Victorian pearl and diamond brooch
pendant, composed of a large pearl in diamond single-row border which
forms the centre of a diamond and pierced oval panel with single-row
diamond outer border with cushion-cut diamond collets at the points
of the compass and supporting a cushion-cut diamond collet single
drop-shaped pearl with rose diamond cap.
Designed as a row of openwork links alternating with five floral
diamond and rose diamond and rose diamond star cluster motifs. Each
intersected by two diamond double crescents, diamond lozenge collet
with diamond circular cluster snap. Later rhodium plated, necklace
length: 400mm approximately.
The photograph on the right, shows the young Princess May of Teck,
the future Queen Mary, wearing this
delicate diamond necklace which she subsequently gave as a present
to her third child, Mary who went on to become the Princess Royal,
Countess of Harewood. When Princess Mary was born on 25 April 1897,
her great grandmother, Queen Victoria, sent a brief telegram to her
parents the Duke and Duchess of York; 'all happiness to you and my
little diamond jubilee baby'. The infant was christened Victoria Alexandra
Alice Mary; it was the last name by which she was known in deference
to her mother.
Princess May also wore the diamond and pearl diamond cluster brooch/pendant
when she made her coming out at court.
An attractive antique diamond bracelet, composed of an eight-pointed
star cluster which forms the centre of the graduated diamond collet
and twin leaf flexible bracelet. This necklace, together with the
diamond bracelet was always treasured by the Princess Royal as a memento
of her girlhood as shown in the official photograph of her taken in
1963 in which she wears the delicate diamond
bracelet along with the stately Russian tiara and diamond rivieres>>
Source: Christie's 1970;
Special thanks to Laura for the resarch and text!
