July 18, 2018
Queen Elizabeth II owns an enormous amount of rare and expensive jewels of all kinds. Some of them are from her private collection, while the others belong to the crown.
And today, we are going to tell you about some of the Queen's favorite necklaces. One of them contains over 100 diamonds and is estimated to be at least 170 carats!
Festoon Necklace is the gem of Queen's collection. Elizabeth II received it as a gift from her father, King George VI, back in 1950 when she was still a princess.
The necklace was made at the king's request. It consists of three elegant strands placed between two triangles. Each strand and triangle is encrusted with numerous brilliant cut diamonds.
According to the book "The Queen's Diamonds" by Hugh Roberts, these diamonds previously belonged to Queen Marry and were inherited by King George VI.
The necklace was commissioned by King George VI for Princess Elizabeth in 1950, using a total of 105 loose collets that had passed to the King as heirlooms of the Crown. They were among the 154 loose collets that Garrard had marked with a ‘C’ (for ‘Crown’) in 1911, and which Queen Mary used for extending existing collet necklaces.
The necklace is pretty heavy: It is estimated to be no less than 170 carats. However, it appears to be one of Queen Elizabeth II's most favorite jewels. The 91-year-old monarch often wears the Festoon Necklace for special occasions.
Pearl necklaces seem to be the Queen's second favorite kind of jewels. Her Majesty owns several sets of pearl strands of different size and length.
An elegant triple-strand pearl necklace is a common addition to the Queen's daily outfit. In the book "The Queen's Jewels by Leslie Field," the author lists three of the triple-strand necklaces the daughter of King George VI seems to love the most.
Two of these necklaces were gifts from other people: one from the Queen's grandfather, King George V, and the other one – from the Emir of Qatar. The third jewelry was made from graduated family pearls on Her Majesty's request.
However, you can often see the Queen wearing a modest and elegant single strand of pearls.
Among the other impressive sets of jewelry owned by Her Majesty, there is a gorgeous necklace with pearl-shaped diamonds.
And a stunning parure that contains a heavy necklace encrusted with diamonds and aquamarines – a coronation gift from Brazil.
Also, Her Majesty often wears a diamond swag necklace with two large rubies – another gift from the Emir of Qatar, according to Leslie Field.
Of course, every time the Queen picks a certain set of jewelry, she follows countless rules of the royal etiquette. But even when she wears the most modest of her jewels, she still looks like a true monarch: elegant, beautiful, and majestic.
