I just spotted some talk on the Royal Forums about a brooch HM has worn in March 2014 and also in October 2013.
The Opal Spray has the following provenance, which was supplied to me when I made enquiries (NOT from BP, by the way)
The black opal brooch worn by QEII in Canberra in 2000 [ and more recently in October 2013 and March 2014 ] was indeed the wedding gift from the Returned Sailors and Soldiers & Airmen's Imperial League of Australia. An emblem of Australia it is a brooch representing a spray of our well known flowering gum composed of Australian gold and opals. Indicative of a purely Australian industry - black opal being found nowhere else in the world - the blossoms are formed by rare gems from the various opal fields of Australia, the number being representative of the Governmental states of the Commonwealth, the aim of the designers being to incorporate purely Australian symbols in a piece of jewellery suitable for such an auspicious occasion. The casket is of inlaid Australian blackwood, bearing, in gold, the badge of the League.
I am delighted that this gorgeous piece has made a couple of appearances in recent months and hope this signals that we can expect to see it more often.
on March 21, 2014, 4:36 pm