The Court Jeweller: December 2020

31 December 2020

The Best Royal Jewels of 2020: #1 (Imperial Tiaras in Japan)

STR/Japan Pool via Jiji Press/AFP via Getty Images

We've reached the number one spot on our countdown of the best royal jewels of 2020! The best royal jewelry moments of the year came from a pair of glittering gala events in Tokyo.

Benjamin Wheeler/Press Association

Our countdown of the best royal jewels of the year has almost reached the top! The runner-up moment of the year is an incredible one: the heirloom royal tiara worn by Princess Beatrice on her wedding day.

The Best Royal Jewels of 2020: #3 (Tiaras and Jewels of Kungliga Smycken)

Sveriges Television

The royal court of Sweden gave us a huge present this year: a stunning new documentary devoted to the Bernadotte jewelry collection! The third spot on our countdown of the best jewels of the year goes to the tiaras and jewels of Kungliga Smycken.

Cour grand-ducale

There are few things I like better than a tiara surprise, and the royals in Luxembourg pulled one off in 2020! For the fourth spot in our countdown, we've got a look at a surprise tiara gala.

The Best Royal Jewels of 2020: #5 (A Sparkling Nassau Wedding Tiara)

Tatler/Instagram

Our countdown of the best royal jewels of 2020 has arrived at number four: a surprise royal wedding with a sparkling heirloom bridal tiara!

Kongehuset

Our countdown of the best royal jewels of the year has arrived at number five: the sparkle provided by the Danish royal family on New Year's Day in 2020!

The Best Royal Jewels of 2020: #7 (Princess Raiyah's Wedding Tiara)

Raiyah bint Al-Hussein

Even a pandemic can't stop love. Our countdown of the best royal jewels of 2020 arrives at number seven: the modern wedding jewels worn by Princess Raiyah of Jordan on her wedding day.

ACHMAD IBRAHIM/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Our countdown of the best royal jewels of the year continues with one of the state visits that took place at the beginning of 2020. The eighth spot on this year's list goes to King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands's bejeweled visit to Indonesia.

The Best Royal Jewels of 2020: #9 (Bejeweled Official Portraits)

Casa Real

Our countdown of the best royal jewels of 2020—because there were plenty of dazzling spots in the darkness—continues with #9: some of the lovely bejeweled official portraits published this year.

Victoria Jones - WPA Pool/Getty Images

It's that time again, magpies: our countdown of the best royal jewels of the year has begun! For the rest of December, I'll be sharing two posts a day featuring some of my favorite jewelry moments of the year. I know that many of us (myself included) are more than ready to see 2020 move into the history books, but believe it or not, we had some lovely royal jewel moments in the middle of an unusual year!

We're kicking things off with #10: an overview of some of the brooches worn in 2020 by the Queen! Even in her lockdown bubble, Queen Elizabeth II has treated us to glimpses of her incredible royal brooch collection, and I've got a rundown of some of the lovely pieces we saw this year.

The Evening Earring: Queen Maxima's Ruby Floral Earrings

Adam Nurkiewicz/Getty Images

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands wears her modern diamond and ruby floral earrings (with Queen Emma's Diamond and Ruby Bow Brooch) for a press conference during a state visit to Poland, June 2014; see another view of the earrings here!

The Daily Diadem: The Napoleonic Amethyst Parure Tiara

Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Queen Silvia of Sweden wears the Napoleonic Amethyst Tiara and jewels for a dinner at the Spanish embassy in Stockholm, October 1979; more on the amethysts here!

Royal Christmas Celebrations

Richard Pohle - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Happy Boxing Day, everyone! We've talked a lot about how Christmas celebrations, including royal Christmases, are a little different this year. But royals all over Europe have indeed been celebrating the season, and today we've got a look at some of the jewels they've been wearing for their holiday festivities.

The Evening Earring: The Queen's Emerald Tassel Earrings

JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom wears her Emerald Tassel Earrings and Necklace (plus the Moss Agate Brooch, a gift from President and Mrs. Obama) for dinner at Winfield House in London, May 2011; see another view of the earrings here!

The Daily Diadem: The Connaught Diamond Tiara

Keystone Pictures USA/ZUMAPRESS/Alamy

Queen Silvia of Sweden wears the Connaught Diamond Tiara (with the Russian Pink Topazes) for the Nobel Prize banquet in Stockholm, December 1977; more on the tiara here!

Happy Holidays from The Court Jeweller!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

from The Court Jeweller!

This year has been one of the strangest and most challenging that many of us have ever lived through. This holiday season, I've been reflecting on the gifts I've been given in the midst of all of it. I have been blessed in so many ways, with a wonderful family and a happy home, but one of the greatest gifts I have received in 2020 has been the dedication of the wonderful readers who have continued to visit The Court Jeweller each day.

The Evening Earring: Queen Letizia's Ruby Drop Earrings

Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images

Queen Letizia of Spain wears diamond and ruby drop earrings to mark the 30th anniversary of the Expansion newspaper in Madrid, February 2017; see another view of the earrings here!

The Daily Diadem: The Leuchtenberg Sapphire Tiara

Bert Verhoeff/Anefo/Nationaal Archief/Wikimedia Commons

Queen Silvia of Sweden wears the Leuchtenberg Sapphires for a state banquet during the state visit to the Netherlands, October 1976; more on the tiara and jewels here!

The Queen's Christmas Day Brooches

ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images

Christmas is going to look a little different for everyone this year, and the British royals are no exception. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will remain at Windsor Castle for the holiday instead of spending it at Sandringham, and we won't see the royals going to church on Christmas Day. To help the holiday feel a little more like usual, I've got a roundup of some of the brooches worn by the Queen over the past few decades on Christmas Day. Enjoy!

The Evening Earring: Queen Maxima's Emerald Earrings

DAVID MOIR/AFP via Getty Images

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands wears her pear-shaped emerald and diamond earrings (with the family's emerald brooch and drop necklace) for a concert at the Sydney Opera House, November 2016; more from the event here!

The Daily Diadem: Queen Sofia's Tiara

Anefo/Nationaal Archief/Wikimedia Commons

Queen Silvia of Sweden wears Queen Sofia's Tiara (with the Bernadotte Emeralds and the Karl Johan Earrings) for a dinner at the Rijksmuseum during a state visit to the Netherlands, October 1976; more on the tiara over here!

Ravishing Royal Ruby Tiaras

Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

We decked the halls with emeralds yesterday—now it's time for the royal rubies to have a turn!

The Evening Earring: The Crown Ruby Earrings

John Stillwell - Pool/Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom wears the Crown Ruby Earrings and Necklace (with one of her diamond floral brooches) for a state banquet in Oman, November 2010; see more from the visit over here!

The Daily Diadem: The Braganza Tiara

Anefo/Nationaal Archief/Wikimedia Commons

Queen Silvia of Sweden wears the Braganza Tiara (with the Russian Pink Topazes and the Karl Johan Earrings) for her first official portrait as queen consort, 1976; more on the tiara here!

Gorgeous Green Emerald Tiaras

Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

Lots of us are decorating our houses in shades of red and green for the Christmas season, so today, I thought I'd add to the festivities with a look at some of the gorgeous green emerald tiaras worn by royal women today. Enjoy!

The Evening Earring: The Duchess of Cambridge's Modern Emerald Earrings

Carlo Allegri - Pool/Getty Images

The Duchess of Cambridge wears her modern diamond and emerald earrings for the St. Andrews 600th Anniversary Dinner at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, December 2014; more on the suite over here!

The Daily Diadem: The Cameo Tiara

AFP via Getty Images

Queen Silvia of Sweden wears the Cameo Tiara for her wedding to King Carl XVI Gustaf in Stockholm, June 1976; more on the incredible tiara over here!

A Christmas Gift Tiara Surprise

Grand Duchess Eleonore wears her turquoise and moonstone tiara

At the royal palace in Darmstadt at Christmas, more than a century ago, Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine snuck a very special present under the tree for his wife, Grand Duchess Eleonore: a unique, lovely tiara made of diamonds, turquoises, and moonstones. The Art Nouveau jewel has a fascinating backstory, with sentimental links to the family's history and the artistic world of Darmstadt.

The Evening Earring: The Wessex Wedding Earrings

Oli Scarff/Getty Images

The Countess of Wessex wears black and white pearl earrings for the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, March 2012; the earrings, which were designed by the Earl of Wessex, were worn by Sophie with a coordinating necklace on their wedding day

The Daily Diadem: The Meiji Tiara

KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP via Getty Images

Empress Masako of Japan wears the Meiji Tiara in the procession celebrating her husband's enthronement in Tokyo, November 2019; more on the tiara's history here!

Diamond Tiara Tournament: Week Six Results!

We've got all the results from our latest week of tiara voting!

The Evening Earring: The Collins White and Yellow Diamond Earrings

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The Countess of Wessex wears a pair of white and yellow diamond earrings from Collins and Sons for a gala at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel the night before the Cambridge royal wedding, April 2011; the earrings and the coordinating necklace were apparently loaned to Sophie for the occasion

The Daily Diadem: The Japanese Crown Princely Wedding Tiara

TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP via Getty Images

Empress Masako of Japan (then Crown Princess Masako) wears the Japanese Crown Princely Wedding Tiara with its coordinating jewels for a procession following her wedding in Tokyo, June 1993; more on the tiara over here!

The Cullinan V Brooch

Bethany Clarke/Getty Images

If I could pick one dream royal brooch to be waiting for me under the Christmas tree this year, it would have to be this one! Here's a closer look at the history of the fabulous Cullinan V Brooch.

The Evening Earring: Sophie's Brilliant Earrings

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The Countess of Wessex wears the "Brilliant" earrings from Heavenly Necklaces for a charity gala dinner in Qatar, September 2013; the earrings, which are set with faux diamonds, have been in Sophie's collection since at least 2012

The Daily Diadem: The Pearl Sunburst Tiara

DPA Picture Alliance/Alamy

Empress Masako of Japan (then Crown Princess Masako) wears the Pearl Sunburst Tiara and accompanying jewels from the matching parure for the Dutch state banquet in Tokyo, October 2014; more on the tiara over here!

Princess Diana's Sapphire and Pearl Choker Necklace

Michael Melia/Alamy

One of the pieces of royal jewelry that I'm asked about most frequently is the iconic sapphire, diamond, and pearl choker necklace worn by the late Diana, Princess of Wales. Today, I've got the story of the long-hidden necklace for you—plus some speculation about where we might see it next.

The Evening Earring: Sophie's Pave-Set Diamond Earrings

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The Countess of Wessex wears her pavé-set diamond earrings for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Westminster Abbey, April 2011; she's worn these earrings often, including an outing at the Swedish royal wedding in 2015

Diamond Tiara Tournament: Vine Leaves vs Sophie's Diamond

Time for our final tiara vote of round two!

Will it be the sparkler from the Netherlands or the fringe from Liechtenstein?

The Evening Earring: Sophie's Diamonds Are Forever Earrings

John Stillwell - WPA Pool/Getty Images

The Countess of Wessex wears a pair of sparkling fringe earrings for the Duke of Edinburgh Award's Diamonds Are Forever Gala at Stoke Park, June 2016; the earrings might be genuine diamonds, but Sophie paired them with a faux necklace from Heavenly Necklaces for the occasion