Posters of original research, analyses, insights etc retain all rights to their work. Such research etc cannot be used in any format without the written consent of the author.

Fake jewels Posted by Vincent on December 22, 2018, 5:00 pm I am currently reading a book of mémoires by Comtesse Jean de Paige, nee Broglie. She died in 1972 and was born in 1888. The Broglie family is a very important french ducal family. Coming back to jewels, she mentions in her book that her parents were invited in 1896 to the wedding of the duke of Orleans, then heir to the lost French crown, and archduchess Marie Dorothee of Austria . It took place in Vienna and was a very grand affair with balls, opera galas, reception at court... Many very important french ducal families, Duc D'Uzes, de la Rochefoucauld... were invited. Pauline de Pange explains that one evening her mother was getting dressed for a big gala. Her coiffeur had come from Paris. And when he saw the diamond tiara he was supposed to fix in her hair, he said : "now princess ( the Broglie are french duke and prince) this is too small. " He then produced a huge tiara made with enormous FAKE emeralds and said : " beeing who you are, a princess and the next duchess of Broglie, no one will ever imagine your tiara is anything but family jewels." I wonder how often that kind of incident occurred. It certainly did with queen Alexandra who sometimes wore fake pearls or princess Axel of Denmark who had a fake diamond tiara...So many times we look at photographs thinking : where does that tiara or necklace come from ?

Re: Fake jewels Posted by Beth on December 22, 2018, 6:41 pm, in reply to "Fake jewels" A fascinating topic. Thank you for introducing it Vincent. Certainly when a lady who comes from a prominent family wears fake jewels people are likely to assume that everything is real or valuable. I suspect that the wearing of fake jewellery occurred more often than we realise. I have always wondered if QEQM wore fake jewels in 1935 to the concert at the Austrian Embassy when this photo was taken. At various times in the eighteenth and nineteenth-century paste jewels were very popular. Eighteenth-century paste worn in 20th century In the twentieth- century the popularity of fake jewels continued. 1935 1935. Mentions royal ladies. In the early 1930s in London society ladies often wore what was described as "talc tiaras" designed and sold by Beatrice Dawson (herself a member of the aristocracy) who later gained fame as a costume designer for theatre and movie productions. I do not fully understand what these tiaras were but I have a report showing that, at least one, was made from real gems. In modern times, it has been said that the Duchess of Cambridge and, I think, the Countess of Wessex have worn imitation diamond earrings from a UK firm.

Re: Fake jewels Posted by Vincent on December 22, 2018, 7:51 pm, in reply to "Re: Fake jewels" As usual Beth we complement each other perfectly. I had no idea countess Pahlen made fake jewelry for queen Mary and the future queen mother. Now, we have to identify those jewels. If we can.

Re: Fake jewels Posted by Beth on December 23, 2018, 4:24 pm, in reply to "Re: Fake jewels" That will be an interesting task! I strongly suspect that the items made for Queen Mary were given as gifts. Some how I cannot imagine Queen Mary wearing anything other than the real thing. Her sense of the position of the monarch (and hers as consort) was such that she probably thought it would be sacrilegious for her to use fakes. Queen Mary wearing the Lot!

Re: Fake jewels Posted by Ashdean on December 25, 2018, 11:54 pm, in reply to "Re: Fake jewels" Previous Message As usual Beth we complement each other perfectly. I had no idea countess Pahlen made fake jewelry for queen Mary and the future queen mother. Now, we have to identify those jewels. If we can. Countess Pahlen was not really a member of the Youssoupoff family. Born a Countess Soumarokoff-Elston her fathers brother General Felix Felixovitch became Prince Youssoupoff after he married the legendary Princess Zenaida the last of her line and was allowed to take her name and title after her fathers death in 1891...Felix the slayer of Rasputin was their only surviving son

Re: Fake jewels Posted by Beth on December 26, 2018, 7:27 am, in reply to "Re: Fake jewels" Thank you for clarifying the connection Ashdean. I wasn't aware of how she fitted into the family. In the very class conscious world of the 1930s drawing attention to notable relations was probably very good for business, and no doubt something which the Countess encouraged!

Re: Fake jewels Posted by 992234177 on December 26, 2018, 10:18 am, in reply to "Re: Fake jewels" I think the Pahlen family married into the Angnelli family (Fiat) but I’m not sure if it was her branch.

« Back to index