Tag Archives: Cambridge Emeralds

The Cambridge Emeralds

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The Cambridge Emeralds came into the royal family through Queen Mary who was the grandmother of the current queen, Queen Elizabeth II.  The story is a very interesting one in which the emeralds were originally acquired by Augusta of Hesse- Kassel, the Duchess of Cambridge (Queen Mary’s grandmother) in 1818 at a charity lottery while they were in Frankfort, Germany.  The box that was the prize is said to have contained somewhere between 30 to 40 cabochon emeralds (cabochon is a French word meaning a gemstone which is in a natural shape and polished as opposed to being fully cut and faceted).

Duchess of Teck wearing the original Cambridge emerald necklace

The Duchess had some of the emeralds set into a pair of drop earrings and a pendant necklace.  After her death her daughter, Mary Adelaide, the Duchess of Teck (Queen Mary’s mother) inherited the emeralds.  Unfortunately, the Cambridge emeralds were almost lost to the royal family when they were passed onto Prince Francis of Teck (Queen Mary’s brother) and when he died suddenly in 1910 the emeralds fell into the possession of his mistress.  Luckily, Princess Mary of Teck (later to become Queen Mary) retrieved the emeralds under questionable circumstances.

Queen Mary was known to wear numerous pieces of jewelry at one time and on the occasion of the Imperial Durbar held in Delhi in 1911, when King George V was crowned Emperor of India, she had a majority of the Cambridge emeralds set into what became known as the Delhi Durbar parure.  (a parure is a set of matching jewelry that would sometimes include a tiara, necklace, bracelet, brooch and earrings)

Then in 1921, Queen Mary bought a diamond and pearl tiara from the Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia.  The tiara had been smuggled out of Russia by a British diplomat during the 1917 revolution.  After acquiring the tiara, Queen Mary had it altered and the original teardrop pearls could be replaced by fifteen Cambridge cabochon emeralds.  (Please click on the link, the Queen’s Jewelry Collection – Part One, for additional information on the Grand Duchess Vladimr Tiara)

The remaining Cambridge emeralds were set into additional brooches, necklaces, bracelets and earrings made by Garrards, the Royal Jewelers.  These pieces of jewelry were cleverly designed so that the emeralds could be detachable from their setting so that Queen Mary would be able to insert gemstones that would coordinate with the color of her gowns.

All of the jewelry mentioned; the Delhi Durbar parure, the Vladimir tiara and the additional pieces using the Cambridge emeralds, were the personal property of Queen Mary.  Upon the death of Queen Mary, her granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II inherited the collection in 1953.

The Delhi Durbar Tiara

The tiara was originally part of the Delhi Durbar Parure and was set with several of the Cambridge emeralds, many years later the ten cabochon emeralds would be eventually used in the Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara.  The Delhi Durbar Tiara is now part of Queen Elizabeth’s personal jewelry collection and is often loaned to Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, who wears it without the emeralds.

Delhi Durbar Tiara

Delhi Durbar Tiara worn by Queen Mary   

The Delhi Durbar Necklace

The Delhi Durbar Necklace was specifically made for the 1911 Delhi Durbar and is set with nine cabochon Cambridge emeralds, six large diamonds, numerous smaller diamonds and the Cullinan VII diamond which is an 8.8 carat marquise shaped diamond.  The necklace was made by Garrard at the request of King George V and was presented to Queen Mary on occasion of her 44th birthday.  Since Queen Elizabeth inherited the necklace in 1953 she usually wears it paired with the Vladimir Tiara for evening events.

Delhi Durbar Necklace   

Delhi Durbar Necklace worn by Queen Elizabeth

The Delhi Durbar Earrings

The Delhi Durbar earrings are set with one of the Cambridge oval shaped cabochon emeralds surrounded by 11 diamonds and a matching emerald provided by Garrard surrounded by an additional 11 diamonds.  Since Queen Mary would often wear several necklaces at one time, the earrings were kept relatively simple in style.

Delhi Durbar Emerald Earrings

The Delhi Durbar Stomacher and Scroll Cambridge Emerald Brooch

The Delhi Durbar Stomacher and Scroll Cambridge Emerald brooch are pieces of jewelry specially made by Garrard for Queen Mary to wear to the 1911 Delhi Durbar.  The Delhi Durbar Stomacher is set in gold with seven of the Cambridge emeralds, as well as chips from the Cullinan diamond and several smaller diamonds (a stomacher is customarily a set of elaborate pieces of jewelry that are normally worn over the bodice of a gown)   The stomacher was a favorite of Queen Mary and she wore it often with several additional brooches, such as the Cullinan V Heart Brooch and the Cullinan VIII Emerald-cut Brooch, to create an impressive display   One of those additional brooches worn with the Delhi Durbar Stomacher was the Scroll Cambridge Emerald Brooch which included a square-shaped emerald placed in a scrolled diamond setting and a removable emerald pendant.  Since the Cambridge Emerald collection passed to Queen Elizabeth in 1953 she rarely wears the Stomacher but occasionally wears the Scroll Brooch for day or evening engagements.

Delhi Durbar Stomacher worn by Queen Mary with Delhi Durbar Brooches   

Scroll Cambridge Emerald Brooch

The Delhi Carved Emerald Brooch

Queen Mary was given the Delhi Carved Emerald Brooch by the ladies of India to wear at the Delhi Durbar in 1911.  This brooch does not contain one of the Cambridge Emeralds but it is included in the Delhi Durbar Parure.  Set in silver and gold, the large hexagon shaped emerald is intricately carved with the images a rose on the front and an unidentified plant on the back and it is surrounded by several diamonds.  Queen Mary wore the brooch pinned at the top of the Delhi Durbar Stomacher with additional brooch pinned below.  In 1953, the Delhi Carved Emerald Brooch was passed to Queen Elizabeth and she only wears in occasionally due to its heavy weight.

Delhi Durbar Carved Emerald Brooch

The Round Cambridge Emerald Brooch

Unlike the other pieces of Cambridge Emerald jewelry collection, the Round Cambridge Emerald Brooch was not specifically made for the Delhi Durbar although it was worn for that occasion in 1911.  The round cabochon emerald is surrounded by two rows of diamonds with a pear shaped emerald pendant that can be detached.  After the death of Queen Mary, the brooch was passed to Queen Elizabeth who wears it often and mostly with the pendant attached and but she will occasionally wear it without the pendant.

Round Cambridge Emerald Brooch

Round Cambridge Emerald Brooch worn with pendant by Queen Elizabeth 

   Delhi Durbar Round Emerald Brooch worn without pendant by Queen Elizabeth

The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara

In 1921, Queen Mary bought a diamond and pearl tiara from the Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia.  Queen Elizabeth inherited the tiara in 1953 and frequently wears it with the original teardrop pendants and occasionally with the interchangeable Cambridge Emerald pendants. (Please click on the following link, the Queen’s Jewelry Collection – Part Two, for additional information on the Grand Duchess Vladimr Tiara)

Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara

The Art Deco Emerald Choker

There is some controversy surrounding this Art Deco Emerald Choker and it was always believed that this necklace was created for Queen Mary with the Cambridge Emeralds for the 1911 Delhi Durbar.  Recently it was determined that the emeralds used in the necklace were in fact a gift to Queen Mary from the Ladies of India. Then the Art Deco choker was passed to Queen Elizabeth in 1953 but she did not prefer the shortened style.  Much later in the 1980s the Queen loaned the choker to Diana, the Princess of Wales.  Diana wore the choker often and it became one of her signature pieces of jewelry.  Then in 1985 on a tour of Australia she wore the choker in a very unusual way.  At an evening engagement in Melbourne Diana cleverly accessorized her beautiful Emanuel designed evening gown by wearing the choker as a bandeau in a distinctive 1920 style across her forehead.  Upon Diana’s death in 1997 the necklace was returned to the Queen.

Delhi Durbar Choker

Delhi Durbar Choker worn by Princess Diana 

   Delhi Durbar Choker worn Princess Diana wears as headpeice

For more information about Emeralds as a wedding gemstone as well as other famous emeralds, please click on the link.

Wedding Gemstones – The Emerald

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In this blog’s ongoing series on gemstones, this post will be about the emerald, which is a silicate mineral classified as a beryl and generally a green color that can range from medium to dark.  The emerald was thought to have healing powers to sooth a soul and relieve stress.

In recorded history, the Ancient Egyptians had the earliest known emerald mines, it has been said that Cleopatra wore emeralds.  Much later emeralds were also found in countries such as Brazil and Zambia but the largest producer of emeralds is Colombia with mines located in the Andes mountain range.  In the United States emeralds can be found in states such as North Carolina and South Carolina and most recently emeralds were discovered in the Yukon area of Canada. 

Special Note: Traditionally the emerald is the birthstone of May and a great gift idea for a bride born in that month would be a ring, earrings or a pendant that she could wear on her wedding day.

In this post I will discuss six of the most famous emeralds, including a tiara once worn by a British Queen. So, let’s get started …

The Chalk Emerald

One of the most famous emeralds in the world is the Chalk Emerald; originally the Colombian emerald weighed 38.4 carats.  Due to the emerald’s exceptional clarity and the rich green color it is considered one of the finest emeralds ever discovered.  It has been said that the Chalk Emerald was once set into an emerald and diamond necklace that belonged to a Maharani in India. 

Eventually the Chalk emerald was recut (now measuring 37.8 carats) and set into a platinum and gold ring designed by Harry Winston with 60 pear shaped diamonds totaling 15 carats.  In 1872 the Chalk Emerald ring was donated to the Smithsonian by Mr. and Mrs. O. Roy Chalk (hence the name of the emerald!) and is currently on display in the Gem Gallery of the National Museum of Natural History located in Washington, D.C.     

Elizabeth Taylor’s Bulgari emerald and diamond pendant/brooch

Elizabeth Taylor was known for her amazing jewelry collection with many pieces given to her by Richard Burton.  In the early 1960s the two began a scandalous affair during the filming of the movie Cleopatra in Rome.  It was during this time that the Bulgari emerald and diamond pendant/brooch was bought by Burton for Taylor as an engagement present in 1962, when the couple married in March 1964 she wore it as a brooch on her wedding day. 

The Bulgari pendant /brooch features an 18 carat Columbian emerald surround by pear shaped diamonds and set in platinum.  The piece was versatile to be wore as either a brooch or a pendant, occasionally Taylor would wear it suspended as a pendant from an emerald and diamond  necklace that was another gift from Burton.  After Taylor’s death many of the pieces of her personal jewelry collection was auctioned off through Christie’s in New York City and on December 2011 the Bulgari emerald and diamond pendant/brooch sold for $6.6 million.       

Catherine the Great’s Emerald Necklace

Catherine the Great was known to have an impressive jewelry collection, she was the longest ruling Empress of Russia and reigned for 34 years from 1762 to 1796.  One of the gemstones she owned was a massive rectangular shaped emerald originally weighing 107 carats. It remained in the Russian Imperial collection for more than 100 years and had an amazing history as it passed through the Russian Royal family.

After her death in 1796 the emerald went to her eldest son who became Emperor Paul I of Russia.  After his assignation in 1801 the emerald went to his son Tsar Nicholas and then to his son Tsar Alexander II.  Tsar Alexander gifted the emerald as a wedding present to the Duchess Marie when she married his son the Grand Duke Vladimir in 1874. 

In 1917 during the Russian Revolution Duchess Marie fled Russia and over 200 pieces of her jewelry collection, including the emerald of Catherine the Great, were smuggled out by a personal friend.  Eventually the Duchess relocated to France where she died in 1920, the emerald was bequeathed to her son Grand Duke Boris.

Throughout the following years the emerald was sold to various collectors, including Pierre Cartier.  Catherine the Great Emerald was recut, now weighing 75 carats, and set into a lovely diamond necklace by the Whitney family.  In 1930, the emerald and diamond necklace was sold to John D. Rockefeller Jr.  Then in 1971 the necklace was sold to a private buyer and eventually offered in auction by Christie’s in 2019 when it sold for $4.3 million.

 The Rockefeller Emerald

The Rockefeller Emerald is an 18 carat octagonal step cut Columbian emerald which was purchased by John D. Rockefeller Jr in 1930 for his wife Abby Aldridge Rockefeller.  The emerald was set into a brooch with other small emeralds and was said to have been designed by Van Cleef & Arpels.  After her death the brooch was deconstructed and the individual gemstones were given to the Rockefeller children.

The center emerald (the Rockefeller Emerald) was given to their youngest son, David and he commissioned Raymond Yard to design a beautiful platinum ring with the large emerald flanked with diamonds.  In 2017, the ring was sold for over $5 million to the famed jeweler Harry Winston and thus became known as the Rockefeller-Winston Emerald    

The Taj Mahal Emerald

The Taj Mahal Emerald is a hexagonal shaped Columbian emerald weighing 141.13 carats; it is very different than the other emeralds mentioned in this post.  It was a carved gemstone that featured chrysanthemums, lotuses and poppies.  The Taj Mahal Emerald was later named because the carvings were reminiscent of the architectural features of the grand Taj Mahal in India.  The emerald was sold at auction at Christie’s in New York City in 2009 for almost $800,000. 

The Fife Emerald and Diamond Tiara

The Fife Emerald and Diamond Tiara was once owned by Queen Victoria and it has a very interesting history.  Prince Albert commissioned this beautiful emerald and diamond tiara in 1845 and it was made by the Royal jeweler Joseph Kitching.

The Fife Emerald and Diamond Tiara is set with cushion shaped diamonds and step cut emeralds and surmounted with 19 inverted pear shaped emeralds in graduating size with the large emerald in the center weighing 15 carats. 

Queen Victoria wore the tiara for various occasions during the earliest years of her reign, inclucding several Franz Xavier Winterhalter portraits and the 1855 State Visit to France.

Queen Victoria gave the tiara to her daughter, Princess Louise the Duchess of Argyll, in 1893.  Then the Princess left the tiara to her daughter, Princess Louise the Duchess of Fife.  The tiara eventually went to Caroline the 3rd Duchess of Fife who wore it in 1960 to the State Opening of Parliament. 

In 2018, on the occasion marking the 200th Anniversary of Queen Victoria’s birth, the Fife Emerald and Diamond Tiara was displayed at a special exhibition at Kensington Palace.       

For more information about other pieces in British Royal emerald collection, please click on the link to the Cambridge Emeralds.