Image: Britain Magazine
To celebrate the Queen’s 60 years on the throne, Buckingham Palace is organizing a special event to exhibit the Royal Collection of diamonds for the monarch’s Diamond Jubilee.
The exclusive exhibition, which will be the centerpiece to the palace’s 2012 summer opening, will include a previously unseen display of some of the Queen’s personal jewels. Among other jewels, onlookers will have the opportunity to see the Girls of Great Britain Tiara, which the Queen wore at the state banquet for the Turkish present back in November. The tiara, which was a wedding present to Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, is one of the Queen’s favorites and is commonly referred to as “Granny’s tiara.” It was originally made with upright pearls located on the top and around a bandeau base, but Queen Mary altered it in 1920 by replacing the pearls with diamonds and removing the base all together.
Many other pieces that will be displayed have also gone through various transformations and alterations over the years – depending on the fashion and/or preference of the queens and princesses who adorn them.
Also on display will be an impressive necklace and earring set worn by the Queen at her coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey in 1953. The necklace is formed of “25 large graduated cushion-shaped brilliant-cut diamonds and a central drop-shaped pendant of 22.48 carats,” according to The Sydney Morning Tribute. The stunning piece was created in 1858 for Queen Victoria (who happens to be the only other monarch to make it to 60 years on the throne and celebrate a Diamond Jubilee).
More historic pieces include a miniature personal crown belonging to Queen Victoria, which measure in at just 9 cm by 10 cm but impressively holds almost 1200 diamonds.
The Queen affectionately refers to the jewels that will be on display as “my best diamonds.”
Source: Born Rich
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