Thank you both, Lucas and Cristina, so much for these pictures. I´ve to confess never to be very interested in the portugese jewels but the star tiara is extraordinary. The diamonds seem to hover in the setting. Very unusual. I´ve never seen something like that before. Together with the spring fixation on the frame it must have produce an enormous effect indeed. As not a fan of yellow gold I try to imagine what it would have looked like with the same kind of setting executed in platium.
--Previous Message-- : Oh Lucas just wonderful to be able to remember : these magnificent jewels! : As I've said sometime ago here on this : boards I was very fortunate to visit the : exibition of the Crown Jewels some 20 years : ago at the Ajuda Palace. I t was a day I : will remember for many years. I can assure : you that these saphires are absolutely huge! : The bigger one is nerly egg size and the two : pendants are also huge and of a most : beautiful blue. : And here is how the saphires were showned to : the public, along with two wonderful diamond : riviéres. I don't know if this Diamond : riviére was the one stolen in the : Netharlands...horrible for me just to think : about it... : : : : : : And also on display were the fantastic stars : from Queen Maria Pia, worn as tiara by Queen : Amélia on the portrait you posted. When I : visited the exibition there was a lady there : explaining that Queen Maria Pia called this : tiara "A tiara das estrelas : moventes" (The moving stars tiara), : because the Diamond stars were placed on : golden swings (clearly visible in the pic : below) and they would wobble when she : walked, with extreme glitter effect . The : yellow Diamond on the bigger center star is : considered of superb quality. : The tiara had a single row of moving stars : (like we see worn by Queen Amélia), but : there were also several star brooches, so : for the exibition they were all displayed in : the same frame. : : : : The matching star necklace was also on : display. I never saw any photo of Queen : Maria Pia nor Queen Amélia wearing it. : : : : : : --Previous Message-- : After that wonderful thread, initiated by : Jorge, about the jewels of the Duchess of : Bragança, I'd like to show some of the : fabulous pieces, once having belonged to the : Portuguese royal family, now owned by the : state. Of the jewel collection of Queen : Maria-Pia, in particular much of her : everyday items, a large part remained in the : country after the fall of the monarchy. She : had taken up big loans from the Bank of : Portugal in her later years and her jewels : were handed over as security. : : First this portrait of Queen Amélia, wearing : on her collet necklace three great : sapphires: : : : : The oval one is a 100,05 carat sapphire, : surrounded by 24 diamonds. It was probably : acquired in 1784. : : : The two pearshaped pendants of sapphires and : pink diamonds can be seen on portraits of : Queen Amélia as well as het mother-in-law : Queen Maria-Pia, are from the first half of : the 19th century : : : :
on February 13, 2014, 10:46 am, in reply to "