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QEQM Sapphire Bracelet
Posted by Paisley25 on April 3, 2021, 8:39 am
British Royals Jewels recently did a post on QEQM's diamond and sapphire bracelet. It was last seen on the Duchess of Cornwall at Prince William's wedding.
Apologies if this has already been discussed, but is it possible that the sapphires in this bracelet came from QEQM's sapphire wedding gift necklace? She may have remodeled that necklace into a sautoir in 1929.
This bracelet first appeared in the 1939 Cecil Beaton portraits, so it's not a Greville piece. There were about 30 sapphires in the necklace and about 30 sapphires in this bracelet. It was also worn with the sapphire wedding gift brooch in a 1951 portrait with her husband. I don't know how to post pictures.
To my eye, this bracelet seems to be a bit thrown together as the crescent diamond side doesn't relate much to the sapphire side. That would make more sense if it was created to use up available stones vs intentionally designed this way.
Am I on to something or have I missed something the expert posters already know?
I don't know the answer,although I suspect that the sapphire and diamond bracelet was a separate item. You are right as far as I know as Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother was first seen wearing it as Queen circa 1939 when the Beaton photos were taken.
The sapphire sautoir was not seen after the early to mid 1930s. (Baxter of RJWMB found some wonderful images of this sautoir, but I don't seem to have a copy of those)
I think that opinion is divided as to whether the sautoir was made with the gemstones from the wedding necklace. I suspect that it was, but have no proof.
The wedding gift necklace.
When I look at the size of the sapphires in the necklace and those in the bracelet, I suspect the necklace sapphires are not those in the bracelet as in the bracelet there appear to be sapphires of only two sizes and numerous of the smaller size.
I recollect that, some years ago, there was a discussion on the RJWMB about whether the Queen Mother's bracelet was the same as the one worn by the Duchess of Cornwall for the festivities for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Unfortunately, I cannot find that thread on the board any longer. Nor can I remember the outcome.
From my perspective, it seems an unusual coincidence for this bracelet of small sapphires to appear shortly after she stopped wearing the sapphire sautior in public. Especially when she didn’t have many “good” jewels at this point and she brought this one out for two sets of portraits plus the Harewood wedding. I don’t think a bracelet like this one was on the Cartier list of jewels bought or created for the BRF*. So that leaves another jeweler. Maybe Camilla will wear it more again and the Palace will give more information. I live to dream!
*As Princess Margaret’s diamond Cartier rose brooch wasn’t on that list and there was no real information about it in the auction catalog other than it was 1938 Cartier London, I’ve always thought it was a Greville piece. She had it by the Coronation, so maybe a birthday present from her parents?