'Rubies' in necklace worn by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen MotherArchived Message
Posted by Beth1 on April 9, 2014, 5:10 am
The discussion in the thread below regarding a 'ruby' necklace given by the people of South Australia to The Princess of Wales http://members2.boardhost.com/royal-jewels/msg/1396825169.html has resurrected a query I have always had regarding the 'rubies' in the necklace QEQM so frequently wore with the Oriental circlet tiara. The stones seem to be very evenly matched for colour and their size would make them outstanding, if they were rubies. It is said that Queen Alexandra exchanged the opals in QV's necklace and tiara for rubies. Unless the setting was changed completely, I think it would be very difficult to find so many large rubies of the required sizes which matched. If Queen Victoria had large rubies, I suspect she would have had them set in various pieces of jewellery. The only ruby jewels I am aware she had have small rubies. Even the rubies in the jewellery belonging to Grand Duchess Marie of Russia (Duchess of Edinburgh), were not of a great size. Her father, the Emperor would have had the resources to purchase large rubies, if large matched rubies were available. I have often wondered if the rubies in the necklace worn by QEQM are spinels. What do other posters think? Does anyone have an image of QV wearing the Opal necklace? I have only seen an image of the brooch which she wore with the Oriental circlet.