On Dutch tv last saturday (Blauw Bloed) there was a report of favorite jewelry of queen Beatrix. One of the items was a short pearl necklace. The jewelry expert stated that this necklace dated from 1642 and was originally a gift from the city of Amsterdam to princess Louise Henriette when she married the Elector of Brandenburg (later Prussia). He said that the necklace was for more then 200 years in the Prussian royal family untill the king of Prussia gave it as a present to queen Sophie in the 19th century. I had never heard of this. I remember reading somewhere that princess Victoria of Prussia (sister of Wilhelm ll, sold her jewelry at auction in Amsterdam amongst a pearl necklace but I cannot confirm this.
Anyway, if this is correct it would make this necklace one if not the oldest peace of jewlery in the Dutch collection.