Dear Beth,
I do thank you for your very technical and academic researches.
However, to be honest with you I am not totally convinced by your conclusion.
Please find hereafter my analysis.
Further your own work (we owe you very much) we do know that Mrs Greville had on least 2 different emerald and diamond necklaces.
Indeed it is very obvious from press reports that during her life time Mrs Greville had on least 2 emerald necklaces.
One is said to have been worn by QEQM (are we sure ???) and the other one now worn by QEII.
I do agree with Beth and Thomas that the jewel worn by QEII is the mystery necklace which can be seen in the photo of Mrs Greville at the Autralian Embassy concert (A good proof !).
We also know from Vincent Meylan that she had an huge emerald necklace made from a big one and a small one.
Beth has posted a photo of Mrs Greville from the Devonshire House ball were we can clearly see the cabochon emeralds.
Consequently, I would now tend to think that the necklace worn by QEII might be the necklace made by Boucheron (with the choker worn at the Devonshire ball ? and the necklace with cabochon emeralds worn on her dress).
Moroever, I also agree with you that the huge emerald necklace could/can be used as a corsage or a chain or corsage.
For exemple, Queen Alexandra or Queen Mary used pearl necklaces as corsage ornaments.
However, I do not think that the press articles refer to this necklace as being a corsage ornament.
Indeed the journalist always use the term "long chain, a magnificent chain of emeralds or the term of sautoir".
A sautoir is A chain to which a pendant is attached, worn around the neck. The descriptions do not consequently refer to a chain of ornaments". I do think that journalists would have noticed it.
I am now convinced that Mrs Greville has a third emerald necklace this third one from Empress Eugenie which corresponds to the long sautoir /long chain.
I have this conviction from your press articles :
This article of press does say that Mrs Greville had 2 emerald necklaces + emeralds from Empress Josephine (maybe the sautoir ?)
and your first press article in this post which says that Mrs Greville wore "as well the famous emerald-and-diamond sautoir which formerly belonged to the Empress Josephine".
My conviction is also raised by the fact that she also wore "her superb emeralds which include a necklace of huge cabochon emeralds" which is certainly the one worn by QEII.
I thank you so much for your very kind post ! You have "rekindled the flame" (French expression).
With my deep gratitude,
Franck
Previous Message
I have been trying to make sense of some of the information I have collected about Mrs Greville's emerald necklaces.
1. It is very clear from the press that Mrs Greville had at least 2 grand emerald necklaces and perhaps a third.
2. The press also reported that one of the necklaces had cabochon emeralds.
This report is from 1927
I think that this refers to the necklace recently worn by Queen Elizabeth to the Diplomatic Reception.
And that this is the necklace which can be seen in the photo of Mrs Greville at the Austrian Legation concert which I posted some time ago. The dark gemstone areas on the outer edge of the necklace are the cabochons, and as Thomas said the spacing between the squarish emerald motifs looks the same as in the necklace worn by QEII.
Mrs Greville in 1937.
A necklace such as the one worn by QEII makes sense of other press reports which spoke of Mrs Greville wearing a large number of emeralds on her dress. Previously, I had assumed that the reports referred to brooches, and no doubt Mrs Greville had more than one.
Here is another report of "masses of emeralds "which I have not posted previously.
I think that, at least, some of the cabochon emeralds can be seen on Mrs Greville's corsage in photos of her from the Devonshire House Ball.
Below is another, not well known, photo.
Another image.
I know that Maridje has a much clearer image of Mrs Greville (from a different angle). Perhaps that might allow us to see the various items more clearly.
I also think that the necklace (as worn by QEII) might make sense of the so called "chain" of emeralds which the press frequently mentioned being worn by Mrs Greville. I have previously posted different reports of Mrs Greville at the pre-wedding ball for Princess Marina. Some said she wore 2 emerald necklaces; some said she wore an emerald necklace and a chain.
To my way of thinking, the necklace worn by QEII could be worn across the front of a bodice as a "chaine de corsage", as well as a necklace. We know that many well known jewels were used to outline a neckline or as a bodice wide jewel. The examples are numerous.
If Mrs Greville did at times wear this necklace as a "chaine de corsage" that would explain the references to her wearing a great number of emeralds on her dress.