A number of years ago in Manchester UK the Whitworth Art Gallery was the venue for a very large number of treasures loaned by North country aristocrats. The proceeds of which went to support a famous cancer hospital in the city... Various Dukes and lesser aristocrats lent paintings furniture sculpture and gems.. The Duke of Westminster lent a number of tiaras and necklaces as did several others not all illustrated while some were just labelled PRIVATE COLLECTION. Amongst those was some items of jewelery said to have belonged to Mrs Fitzherbert (there is a family of landed gentry with an estate in N Lancashire called Fitzherbert -Brockholes).I especially remember a pearl collar with a centre piece of a huge sapphire set in a diamond sunray design and with a sapphire drop.There was a delicate diamond tiara... a more delicate version of the girls of great Britain tiara belonging to HM... it certainly wasn't the one pictured
--Previous Message-- : Thank you Brock for the picture, most : interesting piece and questions. This tiara : is new to me, so unfortunately I'm not much : of a help... : I notest however the chains linking the : diamond elements, making me think that this : piece is/or at some point in time was most : likely a necklace, then was set on a frame : (don't know if permanentely). : The tiara looks the same as the one worn by : the lady in the photo, I can clearly see the : chains between the elements. : Is there any portrait or sketch of Maria : Fitzherbert (or other lady since then apart : from the one in the pic) wearing this piece : as tiara or necklace perhaps? Are there any : sources as to this piece being a gift from : George IV? : Thanks. : : : : --Previous Message-- : The tiara in the first image below is : commonly : attributed to have belonged to Maria : Fitzherbert. While looking for something : completely different, I came across the : second photo dated 2006 of the tiara (or one : of a very similar design) captioned : "Sir John and Samantha Leslie at the : Castle Leslie Ball". : : Are there any further details on the history : of this tiara such as when it was sold, its : subsequent ownership, and whether or not it : is currently owned by the Leslie family? : : : : : : :
on November 17, 2014, 4:36 pm, in reply to "