Is it possible that this clasp was originally 2 brooches? Archived Message
Posted by Beth1 on January 13, 2015, 3:23 am, in reply to "Re: More queries re Indian pearls with ruby snap (belonging to Queen of UK)"
I wonder if it is possible that the clasp on the necklace posted by Annie is made from 2 brooches? The similarity in style with 2 brooches Franck posted some time ago has me intrigued. Please scroll down to see the photo of QEQM wearing 2 brooches on her hat. http://members2.boardhost.com/royal-jewels/msg/1414246455.html I find it intriguing that we have never previously come across a description of a pearl necklace with such a clasp. Perhaps it was only a temporary arrangement. --Previous Message-- : For a number of reasons, I think that the : drops are most likely emeralds. : : As the Queen Mother is not known to have : mixed jewel colours, I would assume that the : jewelled clasp is also of emeralds. It is : interesting that this clasp seems to have : two identical parts. : : I acknowledge that I could be wrong. : : Is the date of this photo known? : : --Previous Message-- : : I've not seen that before. : Would the drops be emeralds? Mixing rubies : and emeralds? : : : --Previous Message-- : : I thought that too. : : --Previous Message-- : Wonderful pictures Arthur. It seems that the : two shorter rows are connected with the : clasp & the longer one is a continuous : row which could slip over the head. : : --Previous Message-- : It is indeed one of the pearl necklaces that : Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother regularly : wore during her husband's reign and during : her long widowhood. So it must have been : inherited by Queen Elizabeth II in 2002. : : I have taken a two screen captures from the : video posted by Beth1, one frontside, the : other backside: : : : : : On the first (frontside) picture, we can : clearly identify the main characteristics of : this necklace: the gap between the longest : row and the medium row is wider than the gap : between the medium row and the shortest row. : This detail can be seen on many previous and : later pictures of the Queen Mother. So we : can wonder if the longest row is an extra : row, added to a two-row pearl necklace, or : if it is a three-row pearl necklace. A clue : in favour of the latter option is that QEQM : seems to have always worn this necklace in : the three-row version. : (on other pictures of the Queen Mother, when : the gap between the three rows of pearls is : equal, then it is another pearl necklace, : with a cushion-shaped diamond cluster clasp, : possibly part of the Greville inheritance) : : On the second picture above, we can indeed : see a dark spot at the clasp of the : necklace. On the two pictures below, we can : see that the necklace worn by the Queen : Mother is the same as above, and that the : clasp looks similar to the pearl necklace : worn by Queen Elizabeth II a few times in : the 2000s and in 2012: : : : : In a earlier thread (July 2014), we had : suggested that this necklace was probably : (part of) a pearl necklace with a ruby clasp : bequeathed to the Crown by Queen Victoria, : to whom it had been presented by the West : Indies Company, from the treasure of the : Maharajahs of Punjab. The full necklace was : made of 222 pearls (source: Field) in four : rows of 55, 55, 56 and 56 pearls (which sums : up to 222 - source: Twining/Meylan); the : necklace was reset in 1941 (source: Menkes). : We can imagine that one or two rows could be : made removable from the necklace. I had : tried to count approximately the pearls on : the necklace worn by Queen Elizabeth II in : 2012 (picture above), and I had counted : approximately 110 pearls for the two : shortest rows (i.e. 55 + 55...) and about : 166 pearls with the third row (i.e. 55 + 55 : + 56...). : : : That seems about spot on Nellie! & : thankyou for the pictures of both sides : Arthur. I expect you have all seen this : picture with the rubies showing. It would be : nice to see the Queen wear them in this way! : : : : : : : :
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