The williamson flower brooch is a jonquil daffodiltype flower, featuring a pink diamond at the centre. The queens diamonds takes readers on a tour of the magnificent royal inheritance of diamonds from queen adelaide in the 1830s to the present day. The splendor and sparkle of the diamond is unmatched by that o. Take on the role of dartagnan in his quest to become a musketeer. The williamson brooch and the queens diamond jubilee. Finest pink diamond in existence to be highlight of dazzling display. Today, steady salesand borrowed baubles on the arms of starletsindicate that diamonds remain among the most soughtafter gemstones.
One of the queens favourite brooches has canadian roots macleans. As status symbols or emblems ofendless love, diamonds have been worn, collected, and presented as lavish gifts since the earliest days of antiquity. Accordingly, a book on her majestys diamonds was released in may. The owner of the mine, canadian geologist john williamson, gave the uncut stone to princess elizabeth and prince philip upon their wedding in november 1947 the 54. The petals, stalk and the leaves of this brooch are set with 170 small brilliantcut diamonds, 12 baguettecut diamonds and 21 marquise diamonds. Published alongside a flagship bbc television series to mark her diamond jubilee, this book is an account of the queens reign. Diamond queen, the dvd this is first time in modern history that a monarch has reached her diamond jubilee.
The story of the hope diamond which ruined its owners. Instead, he added to his gift 170 small brilliantcut diamonds, 12 baguettecut diamonds and 21 marquise diamonds, which were used to form the flower. The queens diamonds, book by hugh roberts hardcover. Top ten royal books dozens of books have been released this year to celebrate all aspects of the diamond jubilee. The adventurine posts queen elizabeths williamson diamond brooch. Queen elizabeth iis most glamorous jewels and tiaras. Queens diamonds play a role in the diamond jubilee the. The williamson pink diamond is a flawless pink diamond discovered at the williamson.
Of interest to royal watchers of fashion and jewellery, is a book by angela kelly, the queen s dresser and assistant, called dressing the queen. With three hundred fullcolor photographsmany newly commissioned for the book the dazzling display ranges from the flawless. When john williamson found the finest pink diamond ever discovered, he sent as a wedding gift to elizabeth. The book features more than seventy aweinspiring pieces of jewelry from one of the finest collections in the world. The williamson pink diamond is a flawless pink diamond discovered at the williamson diamond mine in tanzania in 1947. The original 54carat rough diamond was given to princess elizabeth in 1947 and was later cut into a round brilliant. It is surrounded by ten round diamonds with further ten small brilliants between them. The year 2012 marked the diamond jubilee of elizabeth ii being the 60th anniversary of the accession of queen elizabeth ii on 6 february 1952. The most famous pink diamond in the world according to the bbc. The former focusses solely on elizabeth iis collection, and menkes book features jewels from victoria to diana. Books about queen elizabeth ii score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Queen elizabeths enormous pink diamond, the williamson diamond brooch, by.
On the outer edge, small diamonds are tucked between the largest stones. It was released, unsurprisingly, for the jubilee in 2012, and it. The telegraph the daily mail the mirror vogue a few links to purchase the book. Book overview published on the occasion of the diamond jubilee of queen elizabeth ii, this book tells the story of the magnificent royal inheritance of diamonds from the time of queen adelaide in the 1830s to the present day. One of the queens favourite brooches has canadian roots when john williamson found the finest pink diamond ever discovered, he sent as a wedding gift to elizabeth by patricia treble may 31, 2012. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Depicted as a single, deeppink hibiscus flower with green leaves and prominent, yellow. Queen elizabeth wearing the williamson pink diamond brooch by cartierlondon. The kohinoor diamond set at the front of the crown made for the queen mother elizabeth, set on her coffin in april 2002. The brooch is composed of a pink stone in a diamond frame. Commonly used for various content concerning reading, writing, learning, blue book.
Queen elizabeths yellow diamond brooch graces exhibit. Bbc the diamond queen episode 1 bbc uk andrew marr looks at the life and reign of hm queen elizabeth ii in this threepart series, which includes special interviews with princes william and. This jewel reminds of the much more famous prince albert sapphire brooch in design and style, although it unlikely they share the same provenance. Legend has it that williamson wanted to present more pink gems to princess elizabeth, but he was unable to get hold of them.
The pink stone itself is a pink sapphire of a vibrant shade. Its a treasure trove of delicious details that royal jewellery blogs have been overdosing on, as they replace old rumours and conjectures with confirmed information. Queen elizabeths williamson diamond brooch the adventurine. From jewelry of the highest quality and finest craftsmanship to gemstoneladen tiaras and diamondencrusted swords, this accessible volume presents a visually stunning selection of diamonds from among the royal collections aweinspiring array. Written by hugh roberts, surveyor emeritus of the queens works of art, the book, with its sumptuous 348 illustrations including some doublefold pages of the jeweled tiaras, shows the rich. On show at the palace, a dazzling collection of jubilee jewels. For centuries, diamonds have been a sign of power, wealth and status. The secret to the queens unfailing style is royal couturier angela kelly. A pink hibiscus, a flower that grows in warm climates.
However, in the 1800s, a veritable diamond trove was. Dressing the queen reveals the careful planning and preparation that went into the queens wardrobe for the diamond jubilee, the first such celebration since that of queen victoria in 1897 and made all the more momentous by londons hosting of the 2012 olympics. John williamson, who had it set as a brooch designed as a jonquil by cartier, and which remains one of her favorites. With her foxfur headband, a tweed coat, and a softly lopped scarf held in place with a brooch, the queens cushier, more pastel elder style is a sharp contrast to her primarycolor turbans of. The queens diamond crown, which shes pictured wearing on november, 2002, is known as the state diadem and was made in 1820 for king george iv, queen victorias uncle. Diamond database the queens brooches the crown chronicles. The gemstone, which is now called the hope diamond, was formed deep within the earth more than 1 billion years ago.
The only diamond jubilee celebration for any of elizabeths predecessors was in 1897, for the 60th anniversary of the 1837 accession of queen victoria following the tradition of the queens silver and golden jubilees, commemorative events were held. The queens diamonds is an exhaustive, fascinating history of elizabeth iis most important sparklers. Elizabeth ii and her people in july 1959, the novelist vita sackvillewest wrote to a friend. Depicted as a single, lightpink cherry blossom with five, notched petals and redtipped stamens hibiscus. A pink diamond called pink panther, the largest in the world, is the macguffin of the 1963 film of the same name. With three hundred fullcolor photographsmany newly commissioned for the book the dazzling display ranges from the flawless pink diamond presented to princess elizabeth, as she was then known, for her wedding in 1947 to. One of the queens favourite brooches has canadian roots. The queens diamonds the splendor and sparkle of the diamond is unmatched by that of any other gem in the world. Of interest to royal watchers of fashion and jewellery, is a book by angela kelly, the queens dresser and assistant, called dressing the queen. The williamson jonquil brooch was named after the late john thorburn williamson, a canadian geologist and royalist who owned the mine in which the pink diamond was found. With three hundred fullcolor photographsmany newly commissioned for the bookthe dazzling display ranges from the flawless. The cartier designed floral brooch contains the 23. I wonder if you have seen anything of the excitement over the. The williamson diamond brooch will be on exhibition as part of the queens diamond jubilee in 2012.
The small pink and diamond brooch from her majestys. The gem is considered one of the finest pink diamonds to ever exist, and sits in the center of five white diamond encrusted flower petals. The queens diamonds by hugh roberts, hardcover barnes. Published to celebrate the forthcoming diamond jubilee of. The queens diamonds by hugh roberts is the first truly authorized account of the personal jewels at the queens dispense. As soon as dr williamson heard of the engagement of the queen in waiting. A diamond jubilee souvenir album royal collection publications souvenir album 01 by jane roberts isbn. The splendor and sparkle of the diamond is unmatched by that of any other gem in the world. In 1947, princess elizabeth, now queen elizabeth ii, received a 23.
This small brooch in the queen s collection includes a central pink stone framed by diamonds and surrounded by larger round diamonds. One of queen elizabeths favourite brooches, the cullinan v is an. The diamond, now known as the williamson pink, was cut in 1948 and set as a 23. When the evil cardinal richelieu launches a plot to disgrace the queen, youll have to use your wits and skills with the sword to defend her honor.
The stone was a rare find and therefore was worth more. As many of you know, buckingham palaces summer exhibition this year focuses on diamonds for the diamond jubilee year. Pearshaped cullinan iii is suspended from the squarecut cullinan iv to create the impressive 157 carat cullian brooch. Given to queen elizabeth ii on her wedding in 1947 and later set in a brooch.
South african diamonds in queen elizabeths crown jewels. The queens association with pink diamonds dated back to 1947, when she and prince phillip were given a 54. The queens williamson diamond brooch contains what is thought to be the finest pink diamond ever discovered. It was originally used as one of the decorations of an indian temple idol. Commonly used for various content concerning reading, writing, learning, and schooling.