Three Royals Commonly Associated With Antique Jewellery
Some of the most beautiful jewellery in the world is associated with the glamour and elegance of royalty.
From sparkly tiaras or glitzy engagement rings, royal jewellery is among the most historic and expensive, with some pieces being passed down through royal families for generations.
Weve taken a look at three of the royals throughout history who have been most notable for their choice of jewellery.
Queen Elizabeth II
As the reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II is in possession of a whole host of pieces which have been passed down from generation to generation.
In fact, her collection is largely dominated by pieces from her grandmother Queen Mary and great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria.
Including all manner of trinkets and tiaras, the collection is apparently worth around 35 million and is kept in a secret bunker the size of an ice rink, under Buckingham Palace.
Among the Queens favourite pieces is the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara which dates back to 1893 and was a gift from Queen Mary for the Queens wedding day.
Other particularly stunning pieces include the worlds most valuable brooch, and the Jubilee Necklace which was initially given to Queen Victoria for her Golden Jubilee in 1887.
Queen Victoria
One of the most influential monarchs when it comes to jewellery was, of course, Queen Victoria.
She is most commonly associated with kick-starting the trend for mourning jewellery after the death of her husband Albert in 1861, but theres a lot more to her collection than just that.
Before her husbands early death, the young Queen was a fan of fashionable and vibrant jewellery, and she was actually quite the trendsetter.
Among Victorias most treasured pieces were a heart shaped locket containing a lock of Alberts hair (a common practice at the time) and a sapphire and diamond brooch which he presented to her before their wedding.
However, once Albert passed away, the Queen entered a deep state of mourning, which is why were so used to seeing her dressed all in black.
During this period, she was most likely to be seen sporting black pearls and diamonds, as well as ushering in the popularity of Whitby jet.
Queen Mary of Teck
Perhaps a little less known, Queen Mary was the consort of George V and therefore the grandmother of the current Queen.
She was known for collecting various precious objects, especially those with a royal connection and her extensive jewellery collection has served as one of her most enduring legacies, and many of her pieces are worn to this day by her granddaughter.
Mary didnt just stick to the likes of dazzling tiaras, bracelets and earrings though. She was known to add jewels to her already sparkling dresses just to accessories them that little bit more.
One particular instance of extravagance which is often noted is an event during which Queen Mary sported a jewelled gown, the George IV State Diadem, diamond earrings, six brooches, a pair of bracelets and no less than nine diamond necklaces!
Seeing as royal jewellery is so well looked after its likely that the pieces currently owned by the royal family will endure for many more generations tocome, and even more modern pieces such as the Duchess of Cambridges engagement ring ( famously worn by Princess Diana) will become known as famous antiques!