting of a diamond shape with three as pendants. I use the number in the name because those pearls are so instantly distinctive (and to differentiate it from the other well-known diamond and pearl brooch of Victoria's, the Diamond Jubilee brooch). This is one of the items Victoria designated as heirlooms of the Crown.

Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother

There are a few of those heirlooms that the Queen Mother particularly enjoyed and hung on to after her daughter acceded the throne (Victoria's Crown rubies, for example). This is one, and she wore it during her husband's reign and for the rest of her life.

It passed to the current queen in 2002, and she waited until her 2009 Christmas broadcast to debut it publicly. Recently, it has had an increased amount of outings, so perhaps it has finally gained some favor with the Queen - only fitting, as she does love her pearls.

Appearances:
14 May 2017: Royal Windsor Horse Show
25 December 2016: Christmas Broadcast, 2016
2 December 2016: Investiture at Windsor Castle
7 October 2016: Investiture at Windsor Castle
25 February 2016: Audience at Buckingham Palace
27 October 2015: Commonwealth Organizations Reception
22 June 2015: Queen's Young Leaders Awards
10 June 2015: Presentation of The Queen's Truncheon
17 May 2015: Royal Windsor Horse Show
13 March 2015: Afghanistan Service of Commemoration
13 June 2014: Audience at Buckingham Palace
17 May 2014: Royal Windsor Horse Show 
26 January 2014: Church at Sandringham
8 November 2013: SSAFA Opening
7 May 2013: Temple Church Organ Rededication
13 February 2013: Investiture at Buckingham Palace
14 November 2012: Royal Commonwealth Society
2009: Christmas Broadcast 

Photos: Bauer Griffin/Corbis

Royal Commonwealth Society

The Queen, Patron, visited the Royal Commonwealth Society and was presented with the Jubilee Time Capsule.

So, giant bows smack-dab on the front of the hat: pro or con? This is clearly a divisive and important issue.

Also: second brooch to debut on the blog in one day! Jewel nerd jumpy claps!

Queen Victoria's 11 Pearl Brooch

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

Photos:Bauer Griffin

The Greville Scroll Brooch

The Greville Scroll Brooch

This petite trinket is a scroll of diamonds centered around three pearls and set in platinum. One of the interesting things learned from Hugh Roberts' book The Queen's Diamonds was just how extensive the Greville bequest was (these are the jewels of Mrs. Ronald Greville, left to the Queen Mother in 1942) - and this brooch was a part of it. Mrs. Greville had it made by Cartier using some of her own stones in 1929.

Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother

The third pearl is actually a drop pearl, but it seems to be worn with the drop on top mostly. The brooch passed to the Queen after the Queen Mother's death in 2002, and the Queen has worn it a few times since.

Personally, I think the Queen Mum had it right when she tried this out on her hat - it's a little small, compared to some of the other brooches in use, and so it makes for a nice secondary brooch, perhaps something to use to fasten the back of a sash in the evening.

Appearances:
24 July 2017: Church at Balmoral
17 March 2016: London Zoo Lion Exhibit Opening
26 June 2014: Audiences at Buckingham Palace
6 June 2013: Duke of Edinburgh's Order of New Zealand Investiture
21 March 2013: Audiences at Buckingham Palace
14 November 2012: Audiences at Buckingham Palace
2011: Visit to Australia 

Photos: Getty Images/Corbis

Audiences at Buckingham Palace

The Queen received the Ambassador from Poland and the High Commissioner of Samoa at Buckingham Palace.

I'm squinting...and magnifying...and I do believe we have ourselves a new-to-the-blog brooch.

Greville Scroll Brooch

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

Gold Watch

Engagement and Wedding Rings

Photo: Gf/Bauer Griffin

The George VI and Modern Sapphire Set

The George VI Sapphires, including necklace, pendant, earrings, and extra link from the necklace

The Queen's sapphire set begins with a mid-19th century set of necklace and earrings bought by her father, King George VI, at Carrington & Co. and given to her as a wedding present in 1947. The set features a necklace of emerald-cut sapphires surrounded by diamonds and separated by individual diamonds, plus a pair of pendant earrings, each with a single large sapphire in a diamond cluster. These pieces are set in gold.

The original length of the necklace is shown in the first photo on the left

As given to the Queen, the necklace had 18 sapphire clusters; she had it shortened by four links in 1952. In 1959 the largest cluster was turned into a pendant to hang on the necklace and was fitted with a pin for use as a brooch (though we typically see her turn to Prince Albert's Sapphire for her massive sapphire brooch needs). These alterations were made by Garrard.

The Modern Sapphire Tiara

In 1963, the Queen added a tiara and a bracelet to the set, which I call the Modern Sapphire Tiara and the Modern Sapphire Bracelet. This is one of the tiaras the Queen has worn on a regular basis over the years; click here to read more at Order of Splendor.

The Modern Sapphire Bracelet

The bracelet features sapphires in horseshoe-shaped diamond surrounds. The center link is a sapphire surrounded fully by diamonds. The tiara and the bracelet are part of the assembled parure; while they are not an exact match in style to the original necklace and earrings, they seem to have been acquired specifically for use alongside the George VI sapphires, and so we will group them together.

In Angela Kelly’s book Dressing the Queen: the Jubilee Wardrobe (details, click here), we see the sapphires in the tray in which they are transported to the Queen for use. They are accompanied by the regular diamond evening watch and three options for sapphire rings to wear.

I'm waiting for the Queen to wear her sapphires again (and update: she did, tiara included, in 2015!), because I feel like it's been a while. And sapphires as gorgeous as this (King George VI certainly had an eye for them, didn't he?) deserve as many outings as possible!

Appearances:
8 December 2016: Diplomatic Reception (with tiara)
1 November 2016: State Visit from Colombia, State Banquet (with tiara)
20 October 2015: State Visit from China, State Banquet (with tiara)
8 May 2014: David Bailey Portrait (Release)
2007: The Garter Service
2006: Private 80th Birthday Party 
2006: Diplomatic Reception
1991: State Visit to the United States (with tiara)
1983: State Visit to India 
1983: State Visit to Sweden 
1965: State Visit to Germany  
1960: State Visit from France     
Various Years: CHOGM Dinners

Photos: Royal Collection/Leslie Field/PA/Corbis