Incredible Imperial Topazes for Queen Silvia in Warsaw

The King and Queen of Sweden headed to Poland for a state visit this week, and Queen Silvia brought along the family’s fabulous pink topaz suite to wear for a state banquet on the first evening of the visit.

On the first day of the state visit, Polish President Karol Nawrocki and his wife, First Lady Marta Nawrocka, hosted a state banquet for their guests, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw.

For the dinner, Queen Silvia wore a purple-pink evening gown with a scarf detail at the neck, while Mrs. Nawrocka opted for a navy gown with medieval-inspired sleeves, paired with a jeweled headband (and one of the signature beaded bracelets from Queen Silvia’s World Childhood Foundation).

Queen Silvia pinned her husband’s Royal Family Order near her right shoulder. But that diamond-framed portrait was just an appetizer for the rest of the bejeweled splendor.

Silvia’s main jewelry accessories for the banquet were the earrings and the large brooch from the family’s suite of diamond and pink topaz jewels. The entire set consists of a necklace, a pair of earrings, a smaller oval-shaped cluster brooch, and a large brooch with a floral design.

The set has its roots in imperial Russia. Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, one of the daughters of Emperor Paul I of Russia, received the jewels as a gift from her mother, Empress Maria Feodorovna, when she gave birth to her second daughter, Princess Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, in 1811.

Augusta would grow up to become the first Empress of Germany. Appropriately, she was the one who inherited the pink topazes from her mother in 1859. When she died in 1890, she bequeathed the topazes to her only daughter, Grand Duchess Louise of Baden, and in turn, she left them to her only daughter, Queen Victoria of Sweden, on her passing in 1923.

The first Swedish royal woman to make extensive use of the topazes was Victoria’s daughter-in-law, Queen Louise. She wears the necklace above with other important pieces brought to Sweden by Victoria: the Baden Fringe Tiara and the Vasa Earrings.

Since 1976, the primary wearer of the pink topazes has been Queen Silvia. She wore the necklace and the smaller brooch from the set with the Braganza Tiara for the first set of gala portraits taken after her wedding to King Carl XVI Gustaf. Occasionally, she has loaned pieces from the suite to other members of the family, including her sisters-in-law and her daughters.

Here’s a look at one of Silvia’s more interesting outings in the topazes. She wore the necklace, earrings, and large brooch for a gala moment in the late 1980s, placing the brooch in her hair.

But I think most people will probably think of Crown Princess Victoria’s wedding in 2010 when they think of Silvia wearing the topazes. She paired the necklace, earrings, and large brooch with the Braganza Tiara for that important family moment.

Here’s one more look at Silvia wearing the pink topaz brooch and earrings in Poland earlier this week. She also carried another interesting handbag at the dinner. This one, per UFO No More, is a crystal butterfly clutch from the Brazilian artist Romero Britto.