Princess Antoinette, Prince Rainier, and Princess Grace of Monaco arriving at the Red Cross Ball in 1956
26 January 2015
New Pieces for Charlene of Monaco?
Princess Charlene of Monaco celebrated her 37th birthday yesterday. I'm a firm believer that all birthdays deserve to be recognized with generous helpings of bling, but when you have a birthday right after giving birth to an heir and a spare? Surely that deserves some extra-special sparkle! Here are some pieces from Charlene's favorite jewelers that I hope Prince Albert added to her collection this weekend. What pieces would you like to see her wear?
Graff's Sapphire and Diamond Demi-Parure
Charlene often wears jewelry by Graff, including the diamond floral headband she donned last year. The company is currently selling a gorgeous set of diamond and sapphire jewels that would be just perfect for gala events in Monaco.
25 January 2015
Sunday Stories: January 25
- King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia died on Thursday at the age of 90; he had reigned for almost a decade. The new Saudi king is his brother, Salman. (BBC)
- On Saturday, another royal connection died: Johan Martin Ferner, the husband of Princess Astrid of Norway, died in Oslo. He was 87. (Trond Norén Isaksen)
- Rumors of an engagement were reported -- and later denied -- for Princess Beatrice and her longtime boyfriend, Dave Clark. I'm still guessing we'll hear wedding bells for these two ... but maybe not until her parents aren't in the news quite so much? (Independent.ie)
- The Swedish court released a statement denying that Christopher O'Neill is in tax trouble. (Kungahuset)
- The ladies over at Luxarazzi have done a bit of research on Princess Sibilla's diamond and ruby necklace. (Luxarazzi)
- The Cambridges are on their annual trip to Mustique to celebrate Carole Middleton's birthday. (Hello!)
- Princess Athena, the youngest child of Prince Joachim of Denmark, turned 3 this week, and new photos were released to celebrate. (Kongehuset)
24 January 2015
Saturday Sparkler: The Dutch Sapphire Necklace Tiara
One of my favorite things about the Dutch royal family is their willingness to innovate with their jewels. Today’s tiara, one of the family’s “newest” pieces, is actually composed of a sapphire necklace supplemented by elements from another dismantled sapphire jewel.
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| Queen Emma wears the necklace (source) |
While the necklace was not worn in public as a tiara until 2009, it has a much longer history. It began as a choker of diamonds and eleven sapphires and was purchased for Queen Emma by her husband, King Willem III. Along with other sapphire and diamond jewels, it was collected into a married parure. Occasionally a sapphire pendant was added to the center of the piece. (For a very long time, sources — including the Dutch royal household itself — have stated that the choker and other parts of the sapphire parure were made by Mellerio. More recent research has suggested this is not the case.) Above, Emma wears the choker with the pendant.