Thank you so much for sharing it with us! Both the colour photos give me such a different perspective on the jewel.
I was also intrigued to read that the coloured gemstones were foiled. I thought that practice had died out by the turn of the nineteenth century. Obviously not!! But, perhaps the apprentices who made the necklace wanted to show all various jewellery making techniques.
Somehow I doubt if Queen Alexandra would have worn the original necklace, and I suspect that the intention of the designers and Birmingham trade school which made it was to highlight the skills of the trainee jewellers -- so in short, like many gifts given to prominent royals, I suspect that this was to be a commemorative item.
Like OmerH I wonder how and when this necklace (or pendant) left the Queen's collection. One of the obvious routes is via Princess Victoria of Wales but, of course, her will is sealed, so we cannot test that evidence.
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