Diana, Princess of Wales, Jewellery, Part 2

[reynard]

Diana, Princess Of Wales Jewellery 1

The Princess Diana thread was getting rather long, so let's post any new Diana pictures or questions here. Above is a link to the old thread.

[Fashionista100]

I know someone asked if William and Harry would get her jewels. They each had the option of choosing something of Diana's when she died. Harry choose her engagement ring, William her Patek watch. The Spencer tiara is property of the Spencer family and was loaned to Princess Diana. William or Harry's wives will not wear it as they are not Spencers. The children of the Earl will wear it. I think most of her other jewels went back to the crown, I'm sure her sisters took some as they have come off very greedy in newsreports. But the Queen retains the most important pieces. I am not sure if William or Harry's wives would want to wear anything that was Diana's just because the connection to her is so strong. They would want their own things. Plus the Queen has many jewels which we have never seen so I'm sure they will get something else.

[Reina]

I agree that they would not want some of Diana's jewelry cuz of the strong connection and this is esp. true of the lover's knot tiara.

[reynard]

Originally Posted by Reina

I agree that they would not want some of Diana's jewelry cuz of the strong connection and this is esp. true of the lover's knot tiara.

I don't know, I think William's wife should get the Lover's Knot tiara

[maryshawn]

Ah ha! So it is a patek! Thank you...I just stumbled across this and have been asking what kind of watch that was for years. He also chose her cartier tank--not the later francaise but the plain one given to her by her father. You'll see it in photos as late as her trip to Angola.

Originally Posted by Fashionista100

I know someone asked if William and Harry would get her jewels. They each had the option of choosing something of Diana's when she died. Harry choose her engagement ring, William her Patek watch. The Spencer tiara is property of the Spencer family and was loaned to Princess Diana. William or Harry's wives will not wear it as they are not Spencers. The children of the Earl will wear it. I think most of her other jewels went back to the crown, I'm sure her sisters took some as they have come off very greedy in newsreports. But the Queen retains the most important pieces. I am not sure if William or Harry's wives would want to wear anything that was Diana's just because the connection to her is so strong. They would want their own things. Plus the Queen has many jewels which we have never seen so I'm sure they will get something else.

[Princess Sparkles]

When Diana died, she left a will. I'm not sure what she bequeathed her sisters in the will - it could be that she left them jewellery. It seems harsh to assume that her sisters took stuff because they're greedy.

As for the Spencer tiara - it's currently with the Spencer family. It was worn at both of Earl Spencer's weddings. Although, I'm not sure if Lady Jane or Lady Sarah wore it. I read somewhere that Diana claimed that Charles Spencer asked for it back and that she was upset about that. To be fair though, it was the family tiara and one that would generally be worn by the wife of the Earl and/or his heir.

As far as her jewellery goes - only a few things were given to her *permanently* by the Queen. I imagine that most of it was loaned to her for life and had to be returned to the collection. Of course, the jewellery she received as gifts from others for the wedding (e.g. she got a lot of stuff from the Saudi royals) was her to keep as was the stuff she received as gifts over the course of the marriage.

[Elspeth]

Originally Posted by Princess Sparkles

When Diana died, she left a will. I'm not sure what she bequeathed her sisters in the will - it could be that she left them jewellery. It seems harsh to assume that her sisters took stuff because they're greedy.

As for the Spencer tiara - it's currently with the Spencer family. It was worn at both of Earl Spencer's weddings. Although, I'm not sure if Lady Jane or Lady Sarah wore it.

I'm pretty sure they both did; I've seen photos of both of them in their wedding clothes, and it looked like the same tiara both times.

[Shalu]

What kind of Patek watch did Princess Diana have?

[Josefine]

what jewllery did she keep after her divorce

[branchg]

Originally Posted by Josefine

what jewllery did she keep after her divorce

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.

The Spencer tiara, which was a loan from the Earl Spencer, was returned to him at his request after her separation from Prince Charles. Diana also had a few pearl and diamond pieces and some earrings which were returned to the Spencers after her death.

The rest of her jewels, mostly gifts from Her Majesty, Prince Charles, and the Queen Mother, were returned to the Queen. As part of her divorce settlement, Diana was permitted to keep all royal jewels for her lifetime, with the proviso they could never be lent or sold. The agreement also stated these jewels would be given to Prince William for his future wife after her death.

[tiaraprin]

Here is Diana in the "Swan Lake Necklace" shortly before her death.

Photo from http://www.bemine.com/tributes/princess.htm

[tiaraprin]

Diana successfully combining the real and the faux. The pearls down her back are faux. The diamond and pearl earrings were a wedding gift from Collingwood.



http://www.bemine.com/tributes/pictures1.htm

[tiaraprin]

Can anyone tell me where this amethyst demi-parure came from?
People have told me it is sapphires from the saudi wedding gift, but it looks like amethysts to me.

Picture courtesy of Getty Images

[wymanda]

I always thought that amethyst necklace might have been fake but, then again, it might have come from the jewels of Queen Alexandra who had quite a fondness for the stone.
Interestingly, the Spencers have a third tiara that is made from tortoiseshell with amethyst accents. When I saw the picture of it in Munns book I thought how well it would have gone with this necklace.

[tiaraprin]

Originally Posted by wymanda

I always thought that amethyst necklace might have been fake but, then again, it might have come from the jewels of Queen Alexandra who had quite a fondness for the stone.
Interestingly, the Spencers have a third tiara that is made from tortoiseshell with amethyst accents. When I saw the picture of it in Munns book I thought how well it would have gone with this necklace.

Queen Alexandra often wore the jewels of semi-mourning long after the death of her son, The Duke of Clarance and Avondale. Amethyst is among those choices.

[branchg]

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

[tiaraprin]

Originally Posted by branchg

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

That is sapphires with Tahitian Pearls?

[Squidgy]

Originally Posted by tiaraprin

That is sapphires with Tahitian Pearls?

No, it is not sapphires, but is, as you suspected, amethyst. At least, according to Debrett's Illustrated Fashion Guide : the Princess of Wales. This seems to make sense because the only times Diana wore the necklace was with purple gowns. Like you Tiaraprin, I have always wondered where the necklace came from and unfortunately, Debrett's does not indicate this.

Photos: Tim Graham (left); Jayne Fincher (centre, right)

[tiaraprin]

Originally Posted by Squidgy

No, it is not sapphires, but is, as you suspected, amethyst. At least, according to Debrett's Illustrated Fashion Guide : the Princess of Wales. This seems to make sense because the only times Diana wore the necklace was with purple gowns. Like you Tiaraprin, I have always wondered where the necklace came from and unfortunately, Debrett's does not indicate this.

Photos: Tim Graham (left); Jayne Fincher (centre, right)

We need an expert on these matters, perhaps a moderator might know the answer!!

Thank you for confirming it is Amethysts, which is what I thought all along!

[Warren]

Originally Posted by tiaraprin

We need an expert on these matters, perhaps a moderator might know the answer!!Thank you for confirming it is Amethysts, which is what I thought all along!

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.

Originally Posted by branchg

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

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
.