Re: Queen Alexandra wearing pearl elements separately Archived Message
Posted by Arthur on September 28, 2014, 7:47 pm, in reply to "Queen Alexandra wearing pearl elements separately"
Thank you, Baxter and Beth1! Your pics are very conclusive. So the brooch in Angela Kelly's book, with 12 diamonds in the outer circle of diamonds, can not be the Cambridge pearl and diamond brooch (which has 14 diamonds). Moreover, the proportion diameter of the central pearl/width of the diamond surround is bigger in the Cambridge brooch than in Kelly's brooch. The brooch in Kelly's book is probably a cluster from Queen Alexandra's wedding pearl and diamond parure, as the pictures posted by Baxter and Beth1 indicate. The remaining question is: is the brooch one of the necklace's cluster, or is it an extra brooch, which is not accounted for in the wedding gifts' pictures? We know that all the clusters from the necklace are detachable, since Queen Alexandra wore them pinned as brooches on the collerette of her Coronation dress: But I wonder if the necklace, which currently includes eight clusters, did not include originally more clusters. What makes me think that is this undated picture of the parure in its presentation box: As you can see, the necklace on this picture includes eight pearl clusters, as it was worn by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and as it is today (as photographed in Hugh Roberts' The Queen's Diamonds) (minus the lenghtening of the diamond links at the back, at the Queen Mother's request in 1937). We can also see that the inside of the box is moulded to fit perfectly the shape of the necklace. But at the top, we can notice that the necklace does not go fully around the moulded shape, and that space remains for three more pearl clusters (and their diamond links). Therefore, I wonder (but this is just speculation from me, as I have not more reliable information) if Queen Alexandra could have shortened the original necklace by three pearl clusters and used them as brooches. What do you think? --Previous Message-- : Thank you so much Airgette and Baxter for your : insights. I am intrigued. : Queen Alexandra was photographed wearing : what appear to be elements from her wedding : gift necklace separately. I have no idea if : what I have found matches anything either of : you referred to, but clearly at least one : other brooch does/did exist, (if not more). : Here it would appear that several pearl and : diamond elements from her wedding necklace : are attached to a dark velvet band. : : http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw132025/Queen-Alexandra-as-Mary-Queen-of-Scots?LinkID=mp00072&displayNo=60&wPage=2&role=sit&rNo=152 : I would love to know more about other jewel : elements she is wearing. Apart from an : element from her wedding tiara and her : Dagmar necklace most are unknown to me. : : Wearing a brooch similar to what Airgette : described - here underneath her wedding : brooch : : http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw82661/Queen-Alexandra?LinkID=mp00072&displayNo=60&wPage=3&role=sit&rNo=209 : As the first link shows, the pearl pendants : can be removed and so probably one of any : size could be attached. : : Similarly in this photo the single pearl and : drop is worn under her wedding brooch. : : http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw126433/Queen-Alexandra-King-Edward-VII?LinkID=mp00072&displayNo=60&wPage=3&role=sit&rNo=225 : : A single pearl brooch -- the last brooch in : her series of brooches in this painting : : http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw147761/Queen-Alexandra?LinkID=mp00072&displayNo=60&wPage=5&role=sit&rNo=341 :
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