All of the Queen's Most Amazing Necklaces
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They are worth millions of pounds, and kept secure in the vaults under Buckingham Palace. They represent love, power, and intrigue. Their beauty is famed and their history is unique — one was nearly lost to a royal mistress, one was the subject of investigation, and another has links to ancient history. They are the queen's most impressive and important necklaces, and we have rounded up the top 17 in her majesty's personal collection . . .
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Queen Alexandra's Dagmar Necklace
The necklace was created to display the gold and enamel Dagmar Cross, which is said to contain a fragment of the True Cross and a piece of silk from King Canute's grave. However, since the whole piece came into the queen's possession, she has never worn it with the intriguing attachment. The necklace contains 118 pearls and 2,000 diamonds.
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The Emir of Qatar Nacklace
When the queen made a state visit to Qatar in 1979, the country's leader presented her with the six-strand pearl necklace set with diamond plaques that each contained six marquise-cut (football-shaped) diamonds and one round diamond. They are usually worn with the matching earrings.
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Three-Strand Pearls
The three-strand pearl necklace that has become one of the queen's most iconic items was a gift from her father on the occasion of his Silver Jubilee. It was the nine-year-old princess's first "proper" piece of jewelry and it is still the 90-year-old monarch's go-to piece for most of her daytime engagements.
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The Delhi Durbar Necklace
The queen's great-great-grandmother won a box of emeralds in a lottery, and upon her passing, they were left to her wayward son, who in turn left them to his mistress. Queen Mary purchased them back from the woman, and they were used to create the necklace which she wore to the Delhi Durbar — the lavish celebration in India which marked the coronation of her husband King George V. Not only does the necklace feature the infamous emeralds, but it also contains part of the Cullinan diamond — the largest diamond ever found.
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The King George Vl Victorian Suite
The sapphire and diamond necklace and earrings were one of the queen's wedding presents from her father, and she loved them so much that she later commissioned a tiara and bracelet to match. The oblong sapphires are surrounded by diamonds and separated by diamond collets. When Noel Coward met the queen, who was wearing the jewels, he wrote, "The Queen looked luminously lovely and was wearing the largest sapphires I have ever seen."
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The Coronation Necklace
Queen Victoria commissioned the necklace in 1858, and it was made from stones that were taken from unused pieces from the royal collection such as sword hilts. However, the whopping 22.48-carat Lahore Diamond pendant was taken from the Timur Ruby necklace. Every female monarch has worn it since for coronations, and it is most frequently paired with the matching coronation earrings.
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The Crown Rubies
When Prince Albert bought the set of jewelry for his wife Queen Victoria, it was initially set with opals — one of the queen's favorites. However after they were inherited by queen Alexandra, she had them reset with rubies, believing opals to be bad luck.
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The Baring Ruby Necklace
Before the queen inherited the Crown Rubies, the Baring necklace was her go-to for precious red stones. She commissioned the piece, which was made from unused existing jewelry from the royal collection.
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The Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace
Most recently worn by the Duchess of Cambridge in 2014, the Nizam of Hyderabad necklace was a wedding gift to the queen from the ruler of the Indian state. The piece was created by Cartier and had previous owners before being chosen by the queen.
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The King Faisal of Saudi Arabia Necklace
The diamond-fringed necklace was made by Harry Winston and presented to the queen in 1967. It contains 254 baguette diamonds, 91 brilliants, and 11 pear-shaped drops, and was made in 1952 — the year the queen acceded to the throne. Her majesty has worn it on many occasions, and also lent it to Princess Diana for a state visit to Australia.
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The King Khalid of Saudi Arabia Necklace
Another Harry Winston piece was presented to the queen when she made a state visit to Saudi Arabia in 1979. She wore it for a film premiere three years later, and also loaned it to Diana on many occasions.
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The Festoon Necklace
The showier cousin of the queen's three-strand pearl necklace, the diamond festoon was also a gift from her father, King George VI. It is made up of 105 brilliant-cut diamonds that had previously been used to lengthen existing necklaces in the royal collection. The queen usually wears it for big events such as the State Opening of Parliament and state banquets.
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Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee Necklace
As the queen's landmark approached, a committee called The Women's Jubilee Offering made it known they would like to collect money to present the monarch with a special gift. The original suggestion of a diamond badge was turned down by the queen, but she was so enamored with the necklace that it became one of her favorites.
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The Queen's Brazilian Aquamarines
The necklace was part of a set of jewelry which was given to the queen by the people of Brazil as a wedding present. It had taken over a year to find the impressive aquamarines, and the queen loved them so much that she later commissioned a matching tiara.
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The City of London Fringe Necklace
The necklace was a wedding gift to the Queen from a group that included the Lord Mayor of London, the Governor of the Bank of England, and the Chairman of the Stock Exchange. It is threaded on silk to give it flexibility, and features brilliant cut, cushion cut and pear shaped stones.
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The Godman Necklace
Naturalist Frederick DuCane Godman bought the necklace for his daughters in the late 19th century, and it was later believed to have once been owned by the royal family. The Godman daughters approached the family and the matter was thoroughly investigated before it was proved the necklace had no royal connections. The daughters decided to gift it to the queen nonetheless.
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The Bandeau Necklace
The Victorian piece was left to the queen mother by her friend Lady Greville, who was a prolific collector of jewelry. It was later one of the queen's wedding presents from her parents.
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The Kent Parure
This set of jewels is comprised of a necklace, earrings, three brooches, and a pair of hair combs, but the huge amethysts have only been worn by the queen on one occasion. They are, however, one of the most significant sets in the royal collection as they are among the oldest, having once belonged to Queen Victoria's mother.