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Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

Marjorie Merriweather Post’s Royal Jewels

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American heiress and philanthropist Marjorie Merriweather Post (1887-1973) attends a play at Palm Beach Playhouse, 1955
Archive Farms Inc/Alamy

On this day in 1887, one of the most important jewelry collectors in American history was born. Marjorie Merriweather Post, heiress to a cereal fortune, absolutely loved collecting and wearing jewelry, including pieces with royal provenance. Today, we’ve got a look at six of these pieces, all of which reside today in a pair of American museums.

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Evalyn Walsh McLean and the Curse of the Hope Diamond

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Mrs Evalyn Walsh McLean, one of the owners of the famous Hope diamond, a 44 1/2 carat stone which, legend has it, was taken from the eye of a Burmese idol and is supposed to bring bad luck to anyone who owns it, ca. 1915
Topical Press Agency/Getty Images

As many around the world celebrate Halloween this weekend, it’s time once again to turn to one of the most chilling gemstones of all: the Hope Diamond. Today, we’re looking closely at the years when Evalyn Walsh McLean owned the diamond, to try to answer a lingering question: did the gemstone really bring the family bad luck?

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Royal Purple Amethyst Brooches

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Richard Pohle – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Purple has long been a color associated with royalty, so it should come as no surprise that gorgeous purple amethysts are featured in some truly gorgeous royal brooches. Today, I’ve got a roundup of some of my favorite royal amethyst brooches—with one fit for royalty thrown in, too.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

If antique flair is your thing, you can’t go wrong with the beautiful diamond and amethyst brooch from the Kent Amethyst Demi-Parure. First owned by Queen Victoria’s mother, the Duchess of Kent, the jewel is part of a suite of royal jewels that also includes a necklace and a set of hair combs. The brooch can be worn with or without a set of pendant drops, just to up the drama even more.
Royal Collection

The British royal collection also includes a petite diamond and amethyst brooch made by Fabergé. The bauble was presented to Queen Mary by the last Emperor of Russia in 1909, and though it hasn’t been worn in public anytime recently, it’s still sometimes included in royal exhibitions.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

If classic antique brooches are your style, look no further than the Swedish royal collection, which includes an amazing brooch set with a large amethyst hugged by a triple cluster of diamonds. The brooch, which forms part of the family’s Napoleonic Amethyst Parure, is a handy reminder of the family’s French imperial roots.
Ian Gavan – WPA Pool/Getty Images, Richard Pohle – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Interested in something a bit more modern? Queen Elizabeth II owns a fascinating pair of amethyst and diamond floral brooches. The coordinating set hearkens back to the middle of the twentieth century, when coordinating pairs of brooches or clips were all the rage.
Chris Jackson – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Today, though, the Queen generally wears the brooches one at a time. You can spot the difference easily by looking for either a pair of leaves or a tiny blossom at the top of the brooch.
KOEN VAN WEEL/ANP/AFP via Getty Images

Another interesting royal amethyst floral brooch can be found in the royal vaults in the Netherlands. The Dutch royal family owns this brooch made of diamonds set in a carved amethyst flower. The brooch has a modern feel, and the dark color of the amethyst is suitably dramatic. Across the channel in the UK, a similar brooch is worn by Princess Michael of Kent.
Sotheby’s

And—last but not least—we’ve got the Whitney Wrapped Heart Brooch. The jewel hasn’t been worn by a royal lady, but it’s certainly whimsical and gorgeous enough to fit easily into any princess’s jewelry box. The brooch, which belonged to Betsey Cushing Whitney, was made in 1950 by Verdura. It features a heart-shaped amethyst studded with diamonds, creating a sort of polka-dot effect, and wrapped with a gold and diamond ribbon