Princess Anne
Jewelry expert reveals why she always wears sapphires and pearls
Princess Anne
© Tim Graham / Getty Images
Diamond-hung top-class figures are not uncommon among British royals. It is all the more astonishing, however, that Princess Anne, as Senior Royal, allows other women in the family to go first when it comes to exclusive crystals and prefers to use other gemstones. An expert explains.
Jewelery expert opens up on Princess Anne’s fondness for sapphires and pearls
Princess Anne celebrates her 73rd birthday on August 15, 2023. What she was most likely not given: diamonds. Because according to a jewelry expert Aimée Howlett from Diamonds Factory, the daughter of the late Queen prefers completely different pieces of jewellery. Starting with the princess’s engagement ring, you can see her tendency towards the colored stone sapphire. Contrary to the assumption that Princess Diana († 36) made history with her sapphire engagement ring, it was Anne who broke with conventions at the time. “Not surprisingly, sapphires are one of the princess’s favorite gemstones. Both of her engagement rings featured this stone, and it’s fair to say that Anne was the first noblewoman to break with tradition, as rings with sparkling gemstones were rare among royals before her first engagement,” explains Aimee Howlett.
Even before Princess Diana’s, Captain Mark Phillips surprised by choosing Princess Anne’s engagement ring. He chooses a ring with a colored stone, a sapphire. Her second engagement ring by Timothy Laurence also features a sapphire flanked by two diamonds.
© Mark Cuthbert / Getty Images
According to “Hello Magazine”, her second engagement ring by Timothy Laurence is said to have broken the traditions of the British royal family twice. The sapphire ring, flanked by two diamonds, is rumored to be the first of its kind to be chosen in the family – Prince Harry also has one trilogy ring set when he proposed to Meghan’s hand, the for, among other past, present and future.
Pearl earrings and pearl necklaces – a must-have for the princess
Especially at public appointments, Princess Anne always wears pearl earrings that vary only slightly in size and design. For particularly festive appearances, various pearl necklaces ensure the perfect accompaniment to the mother-of-pearl earrings. The Queen also seems to have been aware of her daughter’s preference, because she bequeathed her one of her most emotionally valuable pieces of jewellery. Queen Elizabeth is said to have received two pearls from her father for her birthdays, from which King George VI. had a three-row pearl necklace made. In addition to the emotional value, the special piece of jewelery is still one of the most expensive pieces owned by the Queen, with a total value of around 1 million pounds, due to its material.
According to the expert, Anne’s pearl jewelry goes beyond mere fondness: “Pearls represent purity and are unique, no two gemstones are alike. The importance of pearls in the context of the monarchy lies in the belief that they signify wealth and peace. More precisely Said however, pearls have become a symbol of mourning within the royal family as the gemstone is worn at many funerals.As Anne inherited the Queen’s favorite piece of jewellery, when the piece is worn it signals a sense of remembrance and love. “
Princess Anne also likes to wear pearls and sapphires in combination.
© Tim Graham / Getty Images
Princess Anne’s sapphire brooch has deep meaning
One piece of jewelry that Princess Anne keeps going for is the cluster brooch, which consists of a large sapphire and various small diamonds. Sources disagree on the origin of the jewel. While Aimee Howlett assumes that this is a copy of the “Prince Albert’s Brooch” that Prince Albert gave to Queen Victoria for their wedding Suzi Menkes believe that Anne’s brooch is one of the copies that Prince Albert also had made for his daughters and that Queen Elizabeth is said to have reacquired for her own daughter when it came back on the market.
Princess Anne owns a sapphire brooch said to be a copy of Queen Victoria’s brooch.
© Tim Graham / Getty Images
Sources used: hellomagazine.com, thecourtjeweller.com