I have been pondering this question for some days now Mike, and I am no nearer a clear answer.

We know that there have been some grand parures of aquamarines; yet, the stones are not as frequently seen as some other precious and semi-precious stones.

I suspect that they were fashionable in the 1930s and 1940s. I recollect that the Duchess of Windsor wore aquamarines for her presentation at Court and, if my memory serves me correctly, the Duchess recorded that she has borrowed one jewel from Thelma Furness and that the other was a hired or borrowed costume piece. (I think that the cross was the costume piece)



Perhaps it was the dictates of fashion which prompted the Duchess' choice.

We know that Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother had some major aquamarine jewels dating from the 1930s --her large aquamarine brooch and bracelet, her aquamarine clips and the aquamarine tiara which she later gave as a wedding present to the Princess Royal.



Throughout the 1930s Queen Mary was reported to have worn aquamarines to Garden Parties and Ascot race meetings. Then, after WWII, when QEII began to attend public evening events she was reported to have worn aquamarine brooches, bracelets and earrings.

Many authors dealing with the lives of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor have tried to imply that there was something untoward about the theft of the Duchess' jewels in 1946 because a complete list of the jewels was not released to the press. Yet, even a casual glance at the media at the time shows that numerous wealthy ladies/households were targeted during the same period. As was the case with the theft of the Duchess' jewels the press carried only partial descriptions of the jewels stolen.

As far as I know (apart from a costume piece by Kenneth Jay Lane) aquamarines did not feature in the Duchess' later known jewels. Perhaps it was the dictates of fashion which guided her choices.