Countdown to the Royal Wedding -Diamond Brooches

Welcome to the Gracie Jewellery countdown to the Royal Wedding - Part 3
12 Days to go.

The Queen's Ivy Leaf Brooches
The then Princess Elizabeth was on a royal tour with her parents of South Africa on her 21st birthday April 21, 1947. Her parents gave her this twin pair of Cartier ivy leaf brooches, each covered with pave-set diamonds and a large round brilliant diamond in the centre.

Queen Victoria's Bow Brooch
In May of 1858 Garrard made a set of three bow brooches, two large and one small, out of 506 diamonds supplied by Queen Victoria.

Queen Mary's True Lover's Knot Brooch

A large diamond bow in a "true lover's knot" design with scalloped edges and pendant tassels.

The King William IV Brooch
In 1830 King William IV took six large brilliant cut diamonds a several smaller stone from a diamond-studded Badge of the Order of the Bath that had belonged to his father King George III. Queen Victoria wore this brooch and left it to the Crown in 1901.

Queen Mary's Dorset Bow Brooch
Made by Carrington and Company and presented as a wedding gift to Queen Mary in 1893 by the County of Dorset.

The Cullinan V Heart Brooch
The centre stone is is the 18.8 carat heart-shaped Cullinan V diamond. The platinum setting and the positioning of the collets in the brooch were all expressly designed to accentuate the shape of the stone. Made for Queen Mary in 1910.

The Cullinan VII and Cullinan VIII Brooch
The Cullinan VII is an 8.8-carat marquise-cut stone. The Cullinan VIII is a 6.8-carat brilliant cut diamond. Queen Mary had this brooch made.

The Cullinan
The Cullinan III and Cullinan IV known as the Lesser Stars of Africa, were set as a brooch by Queen Mary in 1910. It is the single most valuable item owned by Queen Elizabeth, who inherited the pieces of jewellery made from the Cullinan cleaving on the death of her grandmother, Queen Mary, in 1953. The pear drop of 94.4 carats hangs from a square cut stone of 63.6 carats. The Queen calls this brooch "Granny's Chips".

Queen Mary set the 9th Cullinan chip, a 4.4-carat pear shaped diamond in a ring with a claw setting.

You may read more about the Cullinan Diamonds here

Next time Diamond Necklaces

From the book The Queen's Jewels by Leslie Field