BRF Necklace Contest: Coronation vs Elizabeth Festoon

The Coronation Necklace vs. Queen Elizabeth II’s Festoon Necklace

The Coronation Necklace

Garrard made this simple, classic diamond necklace for Queen Victoria in 1858 to replace a necklace that had been lost in the Hanoverian Claim. The necklace incorporates the pear-shaped Lahore Diamond as a pendant. Later designated as an Heirloom of the Crown, the necklace has been worn by subsequent British queens at their coronations. Most recently, it was worn by Queen Elizabeth II at her coronation in 1953. She’s continued to wear it often in the years since, for state banquets and important ceremonies like the State Opening of Parliament.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Festoon Necklace

In 1950, King George VI commissioned a new necklace from Garrard, asking them to set 105 loose diamonds from the Royal Collection in the piece. The diamonds, which are Heirlooms of the Crown, come from Queen Mary’s cache of jewels. The result was a classic, streamlined festoon necklace, featuring three rows of diamonds suspended from triangular diamond elements. Queen Elizabeth II has been wearing the necklace since the dawn of her reign, and she still occasionally brings it out for events like state banquets.