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Rachel Countess Dudley
Posted by Dave on September 15, 2019, 2:05 pm
The below pic is another fascinating allure of jewels.
These could be either sapphires or rubies worn by Rachel, Countess of Dudley, but I have never worked out what was in this set. (I have cuttings saying she had parures of both gemstones)
At present Photobucket won't allow me to upload some images I have - I'll keep trying.
She also had an impressive diamond tiara which she wore during her time as Vicereine of Ireland and as the wife of the Governor General of Australia.
This report mentions that Rachel, Countess of Dudley had both sapphires and rubies.
Often when rubies are mentioned as being particularly fine, the stones in a parure, where gemstone colour is usually matched, are smallish.
That makes me wonder if the stones in the parure worn for the 1902 coronation were rubies -- but it is a guess.
Her stomacher is impressive. I wonder if that is the Dudley diamond at the very end?
Another factor which makes me wonder if the stones in the coronation portrait jewels were rubies is that, the report above speaks only of a parure of sapphires (which does not always have to mean a tiara, necklace etc) but of a tiara and necklace of rubies.
In various reports I have where Lady Dudley wore coloured jewels, her ruby tiara was mentioned. So far I haven't seen a report of a sapphire tiara.
I have to stress that I have never done a full search on the Dudley jewels, so there may have been a sapphire tiara. My Dudley cuttings have come from seeing things when I have been looking for other items!