Jewels of the British Nobility 1: Ending Aug. 2023


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I wonder which of the UK noble families has the most impressive jewelry collection?
 
It certainly seems to be the Westminsters. There are a number of other great noble collections; however we rarely see these jewels in public.
 
My favorite will always be the Fife Tiara, it's just stunning, but not over extravagent.:flowers:
 
I llike the Fife, too, but I'm not sure if "over extravagent" is a good description. It is huge, those hanging diamonds are so large--it is a piece worth of a Queen. I think it is one of the most impressive use of diamonds out there!
 
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British Nobility Jewels

And to begin, two noble trinkets from an unlikely source.

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/5434/ringsme0.png

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/8404/rings2vd8.png

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/8748/rings3ax9.png

These rings both belonged to the late Jennifer Paterson of Two Fat Ladies fame but she'd acquired them from none other than a Duchess of Westminster. I've no idea which but Clarissa Dickson-Wright says in her biography that when asked to remove her rings whilst cooking, Jennifer proudly declared, "These belonged to the Duchess of Westminster and I have no intention of leaving them anywhere near TV types". The first one seems to be quite a nice sapphire, the second is a row of emeralds with a gold band.
 
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My father, Arthur Dickson Wright, was a brilliant general surgeon who once operated on the Queen Mother. My mother Molly was an Australian heiress, a woman of extraordinary charm and elegance.
My father had become wealthy in the pre-NHS days through acting as surgeon to the rich and famous. Harry Secombe, Yehudi Menuhin and Alexander Fleming were among the many well-known figures who came to our house. I also had an inheritance of £2.8million, an extraordinary sum at the time, from my mother who had eventually inherited her family's fortune.
Clarissa Dickson Wright: Confessions of One Fat Lady | the Mail on Sunday



She could recive it from her parents or maybe she bought it or something like that. Or maybe it was kind of gift? Who knows...

Btw she has other ring on the photo from the link.
 
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Now this is strange because thats Jennifer's hands so maybe Jennifer left her rings to Clarissa?

According to a Telegraph obit;

"One of her oldest friends was the son of a former Duchess of Westminster, who had left her the fine emerald ring that so shocked viewers when she mixed dough with it on her finger"

She laughed at fate and turned dying into entertainment
 
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The Countess Spencer Tiara

Here's the link to the Albion Art Museum Tiara Exhibition page for this Spencer tiara.​

c 1890. Gold, silver, diamonds and pearls​


"The charm of this example comes from the orient or iridescent sheen of the beautifully matched set of domed button pearls, combined with the glitter of the diamonds. Used together like this the diamond and the pearl bring out the best of each other’s qualities. Being all-white the tiara had the added advantage that it could be worn with dresses of all colours and shone out under the blaze of electric light."​
 
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I don't know if I'm alone, but I've always thought this tiara so ugly. I appreciate it's materials, but the design is....unnatractive at best.
 
We need to keep in mind that notwithstanding the workmanship, not every tiara is a work of art. Some simply don't work, some look ungainly or ugly, and some, as with this particular Spencer, look unbalanced. To me, the large button pearls make the piece appear heavy.

Part of thre problem is that diamonds are very hard to photograph as they tend to appear flat and white rather than sparklng, but even with that as an excuse I can't get past those pearls and the not-particularly attractive tall motifs. Back to the vaults or safety deposit box for this one.
 
I completely agree--it looks unbalanced and lacks the symmetry of the Spencer tiara which Diana wore. However, is this an actual Spencer tiara or is it one which Raine brought into the marriage with her?
 
We need to keep in mind that notwithstanding the workmanship, not every tiara is a work of art. Some simply don't work, some look ungainly or ugly, and some, as with this particular Spencer, look unbalanced. To me, the large button pearls make the piece appear heavy.

I entirely agree, Warren. And you expressed yourself better than I..haha.

Back to the vaults or safety deposit box for this one.

Amen!
 
no, no, no. Take it apart and reuse the stuff. The gemstones are lovely. If all else fails throw in a few pecans and there you have it. I have been howling for oh how long about the "pecan parurue" or should we call it the Ena Snarples pecan parurue to give it a high faluting sound. that one I want to wear. I guess it is against the rules to send pictures of oneself but I would love to send one of a certain deranged chocoholic living in the screen porch of Hell (aka Columbia SC) in his best black suit and tie wearing that contraption. Now that would stop traffic and have commitment papers whisked through the courts in record time. Of course SWMO would be not amused and that would be that. I guess it is a good think I cannot photoshop after all. All I would need on top of that would be a pet squarrel on a leash. Cheers.
 
I am in agreement on this not being my favorate tiara,but... I do think it would make a wonderful necklace. Even so left the way it is....I'd still wear it!! HEHE
 
This "Countess Spencer Tiara" is definitely the one that belonged privately to Raine. There are two other "real" Spencer tiaras, both of which are fairly familiar (from Diana, and the second from exhibition--it's the large Greek Palmetto one).
 
the westminster jewels are stunning

i liked both the devonshire tiara's as well
 
What fabulous jewels.... may I ask a stupid question....
the jewels of most of the nobility are heirloom collections????????? They arent buying all those expensive pieces now adays, are they?
 
The Westminster's have an astounding collection of jewels--I believe they have two Faberge tiaras (and a Faberge tiara isn't exactly common).
Faberges Gold and diamond Cyclamen Tiara | Duke of Westminster
Faberge Tiara Myrtenkranz | Myrtle-Leaves and berries as a Diadem Duke of Westminster

A Chaumet:
Chaumet Platin Kokoshnik mit blauem Email | Duke of Westminster
To answer CarolinaLandgrave's question, this particular parue (The Bagration Parue) of the Westminster's was bought in 1977 by the current Duke of Westminter as an engagement for his bride, Natashia Phillips.
Bagration Parure - Necklace, Earrings, Comb, Tiara Pink Spinel Diamont Set
This parue is quite simply one of the nicest ones out there.

Oh, and they have this tiara, which I do not like when the pearl spikey things are on top:
Westminster-Grosvenor Pearl Drop Tiara | Orientperlen Tropfen aus der Schatzkammer der Herzöge
 
Janet, where do you find all of these fabulous pix? Well done!
 
Scooter, I can only tell you that I am, simply put, obsessed with jewels! These pictures come from a virtual treasure trove and I am thrilled to share the link with you. You will find many, many, many delights on this page. With every click there is something new and beautiful--and in many cases, a great deal of the history associated with the piece. It's a site maintained by a genius named Ursula. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!
Site to jewels collections of Great Britain and Ireland:
Mountbatten Battenberg Juwelen
 
Stupid question, do non ruling royals still own alot of these jewels? I'm just learning about history and where jewels go when someone dies, marries, divorces, goes broke! It is so interesting, and I too am a jewelry crazed nut!!
 
Lady Katie Percy, daughter of the Duke of Northumberland, was married yesterday at the family's Alnwick Castle.

A Northumberland Diamond Tiara

° ° °
-> pic courtesy of Nellie at the RJOTWMB
 
Pretty- is it suppose to be crooked or is her hairstyle knocking it to one side a bit?
 
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Pretty- is it suppose to be crooked or is her hairstyle knocking it to one side a bit?

I think she entrusted her regular hair stylist instead of a professional to place the tiara, and then that's why it looks crooked it looks as if it's about to fall of her head! One thing I always noticed nobles barely wear their tiaras correctly. always with ill suited hair styles, such as this one.
 
It must be very hard to secure the tiara in place with the hair down and loose. She should at lease have pulled the front off the face which would give you something to anchor to.
 
The bride's hairstyle aside, the tiara is beautiful. Does anyone know anymore about it?
 
funny, my brother's bride also had her tiara tipped to the side, maybe it's the fashion now?:lol:
 
On purpose, Auntie? Or just after several toasts?
 
Its seems typical english noblity style to me. The whole "I don't want to look like I tried to hard so I'll just plop this tiara on" style. Gorgeous piece though.
 
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