Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Jewellery

[Lady H]

Thank's very much !

[Tarlita]

Can anyone tell me please who gave The Queen Mother the ruby necklace and earrings. Was it part of the Greville collection? As there are no photos of Qu Victoria or Qu Alexandra or Qu Mary wearing this set.

[muriel]

Originally Posted by Tarlita

Can anyone tell me please who gave The Queen Mother the ruby necklace and earrings. Was it part of the Greville collection? As there are no photos of Qu Victoria or Qu Alexandra or Qu Mary wearing this set.

You could potentially be referring to either of 2 demi-parures with rubies:

First, there is a quite long ruby necklace that came from the Greville bequest to QEQM. This necklace was presented to Princess Elizabeth on her wedding by her parents and was often used till the 1960s, and possibly, the 1970s.

The second demi-parure traces its lineage back to Queen Victoria, and was originally set with opals. The opals were replaced with rubies (I think by Queen Alexandra, who considered opals to be unlucky). This demi-parure was often used by QEQM till her death, often pairing it with the Oriental Circlet. QE2 has used it on a few occassions since the death of QEQM.

[Warren]

The Queen Mother wearing what is referred to as Queen Victoria's ruby necklace can be seen in post #10.
Mrs Greville's ruby necklace is worn by the Queen here (a rare pic of the Nizam of Hyderabad tiara).

[Tarlita]

Thank You Warren and Muriel, I only asked because I was sure I read from another forum that the large ruby necklace was a gift from Dagmar the Empress Marie Feodorovna to her sister Alexandra. It must have been wrong. Strange that we've never seen the other ladies wearing the set.

[Jaya]

The Queen Mother wore her"classic" three strand pearl necklace of graduating pearls made in the thirties . The first version of the necklace was worn into the sixties and then she just wore her three strand pearl necklace[ the strands are all spaced ] but it was not the same as the original had been set.The original was stunning art deco.
I always noticed that she also wore small dangling earrings and many hats to match her jewellery had veils.
Are some of the Queen Mother's brooches called stomachers?

[Warren]

Originally Posted by Jaya

Are some of the Queen Mother's brooches called stomachers?

A stomacher is a somewhat obsolete rather sizeable jewel composed of detachable elements and which was worn to best effect hanging over the bosom.
They are more Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary's style than the Queen Mother's.

Two pics to illustrate:

-> Queen Mary's Stomacher

-> Worn by EIIR in 2002

and two out of copyright photographs of a bedecked Queen Mary:

1. another stomacher
2. Cambridge or Indian emeralds stomacher
.

[Tarlita]

Picture number one is of a three piece pearl stomacher which we haven't seen since Queen Mary, which makes one wonder if it has been broken up and used to make something else. Or if it passed out of the family and was sold. Just goes to show the jewel vaults might contain many magnificent pieces of old fashioned styles that we would love to see again. The second pic of Qu Mary's emerald stomacher for instance we haven't seen in a long time either.

[prince.of.preslav]

Tarlita, the stomacher from the first photo was indeed broken and the stones reused for new jewels (I don't know which). It was a present from the Maharaja of Kapurthala.

Bobby

[prince.of.preslav]

Now back on topic - this is a panel (see link) of the tiaras Queen Elizabeth has worn. It was created by a co-poster on another forum using a list and photos I provided.
The tiaras on the first row (L-R) - Boucheron Honeycomb, the Orintal Circlet, the Papyrus tiara, the Teck Circle tiara/necklace, Turquoise tiara (part of a parure), the Strathmore Rose tiara, Queen Mary's fringe tiara
Second row (L-R) - Princess Victoria (aunt of GVI)'s fringe tiara, the Scroll tiara, Delhi Durbar dideme, Aquamarine tiara (now with Princess Anne), the Teck Crescnt tiara, the bracelets bandeau, the Regal Circlet/Crown

Are there any other tiaras to be added to the list and the panel?

The panel - Link

[muriel]

Thats a wonderful collection of picturtes, well done!

[muriel]

Originally Posted by Tarlita

Picture number one is of a three piece pearl stomacher which we haven't seen since Queen Mary, which makes one wonder if it has been broken up and used to make something else. Or if it passed out of the family and was sold. Just goes to show the jewel vaults might contain many magnificent pieces of old fashioned styles that we would love to see again. The second pic of Qu Mary's emerald stomacher for instance we haven't seen in a long time either.

Quite right, there really must be a vast collection of historic jewels that have not merged for a while. Some of this will be down to QEQM and QE2, both of whom were not really big users of jewellery, and some of it is just changing fashions and social norms. I hope Queen Camilla brings a few other goodies out.

[Zonk]

With all due respect to the Queen and the late Queen Mother, NO ONE in my opinion could wear jewelry like Queen Mary and Queen Alexandra. It like the the theme was What else can I wear with this?

I realize it was a totally different time, and both Elizabeth's would have been raked over the coals for the ostentatious nature. But I love looking at photos of Mary and Alexandra with the overflow of jewlery.

[Princejohnny25]

Love the panel Bobby! Thats the best picture of the Teck Circlet Necklace as a tiara I've ever seen.

[Tarlita]

Thanks Bobby for the info about the stomacher. I guess when they say things like King George had so and so made from stones in his collection or from family stones they are talking about these pieces being broken up and being reused. Which is not an altogether bad thing as pieces go out of fashion.

[Katrianna]

Originally Posted by Zonk

With all due respect to the Queen and the late Queen Mother, NO ONE in my opinion could wear jewelry like Queen Mary and Queen Alexandra. It like the the theme was What else can I wear with this?

I realize it was a totally different time, and both Elizabeth's would have been raked over the coals for the ostentatious nature. But I love looking at photos of Mary and Alexandra with the overflow of jewlery.

I wholeheartedly agree Zonk. Alexandra and Mary both knew the meaning of bling.

[snowflower]

The surely did. Mary especially did a lot of thing to create the splendid current collection . I ve noticed that many people keep on saying that no collection can be compared to that of BRF but let's not forget that if they hadn't Queen Mary who kept buying....and buying ..... and buying the British wouldn't be very different from the Swedish of the Dutch. But when I look at old photos of Alexandra and Mary I sometimes wonder if all these jewellery would look attractive nowadays. I mean sure it looked fine in Black and white photographs and perhaps at the soft candlelight and light in general they used then but would it look tastefull today in a state visit with electricity lights and the flash by the photographics machines ? I honestly doubt it .
Anyway back to the Queen Mother I sw the photograph of her wearing her four art deco bracelets as a bandeau tiara and I really wondere who she pulled it off. I thought that these bracelets were multicoloured right ?Didn't the colours clashed? A coloured photo would have been interesting

[prince.of.preslav]

You're all welcome! It was a pleasure sharing it here.

Princejohnny25, here is the original photo of Queen Elizabeth with the Teck necklace/tiara - Photo and a rare photo of HM with the Strathmore Rose worn as tiara, rather than badeau - Photo

Bobby

[Jaya]

Originally Posted by Warren

A stomacher is a somewhat obsolete rather sizeable jewel composed of detachable elements and which was worn to best effect hanging over the bosom.
They are more Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary's style than the Queen Mother's.

Two pics to illustrate:

-> Queen Mary's Stomacher

-> Worn by EIIR in 2002

and two out of copyright photographs of a bedecked Queen Mary:

1. another stomacher
2. Cambridge or Indian emeralds stomacher
.

Thanks Warren,
Best effect worn over the bosom but was it was broken up for brooches on the Queen Mum as her brooches had that effect.?

[gussysfarm]

Bobby; thank you for those great pictures of QEQM. I found this picture of her with a simple but stunning Pearl Sautoir. Wouldn't it be great to see this make a reappearance on one of her great-granddaughters? And with the Strathmore Tiara!