Diana, Princess of Wales, Jewellery, Part 2 - Page 2

wymanda · #21 08-28-2005, 04:17 AM

Warren,
I hate to disagree here but Menkes is not really that reliable. There have been a number of inaccuracies unearthed in that book. One was the idea that the Nizam tiara was dismantled. Why, if the stones in this necklace are sapphires, did Diana only wear it with purple gowns? Surely she would have worn it with blue gowns as well??

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warren

To add to the confusion I have just checked "The Royal Jewels" by Suzy Menkes, third edition 1988. On page 166 there is a photo of Diana wearing much the same dress, but with black gloves and no tiara, but the same necklace and same (I think) earrings.

The caption states "A new necklace using the sapphire watch and ring clusters" which were part of the very impressive and very valuable wedding gift from the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. Some photographs of the sapphires from this parure show them to be quite blue, as one would expect, but the published photos of this necklace, including the one in "The Royal Jewels" give both the clusters and her earrings (from the same suite) a brownish tinge. Maybe this is why some think they are amethysts, including Debretts.

I have gone through the whole chapter on Diana's jewels and there is nothing about amethyst jewellery apart from a cross she borrowed from Garrards in 1987 for a gala dinner.

Suzy Menkes, who is considered an expert in this area, and branchg (see above) are agreed they are sapphires. However, like much about the Windsor jewels, some things cannot be absolutely certain because Buckingham Palace does not comment on such matters, or as Menkes states in the introduction to her book "a subject that is totally taboo."

Hope this helps!
W
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**Warren** · #22 08-28-2005, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wymanda

Warren,
I hate to disagree here but Menkes is not really that reliable. There have been a number of inaccuracies unearthed in that book. One was the idea that the Nizam tiara was dismantled.

No disagreement Wymanda, as I have no opinion myself whether they are amethysts or sapphires. I just thought I would throw in another source to the mix and members can make of it what they will!

ps.. on the Nizam... According to Menkes the Queen's portrait in the Royal Family Order depicts her wearing the Nizam of Hyderabad Tiara.

W

Squidgy · #23 08-28-2005, 08:51 AM

Thanks Warren for finding additional comments about the necklace. I must admit I am more confused than ever now.

Also, I hadn't realized when I wrote my last post that sapphires come in many colours other than blue ... I had assumed because the necklace stones were so obviously NOT blue, that they were therefore not sapphires. But I now realize this is not true. A sapphire can be many colours (see http://www.thaigem.com/buyer_sapphire.asp)

The mystery continues ...

**Elspeth** · #24 08-28-2005, 01:46 PM

Sapphires are basically any colour of corundum that isn't red; the red ones are rubies. Usually sapphires are shades of blue, and if they're other colours they're usually called "yellow sapphires" or "pink sapphires" rather than just sapphires, but the blue is obviously the best-known colour.

Tiaraprin, to answer the comment in your last post, if Reynard the moderator shows up he might well know some more details about the necklace. My expertise in jewellery tends to be in knowing some stuff about gems and minerals, not jewels themselves.

branchg · #25 08-29-2005, 01:24 PM

If you read Menckes' and Field's books (considered by far to be the most comprehensive study of the British royal jewel collection), it is clear that Diana possessed only emeralds, diamonds and sapphires in her personal jewelry collection. Her emeralds included Queen Mary's art deco choker with the Cambridge stones, several bracelets and earrings and a ring. She had one diamond necklace chain from the Saudi Arabians, many diamond bracelets and several rings/pendants.

Diana's favorite stone was sapphires, which she had many valuable pieces of, including her Sri Lankan sapphire pendant with pearls and two huge parures from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The parures were broken up later and reset into pieces she liked, such as the necklace in the pictures. This is quite common practice among the royal family, although it is usually done very discreetly as a matter of form.

Squidgy · #26 08-29-2005, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by branchg

The parure utilized sapphires reset from a bracelet from the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia with black Tahitian pearls.

What I still find odd about these purple sapphires is that if this necklace is made out of a bracelet, then where is the original necklace? I mean the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia is not a poor man, so I can't see him being cheap and only giving Diana the earrings and the bracelet. He must have given her a purple sapphire necklace as well, but I have never seen it. And I would imagine that if Diana had been given such a necklace, then she would have had the courtesy to wear it at least once. Something just isn't ringing true here for me ...

Squidgy · #27 08-29-2005, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by branchg

If you read Menckes' and Field's books (considered by far to be the most comprehensive study of the British royal jewel collection), it is clear that Diana possessed only emeralds, diamonds and sapphires in her personal jewelry collection.

Hopefully, these authors didn't forget to mention a ruby or two ... :)

Photos: Tim Graham/Hello Magazine

tiaraprin · #28 08-29-2005, 10:52 PM

Diana also possessed Pearls other than her Spencer choker. Charles gave her a pearl and diamond dog collar similar to Queen Alexandra's. A wedding gift from Charles also was a strand of grey pearls from Leo de Vroomen. The giant Sapphire Diana got from the Queen Mum was the centerpiece of a 7 strand pearl choker.

Also, the Oman jewels are not sapphires, they are said to be set with jet.

branchg · #29 08-30-2005, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiaraprin

Diana also possessed Pearls other than her Spencer choker. Charles gave her a pearl and diamond dog collar similar to Queen Alexandra's. A wedding gift from Charles also was a strand of grey pearls from Leo de Vroomen. The giant Sapphire Diana got from the Queen Mum was the centerpiece of a 7 strand pearl choker.

The Queen also gave Diana a pearl choker with a diamond centerpiece, a pearl and diamond bracelet and matching earrings.

Squidgy · #30 08-31-2005, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiaraprin

Diana also possessed Pearls other than her Spencer choker. Charles gave her a pearl and diamond dog collar similar to Queen Alexandra's. A wedding gift from Charles also was a strand of grey pearls from Leo de Vroomen.

Tiaraprin, I have heard about the grey pearl necklace too, but have never seen it. Do you ever recall seeing the princess wear it?

james · #31 08-31-2005, 07:43 PM

Simone Simmons said Diana buried the sapphire pendant from the Saudi Parure in her private Kensington Palace garden as it was giving negative energies and when she decided to retrieve it it was gone.

tiaraprin · #32 08-31-2005, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squidgy

Tiaraprin, I have heard about the grey pearl necklace too, but have never seen it. Do you ever recall seeing the princess wear it?

I believe she is wearing it in my avatar Squidgy!:)

iowabelle · #33 09-01-2005, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by james

Simone Simmons said Diana buried the sapphire pendant from the Saudi Parure in her private Kensington Palace garden as it was giving negative energies and when she decided to retrieve it it was gone.

Maybe one of the butlers dug it up!?

wymanda · #34 09-01-2005, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by branchg

Diana had a fortune in personal jewels ($40 million by some estimates) mostly gifts which were given to her over the years from Middle Eastern monarchs (Saudis, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar) and the Sultan of Brunei. Many of these pieces, in the royal tradition, were not completely to her liking and were later reset in new pieces. All of these jewels were left to Princes William and Harry.

I really wonder if these "gifts" could be considered as Diana's "personal" possessions? Surely they were given to The Princess of Wales, that is the position not the woman. I think it rather bad form to have reset them and would have thought that they should be set aside for future Princess's of Wales ie Williams wife.

**Elspeth** · #35 09-01-2005, 02:27 PM

Yes, I think gifts from her family (the Spencers, I mean) and friends might be considered personal, but gifts from foreign heads of state, even if they were wedding gifts, surely don't count as personal.

Squidgy · #36 09-01-2005, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiaraprin

I believe she is wearing it in my avatar Squidgy!:)

Ok, well I guess it doesn't get any easier than that ... all this time it was literally staring me right in the face!

I guess I was looking for something with a bit more grey in it. Thanks Tiaraprin.

Squidgy · #37 09-01-2005, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wymanda

I really wonder if these "gifts" could be considered as Diana's "personal" possessions? Surely they were given to The Princess of Wales, that is the position not the woman. I think it rather bad form to have reset them and would have thought that they should be set aside for future Princess's of Wales ie Williams wife.

I agree. She should have looked at her role in regards to these jewels as that of custodian - to safekeep them for future generations. And not just future generations of the Windsors, but for future generations of her fellow countrymen/women.

I also have a problem with the idea of royals receiving lavish gifts when they are touring. For example, I was just reading that during their Gulf tour of 1986, Charles received a convertible Aston Martin worth approx. 80,000 pounds, and Diana received the sapphire/diamond necklace, earrings and bracelet in crescent shape. They were touring the Gulf completely at taxpayers expense (with everything down to their clothes paid for by the State). It's Ok, I think for them to personally receive small token gifts (say of 1000 pounds or less), but I feel any more valuable gifts that they receive should be considered as gifts to the State, not to the couple personally.

**Warren** · #38 09-02-2005, 04:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squidgy

I also have a problem with the idea of royals receiving lavish gifts when they are touring.

I see it as one Royal House "paying homage", or respect, to the "senior" Royal dynasty. This is how the Royal world works, especially in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States. It would be considered very rude to refuse such traditional gifts, and no doubt the Saudis etc take great pleasure in seeing senior members of the British Royal Family wearing the spectacular jewels they have presented them.
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Squidgy · #39 09-02-2005, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warren

I see it as one Royal House "paying homage", or respect, to the "senior" Royal dynasty. This is how the Royal world works, especially in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States. It would be considered very rude to refuse such traditional gifts, and no doubt the Saudis etc take great pleasure in seeing senior members of the British Royal Family wearing the spectacular jewels they have presented them.