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Grace Vanderbilt. Emerald choker Posted by Beth on August 18, 2019, 10:20 am Grace Vanderbilt (Mrs Cornelius Vanderbilt) was an active patron of opera, attending the Metropolitan Opera, New York, on numerous occasions. Often she wore an emerald choker (or at least I think the major gemstones were emeralds) Here with Lady Honor Channon in 1934 Detail Does anyone know anything about this choker, and especially how it was constructed? Are the elements mounted onto a transparent fabric band? Or are they held together by the thin rows of diamonds? This Detail and this give slightly better views of the choker Detail

Re: Grace Vanderbilt. Emerald choker Posted by mauriz on August 18, 2019, 7:34 pm, in reply to "Grace Vanderbilt. Emerald choker" Previous Message Does anyone know anything about this choker, and especially how it was constructed? Are the elements mounted onto a transparent fabric band? Or are they held together by the thin rows of diamonds? A sharper copy of one of the photos in your post shows better details, and yes, the elements seem to be only held together by the thin rows of diamonds.

Re: Grace Vanderbilt. Emerald choker Posted by Beth on August 19, 2019, 7:05 am, in reply to "Re: Grace Vanderbilt. Emerald choker" Many thanks Mauriz! The quality of the photo you found is so much better. Interesting that the largest emerald is in the bracelet.

Re: Grace Vanderbilt. Diamond necklace Posted by mauriz on August 18, 2019, 7:45 pm, in reply to "Grace Vanderbilt. Emerald choker" A photo dated 1954 (which obviously can't be true, since Grace Vanderbilt died in 1953, while another photo from this series is dated 1951): The occasion was a ball held at the Vanderbilt mansion in 5th Avenue for the benefit of the USO (United Service Organization) in June 1941, and it shows that the famous Cartier necklace, commissioned in 1909, was still intact at that time.

Re: Grace Vanderbilt. Diamond necklace Posted by Alejandro E. on August 18, 2019, 7:54 pm, in reply to "Re: Grace Vanderbilt. Diamond necklace" The earrings she is wearing in the first photo are impressive. I wonder what did happen with her awesome jewelry collection when she died, she had beautiful pieces! Kind regards! Previous Message A photo dated 1954 (which obviously can't be true, since Grace Vanderbilt died in 1953, while another photo from this series is dated 1951): The occasion was a ball held at the Vanderbilt mansion in 5th Avenue for the benefit of the USO (United Service Organization) in June 1941, and it shows that the famous Cartier necklace, commissioned in 1909, was still intact at that time.

Re: Grace Vanderbilt. Diamond necklace Posted by Beth on August 19, 2019, 7:25 am, in reply to "Re: Grace Vanderbilt. Diamond necklace" Another fabulous photo! Thank you Mauriz. The ball Mauriz referred to was said to be the only public ball ever held in the mansion belonging to Cornelius and Grace Vanderebilt. The house was dismantled the following year. In 1941 Beaton did a series of portraits of Grace Vanderbilt wearing these jewels, but sadly the details are not very clear. I haven't read anything about the fate of these diamonds. Cartier has the original plaster mould and several photos of the necklace which were displayed in the exhibition in Canberra last year. We all know that the famous rose brooch of Princess Mathilde Bonaparte has survived and was auctioned again in recent years. I was very surprised to see that Grace Vanderbilt wore it to the opera. The photo below highlights the enormous size of this jewel. I haven't seen anything in the press about the fate of her jewels, although it is clear that her heirs sold the rose brooch (and very quietly). Perhaps the same fate befell her other jewels. The website below indicates that money was fairly limited towards the end of Grace Vanderbilt's life. http://thegildedageera.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-last-home-of-grace-vanderbilt.html

Re: Grace Vanderbilt. Diamond necklace Posted by Alejandro E. on August 19, 2019, 7:33 am, in reply to "Re: Grace Vanderbilt. Diamond necklace" Wow! These photos are new to me, thank you so much Beth, your collection is incredible. The diadem Grace Vanderbilt is wearing during the ball hosted in her mansion doesn't seem to be the same she is wearing in her early years. What do you think? Previous Message Another fabulous photo! Thank you Mauriz. The ball Mauriz referred to was said to be the only public ball ever held in the mansion belonging to Cornelius and Grace Vanderebilt. The house was dismantled the following year. In 1941 Beaton did a series of portraits of Grace Vanderbilt wearing these jewels, but sadly the details are not very clear. I haven't read anything about the fate of these diamonds. Cartier has the original plaster mould and several photos of the necklace which were displayed in the exhibition in Canberra last year. We all know that the famous rose brooch of Princess Mathilde Bonaparte has survived and was auctioned again in recent years. I was very surprised to see that Grace Vanderbilt wore it to the opera. The photo below highlights the enormous size of this jewel. I haven't seen anything in the press about the fate of her jewels, although it is clear that her heirs sold the rose brooch (and very quietly). Perhaps the same fate befell her other jewels. The website below indicates that money was fairly limited towards the end of Grace Vanderbilt's life. http://thegildedageera.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-last-home-of-grace-vanderbilt.html

Re: Grace Vanderbilt. Diamond necklace Posted by Beth on August 19, 2019, 8:04 am, in reply to "Re: Grace Vanderbilt. Diamond necklace" I suspect that the head piece worn for the ball (as per the photo Mauriz posted) is a tiara set off centre on her head band. I don't have any other photos of this jewel. As you noted Alejandro E it is not the one we are accustomed to seeing. Sadly, for us Grace Vanderbilt seems to have eluded photographers and, as she rarely appeared in public in evening jewels, photos of her jewels are scarce. I suspect that, for the photos taken by Beaton, Grace Vanderbilt had a stomacher on her head band. She seems to have been partial to wearing her stomachers attached to her head bands, a fashion she maintained long after it had gone out of fashion. One jewel as a stomacher and worn on a head band

Re: Grace Vanderbilt. Diamond necklace Posted by Dave on August 19, 2019, 9:46 am, in reply to "Re: Grace Vanderbilt. Diamond necklace" Hmmmm, interesting but sad end to it all. No wonder the British aristocracy and nobility tries so hard to insulate their assets and estates even if they have to sell off the family jewels, and their legacies seem to outlive those across the pond, i.e. one does not hear about the Vanderbilt's or Astor's anymore but you still hear of the Westminster's and Marlborough's from time to time. Regards, Dave. Previous Message Another fabulous photo! Thank you Mauriz. The ball Mauriz referred to was said to be the only public ball ever held in the mansion belonging to Cornelius and Grace Vanderebilt. The house was dismantled the following year. In 1941 Beaton did a series of portraits of Grace Vanderbilt wearing these jewels, but sadly the details are not very clear. I haven't read anything about the fate of these diamonds. Cartier has the original plaster mould and several photos of the necklace which were displayed in the exhibition in Canberra last year. We all know that the famous rose brooch of Princess Mathilde Bonaparte has survived and was auctioned again in recent years. I was very surprised to see that Grace Vanderbilt wore it to the opera. The photo below highlights the enormous size of this jewel. I haven't seen anything in the press about the fate of her jewels, although it is clear that her heirs sold the rose brooch (and very quietly). Perhaps the same fate befell her other jewels. The website below indicates that money was fairly limited towards the end of Grace Vanderbilt's life. http://thegildedageera.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-last-home-of-grace-vanderbilt.html

Re: Grace Vanderbilt. Diamond necklace Posted by Maridje on August 19, 2019, 11:12 am, in reply to "Re: Grace Vanderbilt. Diamond necklace" Grace Vanderbilt Tiara Cartier - 1909 Necklace Cartier - 1909 . Tudor Rose Brooch "After her death in 1904, Princess Mathilde's jewels were auctioned at the Galerie Georges Petit in Paris - the same fate as the French Crown jewels several years earlier. The sale catalogue mentions "a corsage spray in the form of a fully open rose and two rose buds, with eleven leaves set entirely in very fine Brazilian brilliants". This is the stunning brooch, created by the Parisian jeweler Theodore Fester in 1855, and now known as the Tudor Rose. The jewel was bought by the famous French Art Deco jeweler Janesich and subsequently sold by Cartier to Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt, the "Queen of New York society". As the wife of one of America's wealthiest "robber barons", Mrs. Vanderbilt amassed a jewelry collection of great importance. The Vanderbilts were among the most influential of the new American aristocracy and Cartier furnished the family dynasty with European crown jewels as well as spectacular custom pieces. In 1972, the Tudor Rose again passed hands and was sold by Christie's Geneva to a private collector, later to Fred Leighton." In 2004, to Lee Siegelson. Christie's http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/LotDetailsPrintable.aspx?intObjectID=4350160 Maridje

Re: Grace Vanderbilt. Diamond necklace Posted by Maridje on August 19, 2019, 11:53 am, in reply to "Re: Grace Vanderbilt. Diamond necklace" DIAMOND PANEL BROOCH - 1913 - CARTIER - GRACE VANDERBILT Maridje

Re: Lady Pamela Hicks on Mrs Vanderbilt Posted by The Royal Watcher on August 19, 2019, 10:29 am, in reply to "Re: Grace Vanderbilt. Diamond necklace" She was quite a fascinating lady. I just listened to this week's episode of Lady Pamela Hicks (nee Mountbatten)'s new podcast in which she recounts her time staying with Mrs Vanderbilt at the start of the Second World War. She also told how Mrs Vanderbilt would take her elder sister, the 2nd Countess Mountbatten, to the Opera 'quite frequently', timed to arrive after the first act, to that everybody would see her 'enter her box, with her emeralds and diamonds' The India Hicks podcast is highly recommended!

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