The Nightly Necklace: The Greville Ruby Necklace

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The Duchess of Cambridge wears the Greville Ruby Necklace with Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara and the Collingwood Pearl Drop Earrings at the Spanish state banquet, July 2017; more on the necklace's history over here!

Tournament of Brooches: Crown Ruby vs Jewellers and Silversmiths

This afternoon's brooch contest features a diamond and ruby face-off...

Tournament of Brooches: Silver Fern vs Graving Dock Diamond

This contest matches up two mid-century diamond stunners...

The Nightly Necklace: The Duchess of Cambridge's Modern Emerald Necklace

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The Duchess of Cambridge wears her modern diamond and emerald necklace with its coordinating earrings at the BAFTAs, February 2018; more on the suite of jewels over here!

Tournament of Brooches: Scallop-Shell vs Saskatchewan Tourmaline

A pair of regal gifts face off in this afternoon's brooch contest...

Tournament of Brooches: Teck Flower vs London Lily

Will it be the floral heirloom or the '40s lily?

The Nightly Necklace: The Duchess of Cambridge's Mouawad Ruby Necklace

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The Duchess of Cambridge wears a diamond and ruby fringe necklace from Mouawad at the Sun Military Awards, December 2011; read more about the necklace, which also has a coordinating bracelet and earrings, over here!

Tournament of Brooches: Queen Alexandra's Wedding vs Amethyst Floral

A royal wedding gift faces off against a part of amethyst floral brooches...

Tournament of Brooches: Queen Victoria's Diamond Fringe vs Diamond Daffodil

This morning's brooch match-up is a contest between antique and modern...

The Nightly Necklace: The Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace

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The Duchess of Cambridge wears the Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace for a gala at the National Portrait Gallery in London, February 2014; more on the necklace over here!

Tournament of Brooches: Flower Basket vs Australian Hibiscus

It's flower vs. flower in today's afternoon match-up...

Tournament of Brooches: Albert vs Diamond Art Deco Clip

A sapphire treasure faces off against a modern creation in this contest!

The Nightly Necklace: The Dutch Art Nouveau Turquoise Necklace

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Princess (now Queen) Maxima of the Netherlands wears a diamond, gold, and turquoise necklace for a dinner celebrating the 60th birthday of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden in Stockholm, April 2006; the necklace, made in the Art Nouveau style, and earrings both come from the collection of her mother-in-law, Princess Beatrix

The Daily Diadem: The Bourbon-Parma Tiara

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Princess Irene of the Netherlands wore the Bourbon-Parma Tiara for her wedding to Prince Carlos Hugo of Bourbon-Parma in Rome, April 1964; more on the tiara here!

Tournament of Brooches: This Week's Results!

We've got the updated results from our first round one "region"!

The Nightly Necklace: The Dutch Emerald Parure Necklace

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Princess (now Queen) Maxima of the Netherlands wears the choker necklace from the Dutch Emerald Parure for a concert at the Berlin Philharmonic, April 2011; more on the parure here!

The Daily Diadem: Princess Claire's Wedding Tiara

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Princess Claire of Belgium wears a delicate diamond tiara for her wedding to Prince Laurent of Belgium, April 2003; more on the tiara over here!

What We Learned from Kungliga Smycken (Part 2)

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Our coverage of the fantastic new Swedish royal jewelry documentary, Kungliga Smycken, continues with an overview of the information we learned during episode two! (Don't forget to watch the actual episode -- the interviews, footage of the jewelry, and archival films are beyond excellent!)

The Nightly Necklace: Queen Juliana's Aquamarine Necklace

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Princess (now Queen) Maxima of the Netherlands wears Queen Juliana's Aquamarine Necklace with other jewels from her aquamarine suite for a dinner in Ankara, February 2007; more on the necklace, which was Juliana's 18th birthday gift from Queen Emma, over here!

The Daily Diadem: Princess Mabel's Wedding Tiara

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Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau wears a Mellerio diamond tiara from the Dutch royal vaults for her wedding to Prince Friso, April 2004; more on the tiara over here!

What We Learned from Kungliga Smycken (Part 1)

SVT

Earlier this month, we talked briefly about a fantastic new royal jewelry documentary, Kungliga Smycken, coming to Sweden's SVT. Both episodes have now aired, and they're packed with wonderful interviews, rare archival footage, insights from jewelers and historians, and spectacular views of the Bernadotte jewels. We also learned a few new things, and today's post hits some of those highlights.

The Nightly Necklace: The Dutch Emerald Brooch and Drop Necklace

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Queen Maxima of the Netherlands wears a necklace with two pendants -- the brooch from the Dutch Emerald Parure and the family's enormous cabochon emerald drop -- for a concert at the Sydney Opera House, November 2016; see another outing of the necklace over here!

Tournament of Brooches: Queen Victoria's Bows vs Chelsea Iris

Antique bows face off against a modern flower in this afternoon's contest...

Tournament of Brooches: Marie Feodorovna's Sapphire vs Nizam Roses

Romanov splendor meets Cartier elegance in this match-up...

The Nightly Necklace: Queen Maxima's Tutti Frutti Necklace

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Princess (now Queen) Maxima of the Netherlands wears her diamond, ruby, emerald, and sapphire Tutti Frutti Necklace for her husband's 40th birthday party in Apeldoorn, September 2007; more on the entire set of jewels here!

Tournament of Brooches: Aquamarine Art Deco vs Women of Hampshire

Diamonds and aquamarines or diamonds and pearls?

Tournament of Brooches: Dorset Bow vs Queen Victoria's Pearl and Diamond

This morning's contest is a Queen Mary vs. Queen Victoria showdown!

The Nightly Necklace: Queen Maxima's Blue Gemstone Necklace

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Queen Maxima of the Netherlands wears a necklace and earrings set with blue gemstones (perhaps tanzanites?), moonstones, and sapphires for a gala dinner supporting the Princess Maxima Center for Children's Oncology in Amsterdam, September 2017; see a close-up over here!

Tournament of Brooches: Cambridge Emerald Cluster vs Colombo Floral

Colorful gemstones abound in this afternoon's brooch contest!

Tournament of Brooches: Australian Wattle vs Pearl Trefoil

Diamonds and pearls meet up in our first contest of the day...

The Nightly Necklace: The Dutch Diamond Trellis Necklace

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Princess (now Queen) Maxima of the Netherlands wears the family's diamond trellis necklace as she arrives at Buckingham Palace for the Prince of Wales's 60th birthday party, November 2008; the necklace, which can also be worn with interchangeable rubies or sapphires, was Queen Emma's wedding present to Queen Wilhelmina in 1901

Tournament of Brooches: Lover's Knot vs Diamond Clematis

Will it be diamond bows or flowers in this afternoon's contest?

Tournament of Brooches: Cullinan III and IV vs Diamond Wild Rose

This match-up between a number one seed and a number sixteen seed is going to be interesting!

The Nightly Necklace: The Queen Mother's Pearls

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Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom (later the Queen Mother) wears a triple strand of pearls as she sits beside Eleanor Roosevelt in a procession during the royal visit to Washington, August 1939; the Queen Mother owned numerous pearl necklaces, and it's often difficult (or sometimes even impossible!) to distinguish between them

The Daily Diadem: The Naasut Tiara

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Queen Margrethe II of Denmark wears the Naasut Tiara and its coordinating earrings for the first of the annual New Year's Levees in Copenhagen, January 2013; more on the tiara here!

Tournament of Brooches: The Play-In Results!

Get excited: we've got the results from our brooch tournament play-in contests!

The Nightly Necklace: The Persian Turquoise Necklace

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The Duchess of York (later Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother) wears the Persian Turquoise Necklace with its coordinating tiara, ca. 1930; more on the suite of jewels over here!

The Daily Diadem: The Turquoise Daisy Bandeau

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Queen Margrethe II of Denmark wears the Turquoise Daisy Bandeau with additional pearl, diamond, and turquoise jewels for the Chinese state banquet in Copenhagen, June 2012; more on the tiara here!

The Cartier Indian Tiara

Photo generously shared by reader Javier

The Duchess of Gloucester, wife of a cousin of the British monarch, has a jewelry collection that outshines those of some entire royal families. Many of her pieces came from Queen Mary via the current duke's mother, Princess Alice. But today's tiara, the Cartier Indian, arrived in the Gloucester collection from a different, lesser-known branch of Queen Victoria's family tree.

The Nightly Necklace: The Coronation Necklace

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Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother wears the Coronation Necklace and Earrings with her own diamond necklace and Queen Mary's Fringe Tiara in a formal portrait, ca. 1937; more on the necklaces and earrings here, and the tiara here!

The Daily Diadem: The Baden Palmette Tiara

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Queen Margrethe II of Denmark wears the Baden Palmette Tiara with diamonds for the Greek state banquet in Copenhagen, May 2009; more on the tiara over here!

Tournament of Brooches: Modern Ruby and Diamond Spray vs Greville Ivy Leaf Clips

A modern diamond and ruby brooch faces off against classic leafy clips in our final play-in contest...

The Nightly Necklace: The Crown Ruby Necklace

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Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother wears the Crown Ruby Necklace and Earrings with the Oriental Circlet Tiara, one of her ruby floral clip brooches, and the Diamond Quatrefoil Bracelet; more on the necklace, earrings, and tiara here, and the bracelet over here!

The Daily Diadem: The Danish Floral Aigrette

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Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, who celebrates her 80th birthday today, wears the Danish Floral Aigrette with diamonds for the Bulgarian state banquet in Copenhagen, March 2006; more on the flexible tiara over here!

Tournament of Brooches: Coral Rose vs Crystal Orchid

Today's surprise play-in contest features a pair of floral beauties...

The Nightly Necklace: The Greville Emerald Necklace

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Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother wears the Greville Emerald Necklace and their accompanying earrings for a visit to the Tate Gallery in London, April 1963; more on the emeralds here!

The Daily Diadem: Princess Dagmar's Floral Tiara

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Queen Margrethe II of Denmark wears Princess Dagmar's Floral Tiara and the Connaught Sapphire Brooch during a visit to Government House in Wellington, New Zealand, February 1987; more on the tiara over here and the brooch here!

Tournament of Brooches: Braemar Feather vs Diamond Art Deco Clip

Will it be a fantastic feather or a classic clip in our second play-in contest?

The Nightly Necklace: Queen Alexandra's Wedding Necklace

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Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother wears Queen Alexandra's Wedding Necklace and Queen Victoria's Diamond Fringe Brooch during a visit to the Tate Gallery in London, April 1963; more on the necklace here and the brooch here!

The Daily Diadem: The Alexandrine Diamond Drop Tiara

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Queen Margrethe II of Denmark wears the Alexandrine Diamond Drop Tiara for a banquet aboard the royal yacht Britannia during the second day of Queen Elizabeth II's state visit to Denmark, May 1979; more on the delicate sparkler over here!