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Jewels of Queen Alexandra (Rubies)
Posted by Dave on August 19, 2018, 9:29 pm
On previous discussions, it was noted that they were not many coloured stones in the BRF collection. However I do recall Beth supplying us with information that indicates that QA as did QM did wear rubies as well. I found this article while looking around that makes me believe Beth is right. Please see link below.
LauraM originally found the information about this gift from the Ladies of South Australia, which Ursula acknowledges in her item on Royal Magazin.
The gift was widely publicised in the Australian press at the time of Queen Alexandra's silver wedding, and many papers have images of it; some are better than others.
Below is another one.
How often Queen Alexandra wore the demi parure is another question. If she wore the choker, I doubt if she wore it with the pendant as she favoured multiple necklaces forming a choker (or one deep choker) for evening wear.
The gift provides some interesting insights into how (at the time and later) the ladies of society in South Australia perceived themselves as different from, and superior to, others in Australian society. From an Australian perspective this gift is very telling.
I have often wondered if it has been kept or if it eventually found its way into other collections -- or even if it has been dismantled and the stones used in other ways.
The casket in which it was presented was a major gift in itself, highlighting high Victorian taste as well as the skills of Australian silversmiths.
I never knew that Australia was a source for rubies. I do know that diamonds are sourced there especially the pink ones though.
I count 72 rubies in the choker necklace and not less than 12 in the bangles each.
Just a thought, but could either one of the fabulous ruby necklaces worn by the Duchess of Cornwell could have been created by this gift from the ladies of South Australia? What does others think?
LauraM originally found the information about this gift from the Ladies of South Australia, which Ursula acknowledges in her item on Royal Magazin.
The gift was widely publicised in the Australian press at the time of Queen Alexandra's silver wedding, and many papers have images of it; some are better than others.
Below is another one.
How often Queen Alexandra wore the demi parure is another question. If she wore the choker, I doubt if she wore it with the pendant as she favoured multiple necklaces forming a choker (or one deep choker) for evening wear.
The gift provides some interesting insights into how (at the time and later) the ladies of society in South Australia perceived themselves as different from, and superior to, others in Australian society. From an Australian perspective this gift is very telling.
I have often wondered if it has been kept or if it eventually found its way into other collections -- or even if it has been dismantled and the stones used in other ways.
The casket in which it was presented was a major gift in itself, highlighting high Victorian taste as well as the skills of Australian silversmiths.
It is said that both of the elaborate ruby parures worn by the Duchess of Cornwall were gifts from the Saudi royals, so they would not contain any rubies from the demi parure given to Queen Alexandra.
Rubies were, and still are, found in Australia. But whether the stones in the demi parure given to Queen Alexandra were in fact rubies is open to question. It is possible that they were garnets. The following site shows how a then recent discovery of garnets was said to have been a discovery of rubies of high quality. http://www.lasseteria.com/232.htm
Yet, at the time the gift was presented any competent jeweller would have known the difference between rubies and garnets.