Style File Friday returns once again, and we have a new category of royal jewels to tackle! If there is an item with a stone in it, it will be in a royal vault. Last week we looked at several red and green brooches, with some historic pieces highlighted. And this week we look further north, to earrings. Earrings are one of the most versatile items; you will often see priceless, rare earrings being worn regularly to engagements. So without any further waiting, let’s get onto our second SFF of Blogmas. Here are some of my favourite red and green jewels!
Royal Jewels: Red and Green Earrings
Queen Maxima’s Ruby Floral Earrings
Of course we start with a stunning Dutch piece- the Dutch Royal Family has one of the, if not the most impressive jewellery collection. (Not to mention, the Dutch monarchy is only a little over 200 years old.) However, interestingly, these belong to Queen Maxima personally! These diamond and ruby earrings feature three ruby flowers with diamond “petals”. They are quite versatile, as they can be worn with one, two, or three flowers.
We do not know which jeweller made these earrings but they remain a constant for Maxima. She has worn them on their own but has also paired them with the Ruby Peacock Tiara. Here is hoping we see them on Princess Catharina Amalia, Princess Alexia, or Princess Ariane soon.
The Greville Emerald Earrings
What would any royal jewellery round-up piece be without a Greville piece? Dame Margaret Greville left a massive bequest to Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) in the 1940s when she died, and it had multiple tiaras, necklaces, brooches, rings, bracelets, earrings, and more.
These Boucheron earrings feature (from top to bottom): a large diamond stud, a suspended square diamond, three hexagonal-cut diamonds, and a massive faceted emerald. The Queen Mother wore them frequently throughout her life, including to her 90th birthday party. She left them to her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, upon her passing in 2002. The Queen did not actually wear these earrings publicly until 2019, though had worn them for a portrait earlier. Here is hoping they make an appearance on a new wearer soon!
Queen Letizia’s Modern Ruby Earrings
From Spanish jeweller Aldao Joyeros, these modern ruby earrings are a favourite of Queen Letizia that we see often. (It helps when red is one of Spain’s colours!) These cabochon rubies are suspended within a pavé-set halo at the end of a drop. The Spanish Queen often wears these for Spain’s National Day in October, as well as for several diplomatic events.
Queen Mathilde’s Emerald Drop Earrings
We are going personal for another pair of earrings, this time from Queen Mathilde of Belgium. Although the Belgian royals have a smaller jewellery collection, Mathilde has some beautiful pieces. These diamond and emerald drop earrings are from the Belgian Queen’s personal collection, and she has worn them several times over the last decade. The emeralds used are quite light which gives a much softer look. (You will often see her wearing these earrings for daytime engagements.) While the historic pieces are gorgeous and so fascinating, it is also interesting to see the pieces that these royals have chosen for themselves.
Queen Mary’s Ruby Cluster Earrings
Of course Queen Mary was going to make an appearance on this list, the biggest magpie of all royals. However, Mary technically cannot take credit for these stunning ruby earrings. King George V bought these for his wife in 1926. The large faceted ruby is encircled by nine brilliant-cut diamonds for a deep but very sparkly earring.
Queen Mary gave these as a gift to her granddaughter, the then-Princess Elizabeth, for her 1947 wedding. Queen Elizabeth would wear these frequently throughout her reign, often pairing them with the Greville Ruby Necklace (another Greville piece!) or the Burmese Ruby Tiara. I suppose it helps when you can mix and match within your rubies.
Danish Emerald Parure Earrings
These emerald earrings belong to the Danish Emerald Parure, one of the sets that make up the Danish Crown Jewels. They were created in the early 1840s by Queen Charlotte Amalie who made several substantial changes to the crown jewels. These diamond and emerald earrings feature a ribbon design, a design element that carries throughout the set.
Queen Margrethe frequently wore the Danish Emerald Parure throughout her reign but we will not see her in them again, unfortunately. This parure is solely worn by the reigning Queen of Denmark or queen consort, meaning only on one woman at a time will have access. Currently, that would be Queen Mary of Denmark! (She actually wore the Emerald Parure for her first official portrait in April of this year.) Notably, this parure also cannot be taken out of Denmark.
What are your favourite red and green earrings?
Cheers,
The Historian
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