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Grand Duchess Victoria Melita’s Cartier Sapphire Necklace
Posted by The Royal Watcher on March 3, 2021, 3:01 am
To mark the 85th Anniversary of the Death of Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha / Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna of Russia today, I published my research on her magnificent Cartier Sapphire Sautoir, HERE, which was sold to Queen Marie and given as a wedding gift to Queen Elisabeth of Greece, who took it into exile and was pictured wearing it in Paris as late as 1951. Has the necklace appeared in public since then?
It can't have just disappeared. Wonder where it is. Thank you for sharing such wonderful pictures.
Previous Message
To mark the 85th Anniversary of the Death of Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha / Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna of Russia today, I published my research on her magnificent Cartier Sapphire Sautoir, HERE , which was sold to Queen Marie and given as a wedding gift to Queen Elisabeth of Greece, who took it into exile and was pictured wearing it in Paris as late as 1951. Has the necklace appeared in public since then?
"I have bought for the government to give to Lisabetha (Queen Elisabeth) a beautiful set of emeralds, collier and cross, that Baby (Princess Beatrice) was selling and for Sitta (Queen Helen) a superb sapphire brooch with earrings, of Ducky’s (Princess Victoria Melita) share from Aunt Miechen (Grand Duchess Vladimir), wonderful, irreproachable stones."
"Tino and Sophie have sent no wedding present to Lisabetha! Not the smallest tiniest little item of anything! – nothing! I confess to feeling indignant! Sophie has all her jewels, while I lost all mine and yet we made tremendous efforts to send her daughter a beautiful diadem! Oh!—if only I had my jewels, with what delight I would have given one of my diadems to Lisabetha! Now I have given a diadem to my daughter in law, while my own daughter has none!”
This passage from Queen Marie's diary opens up a new mystery about what were the emeralds given to Queen Elisabeth and the sapphires given to Queen Helen and what became of them?
Could the sapphire earrings and brooch worn by Queen Helen be the ones from Grand Duchess Vladimir? Since it came from her great-grandfather, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich, I has assumed the Russian Sapphire Brooch, HERE was inherited by Queen Helen through her grandmother, Queen Olga of Greece! While the Brooch was sold at auction in the 1960s, Queen Helen's sister-in-law, Queen Frederica of Greece, began wearing very similar earrings around the same time, could they be the same?
She appears to be wearing an interesting pearl and diamond choker.
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Around this time exactly, 100 years ago, Queen Marie of Romania, who had lost her jewels in Russia during WWI , was acquiring lots of new jewels, particularly to help her sisters Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna of Russia and Princess Beatrice, Duchess of Galliera ! Queen Marie bought the Vladimir Sapphire Kokoshnik for herself, Victoria Melita's Greek Key Tiara for the soon to be Crown Princess Princess Helen and the Cartier Sapphire Sautoir for her eldest daughter, Princess Elisabeth, who was about to marry Helen’s brother, King George II of Greece! A few years later, Queen Marie also bought Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna’s Fringe Tiara from Princess Beatrice!
She also spoke about some jewels that were acquired by the Romanian Government to give as wedding gifts. From Queen Marie's diary on February 24th, 1921 :
"I have bought for the government to give to Lisabetha (Queen Elisabeth) a beautiful set of emeralds, collier and cross, that Baby (Princess Beatrice) was selling and for Sitta (Queen Helen) a superb sapphire brooch with earrings, of Ducky’s (Princess Victoria Melita) share from Aunt Miechen (Grand Duchess Vladimir), wonderful, irreproachable stones."
At the same time, Queen Marie also spoke about her indignation with her cousin , Queen Sophia of Greece:
"Tino and Sophie have sent no wedding present to Lisabetha! Not the smallest tiniest little item of anything! – nothing! I confess to feeling indignant! Sophie has all her jewels, while I lost all mine and yet we made tremendous efforts to send her daughter a beautiful diadem! Oh!—if only I had my jewels, with what delight I would have given one of my diadems to Lisabetha! Now I have given a diadem to my daughter in law, while my own daughter has none!”
This passage from Queen Marie's diary opens up a new mystery about what were the emeralds given to Queen Elisabeth and the sapphires given to Queen Helen and what became of them?
Could the sapphire earrings and brooch worn by Queen Helen be the ones from Grand Duchess Vladimir? Since it came from her great-grandfather, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich, I has assumed the Russian Sapphire Brooch, HERE was inherited by Queen Helen through her grandmother, Queen Olga of Greece! While the Brooch was sold at auction in the 1960s, Queen Helen's sister-in-law, Queen Frederica of Greece, began wearing very similar earrings around the same time, could they be the same?
Princess Elisabeth of Romania was married only a few years after the death of Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrova, her grandmother.
I am intrigued that in 1922, Infanta Beatrice, Maria Alexandrovna's youngest daughter was selling emeralds and these were bought by the Romanian government - I wonder did these come from her mother, who had died a few years before?
There is very little information about emeralds in Marie Alexandrovna's collection but it seems inconceivable that she didn't have any as her collection was one of the largest and most impressive, enough to upset Queen Victoria.
If Marie of Romania bought emeralds for her daughter Elisabeth and we know Elisabeth had emeralds during her time as Queen of Greece turned into an emerald parure (the tiara currently worn by Queen Anne Marie was made for Elisabeth) is it possible that Maria Alexandrovna/Beatrice's emeralds are part of the Greek tiara and brooch?
Previous Message
Around this time exactly, 100 years ago, Queen Marie of Romania, who had lost her jewels in Russia during WWI , was acquiring lots of new jewels, particularly to help her sisters Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna of Russia and Princess Beatrice, Duchess of Galliera ! Queen Marie bought the Vladimir Sapphire Kokoshnik for herself, Victoria Melita's Greek Key Tiara for the soon to be Crown Princess Princess Helen and the Cartier Sapphire Sautoir for her eldest daughter, Princess Elisabeth, who was about to marry Helen’s brother, King George II of Greece! A few years later, Queen Marie also bought Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna’s Fringe Tiara from Princess Beatrice!
She also spoke about some jewels that were acquired by the Romanian Government to give as wedding gifts. From Queen Marie's diary on February 24th, 1921 :
"I have bought for the government to give to Lisabetha (Queen Elisabeth) a beautiful set of emeralds, collier and cross, that Baby (Princess Beatrice) was selling and for Sitta (Queen Helen) a superb sapphire brooch with earrings, of Ducky’s (Princess Victoria Melita) share from Aunt Miechen (Grand Duchess Vladimir), wonderful, irreproachable stones."
At the same time, Queen Marie also spoke about her indignation with her cousin , Queen Sophia of Greece:
"Tino and Sophie have sent no wedding present to Lisabetha! Not the smallest tiniest little item of anything! – nothing! I confess to feeling indignant! Sophie has all her jewels, while I lost all mine and yet we made tremendous efforts to send her daughter a beautiful diadem! Oh!—if only I had my jewels, with what delight I would have given one of my diadems to Lisabetha! Now I have given a diadem to my daughter in law, while my own daughter has none!”
This passage from Queen Marie's diary opens up a new mystery about what were the emeralds given to Queen Elisabeth and the sapphires given to Queen Helen and what became of them?
Could the sapphire earrings and brooch worn by Queen Helen be the ones from Grand Duchess Vladimir? Since it came from her great-grandfather, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich, I has assumed the Russian Sapphire Brooch, HERE was inherited by Queen Helen through her grandmother, Queen Olga of Greece! While the Brooch was sold at auction in the 1960s, Queen Helen's sister-in-law, Queen Frederica of Greece, began wearing very similar earrings around the same time, could they be the same?
Re: Maria Alexandrovna's emeralds
Posted by The Royal Watcher on March 4, 2021, 6:25 am, in reply to "The mystery deepens"
It is really interesting, and the emeralds surely came from Maria Alexandrovna, who had died in October 1920, right before the engagements were announced, and a few months before the two royal weddings in February and March 1921.
"On November 16th, to Queen Marie’s absolute delight, Prince Carol announced his engagement to Princess Helene of Greece. Marie bought for her son to use as engagement ring a beautiful emerald ring, which had belonged to her mother but passed down to her sister Baby."
"After lunch, I ran out to a jewelry shop with Mignon to buy a pair of earrings for Lisabetha, which I paid for with money I earned by publishing an article in America! "
Re: Grand Duchess Victoria Melita’s Cartier Sapphire Necklace
Just fascinating, if its around it will resurface, I'm even believing that some of the very grand Russian and German jewels thought lost in both world wars may yet resurface as well, but one will have to wait and see.
Regards,
Dave.
Previous Message
To mark the 85th Anniversary of the Death of Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha / Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna of Russia today, I published my research on her magnificent Cartier Sapphire Sautoir, HERE , which was sold to Queen Marie and given as a wedding gift to Queen Elisabeth of Greece, who took it into exile and was pictured wearing it in Paris as late as 1951. Has the necklace appeared in public since then?
To mark the 85th Anniversary of the Death of Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha / Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna of Russia today, I published my research on her magnificent Cartier Sapphire Sautoir, HERE , which was sold to Queen Marie and given as a wedding gift to Queen Elisabeth of Greece, who took it into exile and was pictured wearing it in Paris as late as 1951. Has the necklace appeared in public since then?
Re: Of
Posted by Vincent on March 4, 2021, 7:52 am, in reply to "Of"
Of course this necklace has reappeared ! It was photographed in colour in Hans Nadelhoffer’s book about Cartier.
Re: Great
Posted by The Royal Watcher on March 4, 2021, 5:46 pm, in reply to "Re: Of"
Thank You Vincent!
I had assumed that was a colourised version of an original photo from Cartier but it is wonderful to know know that is was in existence and photographed for Hans Nadelhoffer’s book!
Stefano Papi, The Jewels of the Romanovs family and court, Thames and Hudson, 2010
Photographic Credit
Posted by Sam (The Beau Monde) on March 5, 2021, 1:09 am, in reply to "Re: Great"
Presumably the publishers would have to mention/give thanks to the owner of the piece when publishing this picture?
Unless it's part of the Cartier Heritage collection
Re: Photographic Credit
Posted by Vincent on March 5, 2021, 2:28 am, in reply to "Photographic Credit"
on March 3, 2021, 3:01 am
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