Royal Jewels

[JewelFreak]

Different subject, but I just happened on this choker, diamonds, sapphire & pearls. The center jewel detaches to be worn as a brooch. Belonged to Queen Elena of Savoia (Montenegro), wife of King Vittore Emmanuele III of Italy. She lived from 1873 to 1952 & was apparently popular with the Italian people. After the King's abdication when Mussolini took over, I think she took the title "Duchess of Montenegro." The choker was auctioned in Monte Carlo in July, don't know the price it realized. Beautiful sapphire!

 

[JewelFreak]

Here is a photo of Queen Elena. Could not find one of her wearing the above necklace. Also found some Barbarini jewels, will put them up tomorrow -- my cat says he's dying of hunger & I have to go feed him!

 

[prince.of.preslav]

Thank you, JF! This choker is really nice. the sapphire is really beautiful. Do you know which auction house (Christie''s, Sothbie''s, etc.) sold it?
Queen Elena was the maternal grandmother of Simeon II of Bulgaria. After the Bulgarian monarchy was abolished both exiled royal families lived in Alexandria, Egypt. I haven''t read in any memoires/interviews of Simeon refering to his grandmother as Duchess of Motenegro, just Queen Elena.

Here is a close look at the big bow brooch Queen Elena''s wearing on the picture you posted. It was once owned by Queen Margherita of Italy:

 

[JewelFreak]

Thanks for the larger pic of the brooch, Bobby. I noticed it in the first photo & it is impressive. Glad to have a closer look at it. The choker was sold in July this year in Monte Carlo by Tajan, a jeweler & auction house. Estimate on it was 8000 - 12,000 euros.

I know one of Elena's daughters married King Boris of Bulgaria. Her 2nd daughter married a prince of Hesse & died in a Nazi concentration camp -- do you know how she came to be there? He lived many years after so obviously was not shipped off with her.

Queen Elena was elegant. Here's a photo of her with an ambassador at the Rome Exhibition, sometime between 1905 and 1915.

 

[prince.of.preslav]

Thanks for the information about the choker, JF. I hope that whoever has it now is happy and will often wear it.

Yes, the big brooch is really impressive. I wonder what happened with it?

As I said earlier what I know about Queen Ioanna''s family is mostly from things Simeon, Marie-Louise or the Queen Mother herself said in interviews. I haven''t read almost anything about Giovanna''s siblings. One of the things I read about Mafalda is that she was involved in Boris III''s death. That ofcourse is just a rumour.

Bobby

 

[JewelFreak]

Interesting family, Bobby. From what I read when looking them up, there were also rumors that Boris was poisoned by Hitler because he was less cooperative as a puppet king than Hitler had hoped. Ioanna actually obtained false passports to help a number of Jews escape the country.

As to the brooch in the Queen Elena photo, I wonder too what became of it. King Umberto, when he abdicated & left Italy, left many jewels in a safe deposit box in a bank in Rome with a note that they should "be returned to their rightful owner," not stating whether that would be his family or the nation. Anyway, his family did not ask for them & I didn't find anything on whether the gov't eventually sold them or if they're still in Italy.

Queen Marie-Jose (sorry, no accents available here!), who was queen for a month with Umberto III, took some jewels with her when they went into exile in 1946. She died at 94 in 2001 & last year her daughter, Maria Gabriella of Savoy, sold some of Marie-Jose's jewelry at Christies. Will see if I can find the catalogue in their archives; I did read that 2 tiaras were among the items.

Here is a photo of Maria Gabriella -- she's beautiful, as elegant as her grandmother, Elena.

 

[prince.of.preslav]

JT, do you know if Maria Gabriella''s tiara is the one The King gave her? I think I have a picture of it, but not sure.

While we are not sure about what happened to the big brooch, here is anoter smaller bow brooch, that was a wedding gift from VE III & Elana of Italy to Princess Maria Jose. The brooch originally belonged to Queen Margherita. It was sold by Princess Maria Gabriela in 2007.

 

[prince.of.preslav]

To me the most reasonable versions about Tzar Boris III''s death are: 1)poisoned by Hitler 2) diad of heart attack, because he was really under pressure in his last days. In my mind Boris III is the most beloved head of state in Bulgaria''s modern history.

I also know the story about the Roman bank deposit box. It''d be nice to see what is left in that box now. Maybe someday The Italian Government and The Royal Family will sign an agreement about the jewles and we''ll see them in diplay? Just hopes...

The two tiaras that Maria Gabriella sold were Belgian heirlooms. The diamond Faberge tiara Queen MJ inherited from her brother The Count of Flanders. The pearl tiara was an inferitace from the Empress of Mexico.

Her are two link from Christie''s:
A MAGNIFICENT ANTIQUE DIAMOND TIARA, BY FABERGE
AN ANTIQUE PEARL AND DIAMOND TIARA

Bobby

 

[prince.of.preslav]

Here is the pearl and diamond tiara Umberto II gave his daughter Maria Gabriella. I really hope that her descendants will never sell this beautiful jewel. I''d be a pitty if the tiara becomes property of someone like Imelda Markos or Miss Hilton... Someone like Elizabeth Taylor is more appropriate, I think. But still it doesn''t change my opinion that it should stay with her descendants.

 

[JewelFreak]

Oh, that diadem is truly beautiful and so is the bow brooch. I LOVE bow pins. Agree with you, hoping that tiara stays in the Savoy family.

Found a nice 1920s photo of Marie Jose wearing the tiara that was sold.

 

[JewelFreak]

Also, here is a portrait of Queen Elena wearing the stomacher brooch we mentioned earlier. For some reason, the artist decided to paint the center stones as emeralds, but the caption under the photo said they were really pink diamonds. It was, as you said, ordered by Queen Margherita, in 1868, and had 768 diamonds in it.

Looking at a lot of photos of the Savoy family, I did not see it after Elena. Rather doubt it was to Marie Jose''s taste & if the stones in it were not used for other jewelry, it is possibly part of the jewels in the bank.

I saw an article written in 2006 saying that the Italian gov''t lawyers found no reason those jewels should remain in the vault, since there are apparently no claims for them other than that of the Italian people. Maria Gabriella said she hoped they''d be put on display for the Turin Olympics but it didn''t happen.

 

[Josefine]

Photo of silvia

 

[JewelFreak]

Sylvia is so elegant, Josefine. Always looks beautiful. And yet another way of wearing jewels in her hair!

While we're on the subject of Italian royal jewels, the pieces below sold this year at Christies in London. They belonged to the Barberini family, whose palace in Rome is now the National Gallery of Ancient Art; however, the Barberini still use a portion of it as a residence. It must be magnificent, covered with 17th century frescos and tapestries. Augusto Barberini is the Prince of Palestrino. Anyway, this suite was made in 1850. Sapphires, OMC diamonds, gold & silver.

This tiara sold for 99,000 British pounds.

 

[JewelFreak]

And earrings -- price realized 18,750 GBP.

 

[JewelFreak]

The necklace brought 42,000 GBP. These could be a little elaborate for the present, but I'd wear the tiara any day! They're definitely in the Victorian style -- so graceful and lacy and light looking, though. The necklace would be wearable now without the center pendant, I think.

I don't know if they heat-treated sapphires in those days -- does anyone have info on that?

 

[JewelFreak]

Just one more -- I think this aquamarine ring of Marie Jose''s, sold with her other jewels by Maria Gabriella, is such a beautiful stone & the setting perfect for it.

 

[robinj]

What a wonderful saphire set! Just wonderful!!

 

[robinj]

Date: 10/2/2009 3:42:18 AM
Author: Josefine
Photo of silvia

what is HMQ Silvia wearing on this picture?

 

[robinj]

In a short while I've heard three different stories about this (small but cute) tiara with small diamonds and a large aquamarine;
1) It was a 18th birthday gift from the King Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia to the princess Madeleine.
2) It was a 18th birthday gift from the King Gustaf VI Adolf and Louise to the princess Margaretha (now mrs Ambler)
3) It was a wedding gift from *someone* to the Princess Margreth née Cannaught.

But there are holes in all stories;
1) I *think* I've seen pictures of the princess Margaretha wearing the tiara, but it was some time ago, and I might be mistaken. Also, why would they give their second daughter a larger tiara than their first daughter, the heir to the throne?
2) Why is it now in the possesion of the swedish royal family if it was a gift to the princess Margaretha?
3) The style if it doesn't say "pre-war, 20th century".

Does anyone know?

 

[Josefine]

what year was this at the nobel1?

 

[prince.of.preslav]

Date: 10/3/2009 8:22:37 AM
Author: JewelFreak
Sylvia is so elegant, Josefine. Always looks beautiful. And yet another way of wearing jewels in her hair!


While we''re on the subject of Italian royal jewels, the pieces below sold this year at Christies in London. They belonged to the Barberini family, whose palace in Rome is now the National Gallery of Ancient Art; however, the Barberini still use a portion of it as a residence. It must be magnificent, covered with 17th century frescos and tapestries. Augusto Barberini is the Prince of Palestrino. Anyway, this suite was made in 1850. Sapphires, OMC diamonds, gold & silver.


This tiara sold for 99,000 British pounds.

Thank you, JewelFreak!
That''s really a beautifull parure. For some reason the tiara remindes me of the Danish ruby tiara, worn by HRH The Crown Pincess. The necklace, as you mantion, is too elaborate for the present. The pendant would be a nice brooch, I think.

Bobby

 

[JewelFreak]

It does resemble the Danish ruby tiara a bit, Bobby. Agree that the pendant might make a good brooch, though it''s still a little elaborate for me.

Here I am again, changing countries, but in roaming the internet I found an auction listing from 2007 Christie''s, that I just had to share with you all.

Pocket watch ordered from Breguet by Empress Josephine in 1800 for her daughter, Hortense de Beauharnais. Originally it had only the "H" monogram but after Napoleon was crowned, Josephine had the crown added above the "H."

When Josephine bought it, she paid SF 3000 for it. Estimate at the Christie''s sale 2 years ago was 200,000 to 400,000 Swiss francs & it actually sold for over SF 900,000. There''s an investment for you!

 

[JewelFreak]

Here is the back of the watch. Its face did not have a cover. Breguet was the first to make pocket watches this way, so the owner could stealthily feel the hands to tell what time it was without being rude enough to take it out of her pocket.

I think it's very pretty.

 

[Josefine]

there were a site about the danish jewllery

i cant find it is it still around?

 

[prince.of.preslav]

Date: 10/4/2009 6:48:46 AM
Author: robinj
In a short while I''ve heard three different stories about this (small but cute) tiara with small diamonds and a large aquamarine;

1) It was a 18th birthday gift from the King Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia to the princess Madeleine.

2) It was a 18th birthday gift from the King Gustaf VI Adolf and Louise to the princess Margaretha (now mrs Ambler)

3) It was a wedding gift from *someone* to the Princess Margreth née Cannaught.


But there are holes in all stories;

1) I *think* I''ve seen pictures of the princess Margaretha wearing the tiara, but it was some time ago, and I might be mistaken. Also, why would they give their second daughter a larger tiara than their first daughter, the heir to the throne?

2) Why is it now in the possesion of the swedish royal family if it was a gift to the princess Margaretha?

3) The style if it doesn''t say ''pre-war, 20th century''.


Does anyone know?

Sorry for the late reply, Robin.

I''m sorry but I don''t know the exact story of the tiara Princess Madlene now wers. From what I''ve read about Swedishroyal jewellery, I know that Gustaf VI Adolf''s two wifes got aquamarine jewellery. An aquamarine tiara in the kokoshnik style was given to Princess Margaret. It was later worn by Princess Sibylla and one of her daughters.
Louise Moutbatten left some of her jewels to members of her own family in England and Germany. It is likely, however, that she left her wedding gifts to the Bernadotte fondation.
The fact that this tiara was worn by Princess Margarethe and now by Madelene, makes me think that is really a part of the fondation.

As you mention the style of the tiara isn''t ''pre-war, 20th century'', so maybe it was really a gift to Queen Louise.

I hope Josefine would add more information about it.

Bobby

 

[prince.of.preslav]

Date: 10/8/2009 4:23:39 AM
Author: Josefine
there were a site about the danish jewllery


i cant find it is it still around?

I didn''t know about that site, Josefine.
I know there are sites about the Dutch, French and Swedish (yours) jewels. There is also royal-magazin.de, with information about almost every royal house''s jewels.

I must say that now you site looks great. You''ve added much infirmation, some of which is new to me. You have some great pictures of the jewel too.

Thanks,
Bobby

 

[SB621]

I just went through every siingle page on this thread....wow!!!!! I''m still

 

[Josefine]

i do not have much more to come with about Madeleines tiara.
Much of the information i have is from others i just wantexd it gathered at the same place

but hopefully we will get more information as other people reads and get intrested.

 

[Josefine]

när är dessa tagna av victoria?

 

[Josefine]

victoria