Queen(-Mother) Elizabeth has not always worn the Greville Emerald Necklace with the Greville Honeycomb Diamond Tiara. Along with the 90th birthday photos (when she was bare headed), she wore the necklace at least once with Queen Mary's Fringe Tiara (on 13 November 1950, probably at Covent Garden):
In his book about Boucheron (Boucheron, Archives secrètes, published in 2009), Vincent Meylan mentions a few historical details about the Greville emeralds (my very personal translation from the French version):
- "In 1911, [Mrs Greville] deposits her two emerald necklaces (the big and the little one, as mentionned in the registers) to have them transformed into a single one". This is probably the necklace we are discussing. No attribution is mentioned to Queen Marie-Antoinette of France, contrary to what is written in Leslie Field's The Queen's Jewels
- "In 1921, [Mrs Greville buys] a diamond bandeau ornated with a 93.70 carat emerald". There is a picture of this bandeau, it looks very Art Déco (and reminds me, to some extent, the emerald tiara acquired by Grand-Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg from Chaumet in the 1920s and still in the grand-ducal collection). The central emerald seems to be a cabochon emerald (which would probably not be a good match with the Greville emerald necklace, whose style is more Edwardian and is probably made of faceted emeralds
- "In 1923, she completes her emerald parure with ear hangers made with two big pear-shaped cabochon emeralds, hanging from a removable four-diamond line". These earrings were often worn by the Queen-Mother with the necklace (here in 1972 during Queen Juliana's State visit and in 1998 at a London theatre):
--Previous Message-- : : Sadly the emerald necklace was always worn : with the Greville Diamond Tiara in the : pictures I have seen and which I have noted : over the years. : : : --Previous Message-- : Dear Merlin, : : Thank you for your message ! : : Have you got photos of these events ? : : Did she wear also the greville emerald and : diamond tiara during these events ? : : Best regards, : : Franck : : --Previous Message-- : : This picture was taken at Covent Garden in : July 1974. : I would say the Greville Emerald necklace : was the third most worn of the Queen : Mother's precious stone necklaces. : On the whole it was worn for more important : events. : And because you don't often see the Queen : Mother at Buckingham Palace State Banquets : it is easy to underestimate how often this : necklace was worn. : But I have seen her wear it for the State : Banquets given for the President of Sudan in : 1964, the King of Malaysia in 1974 and the : King of Sweden in 1975. : And on other evenings during, for example, : both 1958 State Visits by the Presidents of : Italy and Germany, the Shah of Iran in 1959, : the Kings of Belgium and Greece in 1963. : Also the Queen Mother often took the : Emeralds abroad. : To Canada, New Zealand, Australia, she wore : them on two occasions in Adelaide in 1966. : And she wore them for a night out in Dundee : in 1967. : : : : --Previous Message-- : : Sorry I have no idea of the occasion. It has : not been my habit to save dates for all my : pics. : : : --Previous Message-- : Yes, that's it Nellie. Do you know what : occasion that was? : : : : : : : : :