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It is well known that the City of London presented Queen Alexandra with a diamond collet necklace and diamond earrings, which cost ten thousand pounds, as a wedding gift in 1863.



What is less well known is the size of the principal stones and the overall carat weight.



The smallest diamond in the necklace is said to have been 4 carats. (This will be seen in a cutting below)

Hugh Roberts in The Queen's Diamonds page 94 states that there appears to have been some confusion from the earliest time about the number of collets in the necklace but, a little research, shows that Roberts had misread the information he consulted. Apparently the text of the Russel's Memorial on the marriage of... 1863 states that there were 38 diamonds; yet, his illustration shows only 32 collets.

There were only ever 32 collets in the necklace; the extra 6 collets were in the earrings.



According to Roberts the necklace today contains only 31 collets.

After the Corporation of the City of London aldermen decided on the amount to be spent on this wedding gift and that it was to be a collet necklace, various London firms presented jewels. Eventually, the aldermen narrowed the field to three.



According to one report, the aldermen did not select the necklace with the largest stones, opting instead for one containing stones it was said that Prince Albert had admired.




Queen Alexandra wore the necklace and the stud section of the earrings constantly.

Possibly the first time she officially wore the necklace was for a reception given by the Corporation following her wedding.



And for another


In March 1864 for the baptism of her first born, Prince Albert Victor, she wore the City diamond necklace as a corsage ornament.



I have never seen a sketch or photo of Queen Alexandra wearing the necklace as a corsage ornament. We are all familiar with images of her wearing the necklace as a choker and as an "ordinary" necklace.