Emperor Christian Victor I

Emperor Christian Victor I

Monday 11 June 2012

Tiaras and Trinkets on Tuesdays (The Hispanian Rose Sapphire Demi-Parure)

Tuesday again!?!? Time is flying, blah blah. Let's not waste time then and discuss some more sapphires. The Hispanian Royal Collection includes a very impressive set of jewellery that contains a very uniquely cut sapphire. This set is called the Hispanian Rose Sapphire Demi-Parure and the center feature of the large tiara is a very large sapphire cut to resemble the floral pattern of a rose.  

Queen Maria of Hispania is seen wearing the complete set here in 2012.

This particular set of jewellery was presumed lost to the 1996 revolution that took the lives of Queen Maria's father and grandmother. Many pieces of historic jewellery were destroyed in the fire that annihilated Roswind Castle and the people who were inside at the time. For 16 years the jewellery wasn't seen in public and rumours were rife but in 2012 at the Heads of the Royal Houses meeting, Queen Maria wore it to the surprise of the news media. 

The set was originally designed for Queen Isabella II of Hispania, Queen Maria's grandmother. She received it from the people of Hispania as a tribute upon her ascension to the Hispanian throne. When she was killed in the Castle Roswind fire it was supposed that she might have had this set with her at the time. She obviously did not. The tiara contains many diamonds, pearls and the famous sapphire while the necklace contains three smaller sapphires. It is normally worn in conjunction with other earrings as the demi-parure does not include more than the tiara an the necklace. 

Here Queen Isabella II is seen wearing the set at her Investiture Ceremony in 1965. She is seated next to her husband Don Juan Felipe Prince Consort of Hispania and Duke of  Alba. Both are also wearing the badge and sash of the Order of the Triad. This photo from the Hispanian archives show sapphire earrings that are not part of the set. The earrings haven't been seen since the death of Queen Isabella either. 

I for one am a great fan of sapphires and greatly appreciate the fact that this beautiful set was not lost to history. What do you think?

5 comments:

  1. Me too!! It's always a pleasure reading your posts and your pictures are a party for the eyes!!!!

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  2. Queen Maria looks fabulous. She's been photographed a lot these past few weeks on several blogs. She's always a stunner.

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  3. Hello from Spain: the grandmother of Queen Mary was happy to design jewelry. The jewelry he designed are beautiful. Fortunately, not lost to the fire. The Queen Mary is very pretty with them. Keep in touch

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  4. Thank you for your compliments and for supporting my blog. I will appreciate any criticisms of the story and my presentation as I feel that the blog must not become monotonous or boring. Feel free to be more direct in your comments or to make special requests as to "new" ideas.

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