Royal Focus: The Duchess of Windsor's Jewels

When the Duchess of Windsor's jewels were auctioned off by Sotheby's in Geneva in 1987 the two-day sale raised a record $50,281.887, seven times the Sotheby's presale estimate. At the request of the late-Duchess, the money raised went towards the Pasteur Institute, the medical research centre in Paris.

On November 30th, some of the jewels will again be auctioned by Sotheby's.

These jewels were more than just beautiful craftsmanship, they are priceless symbols of love.

This Diamond Cartier bracelet, circa 1935 was designed as a single row of spectacle-set brilliant-cut diamonds, supporting nine gem-set Latin crosses made from Platinum, Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Ruby, Baguette Diamond, Emerald, Amethyst, Aquamarine, and the marriage cross,comprised of Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald. Each cross, inscribed with affectionate phrases, marked special or significant events in the couple's relationship, including their wedding, a birthday, an assassination attempt on King Edward VIII, and the Duchess' appendectomy surgery in 1944,  This jewel was worn at their wedding in 1937.

This Emerald, Ruby and Diamond brooch was made by Cartier in 1957. The brooch is heart-shaped and is pave-set with circular-cut-diamonds, surmounted by a gold and calibre-cut ruby crown. At the center of the heart, the initials W.E. are marked in emeralds. Just below the initials, are the roman numerals XX in rubies.  This brooch was made to commemorate the Duke and Duchess of Windsor's twentieth wedding anniversary.

This Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Citrine and Diamond clip was mounted by Cartier in 1940. Created by Jeanne Troussaint for Cartier it was made by breaking up a necklace and four bracelets in the Duke's collection. Designed as a flamingo, the plumage is set with emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. The beak is set with a cabochon citrine and the head, neck, body and legs with brilliant-cut diamonds. The Duke reportedly gave the Duchess this clip as a birthday gift on June 19, 1940.

The Duchess of Windsor had a fascination with animals and it is no surprise that this fondness was expressed through her jewels. This item is one of several panther jewels in her collection. The Cartier 'Great Cat' Jewels were inspired by Jeanne Toussaint for Cartier, this Onyx and Diamond panther bracelet was made in 1952 and is designed to encircle the wrist, assuming a stalking attitude. It is pave-set with circular-cut diamonds and calibre-cut-onyx, and the eyes are set with marquise-shaped emeralds.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

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Royal Focus: The Queen's flame lily brooch

It goes without saying that The Queen has one of the most remarkable collection of jewels in the world. Many of the brooches have a history behind them, such as the Flame lily brooch she wears in this photo.

The Flame lily brooch was amongst the gifts that The Queen, as Princess Elizabeth, received for her twenty-first birthday during her tour of Southern Africa in 1947. Set with three hundred diamonds, the platinum 'Flame lily' brooch was a gift from forty-two thousand Southern Rhodesian school children, who had each donated a week's pocket money.

The shape of the brooch was appropriate, as the flame lily was the national emblem of Rhodesia. In order to make a perfect replica of the lily, which varies in color, a flower had to be specially flown to South Africa where an artist worked against time to complete the reference drawings before it wilted.

It was presented to her during the royal tour at Government House. The next day the Princess wore the brooch on her left shoulder, a compliment that was appreciated by all of those involved in making it. During Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh's trip to Kenya in 1952, her father King George VI died. When the new Queen returned from South Africa, she wore the brooch pinned to the lapel of her black coat.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

The Royal Tour 2010 - The Queen's Jewels

One of the noticeable things about the Queen's appearance is her ubiquitous pearl button earrings, her multi-strand pearl necklace and her brooches. Brooches may have long gone out of fashion as an everyday fashion staple, but not so with the Queen, who has worn several different brooches during her tour of Canada.

During a reception in Halifax, The Queen wears what appears to be a newer brooch from her collection. Paying a compliment to Canada, the gold brooch is a branch with red enamel maple-leafs and at the bottom of the branch is a small pearl. A lovely piece, almost shaped like a corsage, she would wear it again later on in the tour during a visit to the Research in Motion Blackberry factory in Waterloo, Ontario. 

Fittingly enough for Canada Day the Queen wore her Maple Leaf brooch - the national symbol of Canada. The large diamond-encrusted maple leaf brooch, was originally presented to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother when she first visited Canada in 1939. The gift of a maple leaf brooch follows a long-standing tradition. In 1901, the future Queen Mary, visited Canada on a seven-month-long tour where she was given an enamel maple leaf spray. In 1923, Queen Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother received as a wedding gift a gold maple leaf brooch set with diamonds.

Not as easily visible in this photo the Queen wears the Duchess of Cambridge's Pendant brooch for her private meeting with Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff. A baroque pearl in a diamond-set Mount hangs from a diamond pendant below a large round pearl framed by fourteen brilliant-cut diamonds. The brooch, originally belonged to Queen Mary's grandmother, Princess Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge, who was painted wearing it as early as 1877. This brooch was one of Queen Mary's favorites and the present Queen inherited it in 1953.

In this photo, taken in Winnipeg, the Queen wears the Williamson diamond brooch, made for The Queen by Cartier in 1952, as a setting for the world's largest 54.5-carat pink diamond she had been given as a wedding gift in 1947 by John T, Williamson. The diamond had been discovered in Dr Williamson's mine in Tanganyika in the month before the royal wedding. In 1948 it was cut into a 23.6-carat brilliant in London and later set into this daffodil flower brooch - rumored to be one of the Queen's favorite flowers.  

In this photo, taken just outside of St James Cathedral in Toronto the Queen appears to be wearing the Jubilee brooch.  Originally given to Queen Victoria from  'The Ladies and Gentlemen of Her Majesty's Household in celebration of her Diamond Jubilee in 1897. It is a festoon design of diamonds with a pearl centre. It had a pearl drop hanging from a looped chain of diamond collets but this appears to have been removed. Queen Victoria left the brooch to the Crown in 1901. It was frequently worn by the present Queen's mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, who had an affinity for diamonds and particularly pearls.

In this photo, the Queen wears Queen Mary's 'Girls of Great Britain and Ireland' tiara. She received this as a wedding gift from her grandmother, Queen Mary, in 1947 and it has been referred to affectionately as 'Granny's tiara.'

She is wearing Queen Victoria's Collet Necklace and the King George VI diamond Chandelier Earrings. Ending in three drops, these earrings show every known modern cut of diamond. Like her tiara, she received these as a wedding gift in 1947. In this photo she is most definitely wearing the Jubilee brooch, this time with the pearl drop pendant attached.

In this photo, taken during her brief visit to New York City, she wears her Aquamarine and diamond Cartier clips. Combining baguette, oval and round stones, these clips were given to the Queen in 1944 as an eighteenth birthday present by her parents. They can be worn as a single brooch or as two separate matching clips, as she wears them in the photo.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

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