Reflecting History – Famous Bygone Brooches
Reflecting History - 10 Famous Bygone Brooches
Brooches are a decorative jewelry item that are attached to garments. They were first crafted during the Bronze Age as clothes fasteners. What began as a utilitarian item have overtime became jewels part of collections. To reflect the sophisticated and practical nature of this ornament, we look at some of the classic royal brooches ever to exist in history.
The Hooker Brooch
The Hooker Emerald Brooch is said to have appeared in the 16th or 17th century in Columbia. The emerald was first used as a belt buckle by Sultan Abdul Hamid II of Turkey. In 1908 the emerald was smuggled to Paris and was then placed at an auction house. In 1911, Tiffany and Co. purchased the emerald and then made it into the brooch we know today.
The Cullinan III and IV Brooch
Discovered 18 feet below the surface at the Premier Mine in 1905, the largest diamond ever to be found weighed at 3105.75 carats. The diamond was sent to crafters and after eight long months, it was split and cut into nine stones of high-quality. The Cullinan I or known as the Great Star of Africa, and the Cullinan II or known as the Lesser State of Africa are both part of the British Crown jewels. The Cullinan III and IV, also known as the lesser stars of Africa were made into a brooch for Queen Elizabeth in 1910.
The Prince of Wales Brooch
The Prince of Wales brooch is a brooch from Wallis Simpson, wife of the former King of England Edward VIII. Mrs. Simpson loved jewelry and had a collection of beautiful gems, but her favorite piece was the Prince of Wales brooch. It was said that this brooch was the only brooch that she could call her own.
Rene Lalique’s Dragonfly Brooch
Rene Lalique a French jeweler during the 19th and 20th century was a designer who greatly influenced the Art Nouveau period. He was a designer who viewed the world from many angles and incorporated those images into his pieces. One of his known pieces was the Lalique dragonfly piece which was created in 1897-1898. Its unique features include the body of a dragonfly and a woman’s head as it emerges out of the body.
Elizabeth Taylor’s Engagement Brooch
Elizabeth Taylor is known as a Star on stage and during her career. Elizabeth Taylor owned many pieces of jewelry and many of those pieces came from her husband Richard Burton. One of his gifts was an engagement brooch that was set with emeralds and diamonds.
Cartier Panther Brooch
The Cartier Panther Brooch is a piece that belongs to the royal family, the Duchess of Windsor. The brooch was created in 1949 for the Duchess and was set with a 152.35 carat Kashmir sapphire cabochon. The iconic panther logo gave rise because the Duchess herself was a big supporter of the logo.
The Eye of Time Brooch
Salvador Dali’s brooch also known as ‘The Eye of Time’ is a rare piece because of its connection with a surreal artist. The brooch was made in 1949 as a gift for Dali’s wife by jewelers Alemany & Ertman in New York. Dali’s work was limited as he only designed around 20 pieces of jewelry and so with its limited nature, his pieces became desired and treasured throughout time.
The Williamson Diamond Brooch
The stunning rare pink-colored diamond of Queen Elizabeth II was transformed into a stunning diamond brooch. This magnificent piece was a wedding present from Canadian geologist Dr. John Williamson. Cartier later made it the centerpiece of this diamond and platinum brooch.
Queen Adelaide’s Diamond Brooch
An heirloom passed down in the royal house Queen Adelaide’s diamond brooch is one of the oldest diamond brooches in the Windsor collection. King William IV ordered it for his Queen from Rundell and Bridge in 1830, but the diamonds were even older as was previously set for King George III’s Order of the Bath insignia.
The Diamond Daisy Brooch
This unique brooch represents the love of a mother and daughter, its shape was inspired by Princess Ingrid’s nickname ‘Daisy’. This diamond brooch was a gift from her father Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden as a wedding gift for Princess Ingrid of Sweden and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark in 1935. The Daisy brooch was later presented to Queen Margrethe as a present for her sixtieth birthday.
Cover Photo Courtesy: Christie’s
