14 September 2014

The Tutti Frutti Bouquet Brooch

Stopping to speak with well-wishers after church at Crathie Kirk during her Balmoral Scottish holiday, The Queen made mention of the upcoming vote on Scottish independence, saying that she hoped people would think "very carefully" about the matter. It was an unusual move, and has garnered quite a bit of press attention (as was undoubtedly the point). She happened to wear an unusual brooch while she was at it.


Her Majesty appears to have worn a little-known brooch from the pages of Angela Kelly's book, Dressing the Queen. The brooch is done in the Tutti Frutti style popularized by Cartier, a combination of emeralds, sapphires, rubies, and diamonds. (For more on Tutti Frutti and another example of the style, click here.) It has two sapphire flowers and three ruby flowers, each with colored stone petals and a diamond center, in a bouquet surrounded by carved emerald leaves. The arrangement includes additional diamonds between the leaves and diamond stems.

The piece is illustrated in the Kelly book, but no history or further detail is provided. Though The Queen has several Cartier brooches, whether this one is from that famous Tutti Frutti manufacturer or merely in that same style and from another jeweler is unknown.

Appearances:
14 September: Church at Balmoral (including more links to see the brooch in action)
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