One the items sold by Sotheby's from the estate of Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe on 12 May 2015 was a striking ruby and diamond bracelet.

Lot 491 http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2014/magnificent-jewels-noble-jewels-ge1502/lot.491.html


The inscription on the back of the central element links the jewel directly to Hannah de Rothschild, Countess of Rosebery, the grandmother of Mary, Duchess of Roxeburgh, as Sarah Cohen, who died in February 1879, was the maternal grandmother of Hannah de Rothschild.



What was not revealed in the auction notes by Sotheby's is that, when she died in 1879, Sarah Cohen left her granddaughter, Hannah de Rothschild one thousand pounds to purchase a bracelet.



Sotheby's noted that the central element of the bracelet is detachable so that it can be worn as either a pendant or a brooch.


[Rear of bracelet showing how central element is joined to the band.]


The rubies in the central element and the band show slightly different setting techniques,



which made me wonder if the entire bracelet was made at the same time and by the same jeweller.

One possibility is that the central section was originally the brooch which Mrs Cohen gave to her granddaughter, Hannah, for her wedding to Lord Rosebery in 1878.

Some reports of Hannah de Rothschild's wedding presents say that Mrs Cohen gave her 2 ruby brooches; some say one. Many describe the ruby brooch as being an "eglantine" brooch, which I presume refers to an eglantine rose.



I know that without access to the private papers of Hannah, Countess of Rosebery, this cannot be proven but a composite jewel explains the different settings.

Some might enjoy watching this video from the advance publicity for the 2015 auction.