The Dubai Looped Sapphire Demi-Parure

The Dubai Looped Sapphire Demi-Parure

Sheikh Rashid of Dubai gave the Queen this diamond and sapphire demi-parure when she visited during a Middle East tour in 1979. (It was a prosperous tour, gift-wise; other gifts included the King Khalid Diamond Necklace.) The original set included a necklace of diamond loops with alternating loops surrounding large oval sapphires, plus a pair of earrings and a ring (which looks large enough to be a brooch instead) each with a large oval sapphire surrounded by diamonds. It came from Asprey and was set in gold.

The gifts from Dubai, and the Queen wearing the original demi-parure

The demi-parure was so impressive the Queen "exclaimed in amazement" when she saw it, according to Leslie Field. Impressive as it was, the Queen did end up making some slight changes. The necklace was shortened and two spare sapphire loops were made into a new pair of earrings. The original earrings and ring were made into a bracelet.

The demi-parure as it is currently set

Shortening necklaces seems to be a common modification for the Queen, but in this case it's easy to see why, as it was so long it failed to stay in place while worn. The size of the stones in the earrings and ring is a little overwhelming for those pieces; they are better suited to the scale of a bracelet. The modified set is by no means a favorite, but has had a few notable outings, including an official portrait for Canada (above, far right).

Appearances:
2009: The Garter Service
2005: Diplomatic Reception

Photos: Royal household/Suzy Menkes/Getty Images/Corbis

Church at Sandringham

The Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, attended church at Sandringham.

A Queen Mary hat and a Queen Mum brooch. It's Throwback Sunday at Sandringham!

Sapphire and Diamond Grapes Brooch

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

Photos:PacificCoastNews

Sandringham Women's Institute

The Queen made her annual visit a meeting of the Sandringham Women's Institute, of which she is Honorary President.

Click above for a video from Yahoo! UK; click here for an article and photo from EDP24.

No sign of the Women's Institute Badge, so I'm wondering if it was on her dress instead. On the coat, we get the constant favorite Jardine Star - can't argue with that!

Jardine Star Brooch

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

Photo: Yahoo screencap

The Diamond Pear-Shaped Pendant Fringe Necklace

The Diamond Pear-Shaped Pendant Fringe Necklace

Another fringe or sun ray style necklace in the Queen's collection is this diamond gem. Each "fringe" includes brilliants and marquise diamonds with a pear-shaped pendant at the end. The provenance of this one - as far as I am aware - is unknown; she's been wearing it since at least the early 2000s (if not longer) and it has had several outings in recent years.

Because of the unknown story of this piece, I'm using a purely generic name here. But in my own head, I have been known to refer to it as the Not Khalid Necklace - it bears a striking resemblance to the King Khalid Diamond Necklace, and the two are easy to confuse at first glance. The biggest difference is the length of the fringes; this necklace has fringes of even length, while the Khalid necklace features fringes that alternate between long and short lengths. (Personally, I prefer the Khalid necklace. The variation in fringe length really adds interest to the piece.)

Appearances:
3 March 2015: State Visit from Mexico, State Banquet 
2011: State Visit to Ireland, State Dinner
2006: 80th Birthday Dinner

Photos: Getty Images/Corbis

The King Khalid Diamond Necklace

The King Khalid Necklace

During a visit to the Middle East in February 1979, the Queen was given this Harry Winston diamond and platinum necklace by King Khalid of Saudi Arabia. It's a version of the fringe or sun ray style, with "fringes" of diamonds (including brilliant, marquise, and pear shapes) radiating away from the necklace base. The pear-shaped pendants cap the fringes, which alternate in length across the front of the necklace.

The Queen has worn it fairly often over the years. Like the King Faisal Diamond Necklace, she also loaned it to the Princess of Wales in the early 1980s. (We've recently seen the King Faisal loaned again, to the Countess of Wessex; wouldn't it be nice to see this one on someone new too?)

The Princess of Wales

In my opinion, this is one of the best gifts from such a source given to the royal family. It's classically pretty and quite flattering. I've always wondered how it would fare if converted to a tiara - but the wonder of the Queen's jewel vault is that she has no need to try such a thing.

Appearances:
4 December 2018: Diplomatic Reception
8 March 2018: Aga Khan Diamond Jubilee Dinner
2005: State Visit from China
1991: State Visit to the United States
1982: State Visit from the Netherlands (on the Princess of Wales)
1982: State Opening of Parliament (on the Princess of Wales)
Various Years: CHOGM Dinners

Photos: Getty Images/Leslie Field/Royal Household

Church at Sandringham

The Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, attended church near Sandringham.

And what does Lil bust out for us, just after we featured it? It's the Delhi Carved Emerald! And it's looking extra green on this aqua background, too. (An out of the ordinary color pairing for her, really.) I love it when this happens!

Delhi Carved Emerald Brooch

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Photos:PacificCoastNews

Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik Tiara

Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik Tiara

This Russian style tiara, including 488 brilliants, was a present from the Ladies of Society to mark the silver wedding anniversary of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra (then Prince and Princess of Wales) in 1888. It was made to Alexandra's request, and passed after her to Queen Mary and then to the present Queen, who counts it among her favorite tiaras.

Read more at Order of Splendor.

Appearances:
2016: British Red Cross Portrait
3 March 2015: State Visit from Mexico, State Banquet 
2010: State Visit from South Africa
1998: State Visit from Japan 
1993: CHOGM Dinner
1992: State Visit to Germany
1986: State Visit from Spain
1983: State Visit to India 
1972: State Visit from the Netherlands
1967: Visit to Malta  
1965: State Visit to Germany   
1961: Commonwealth Visit to India and Pakistan
1958: State Visit from Germany
1958: State Visit to the Netherlands 
1954: Visit to Australia, Parliament Opening
1954: Visit to New Zealand, Parliament Opening

Photo: Royal Collection