THE FABERGE COLLECTION at Warski’s on Grafton Street in Mayfair is wonderful; those who love jewels, gold, enamels, miniatures will enjoy a visit to this amazing, long-established shop. I loved my visit, and I have kept Wartski’s business card with “says it all.” It is simply the finest quality. The “shopkeepers” were extremely welcoming and allowed me to take wonderful pictures for my blog.
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
I was wandering down Portobello Road, and my eyes caught sight of an amazing bracelet which the dealer who owned it was not willing to sell. I was thrilled when I saw it, and relieved that I could not have it–wow! That was close! It was a silver bracelet made during the first 30 years of the 19th century when the British were still celebrating their victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. There were three large reverse paintings on glass mounted in silver–probably created in China. The glass on the left was an image of Nelson’s ship. The center reverse painting on glass was a portrait of Lord Nelson. The third painting was an image of the Battle of Trafalgar in the midst of the naval encounter. The piece of jewelry fascinated me. It was a piece of history created near to the time of the great victory–another evidence of the great jubilation that occurred in England at the time of the great naval victory at Trafalgar, establishing the unquestioned supremacy of British naval power. Fabulous item. Sorry I could not own it. But, I did photograph it and will enjoy these images as I hope my readers do.
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
Yesterday, I had a couple of hours so I decided that I wanted to spend time in the great “safe” where the jewelry collection of the Victoria and Albert is kept and guarded. I was eager to share my images with my readers. Jewelry is the symbol of wealth and power, but it also reflects style and fashion. The pieces of fine jewelry that would be guarded at the Victoria and Albert were of course the finest examples of jewels, gold work, and amazing settings. Well, I arrived at the great “safe” and went first to the great wheel of jewels, the beautiful cameo neo-classic tiaras of Josephine, the jewel surrounding Napoleon’s favorite Roman intaglios, and finally to the fabulous emerald necklace that the Emperor Napoleon had made for his sister-in-law to wear for the Emperor’s coronation. Suddenly, a lovely lady came up to me and said those horrific words: NO PHOTOGRAPHS HERE. My heart sank. But, at least I had photographs of jewels I wanted to photograph.
I decided that I wanted to visit some of the fabulous jewelry shops on New Bond Street where some of the most magnificent jewels are created in our times. I diamond bracelet with invisible settings was splendid with its ruby rose. It was very beautiful. The brooch of every color of gold set with every shade of diamonds was dazzling. The rubies were supreme, but I like the pears most of all. I could hardly believe my eyes with baroque pearls costing twelve thousand pounds each strand. A lot went through my mind….. Look at these beautiful pieces–exquisite.
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
The PEREGRINA PEARL –or the WANDERER — has just sold at auction for just over 12 million US dollars. Needless to say, the pearl and its attached necklace of pearls, diamonds, and rubies had established such an historic past that the pearl itself had become more valuable than itself. Another pearl of equal quality and size would not have fetched such a price, but this pearl was not like any other. There are several histories about where the pearl came from, and we know that it was found by a Panamanian slave who earned his freedom by finding this magnificent gem. It was given to the Royal House of Span where it came into the hands of Phillip II. When Philip married England’s Mary Tudor, Mary I, daughter of Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII, and older half sister of Elizabeth I, the pearl came to England as a gift to Mary I now wife of Phillip II of Spain. In the settlement after Queen Mary I’s death, the pearl was returned to Philip II and was taken back to Spain where it remained in the royal jewel collection, worn by several successive Spanish Queens, including Phillip II’s third wife. Centuries later, the armies of Napoleon I invaded Spain, and Joseph Napoleon seized the pearl and took it to France as conquered loot. The pearl passed to Napoleon III who sold the pearl to the Earl of Abercorn while the Emperor was in exile in England. The Abercorn family sold the pearl in this century for $35,000 to Richard Burton who gave it as a gift to Elizabeth Taylor. The current Spanish royal family tried to buy the pearl back because of its long Spanish royal history, but Richard Burton’s bid defeated the Spanish Royal House’s offer. Last week, the pearl and necklace sold for $13,000,000 dollars to an unknown bidder, but a person who valued the tremendous history of this great jewel. Imagine, one pearl which at one time or another belonged to the royal houses of the Spanish Hapsburgs, the English Tudors, the French Bonapartes, the Dukes of Abercorn, and finally to the Queen of Hollywood, Elizabeth Taylor. I suppose this pearl illustrates the old saying: YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU. What an amazing provenance.
Philip II of Spain’s second wife, England’s Mary Tudor, Mary I, wearing the pearl:
Queen Elizabeth of Valois, Philip II’s third wife wearing the pearl near her ear:
Queen of Spain wearing the Peregina Pearl:
Elizabeth Taylor wearing the pearl before it was refitted into an elaborate necklace:
Elizabeth Taylor wearing the pearl fashioned by Cartier into an elaborate necklace of diamonds, pearls, and rubies:
Here we have the 12 million dollar necklace:
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
For me, this is a sad, unfortunate story:
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
Queen Mary loved her great collection of Royal Jewels. Some of her most splendid pieces are the Durbar and Cambridge Emeralds. We all know the story of the Delhi Durbar when magnificent emeralds were given to Queen Mary and were added to her Cambridge emeralds. We know that the Cambridge emeralds were won in a raffle, but exactly are the Cambridge emeralds. I solved the question in my mind when I found this picture of the Duchess of Teck, Queen Mary’s mother who owned the great collection of emeralds. The Queen wears parts of the stomacher as brooches. The emerald drops are worn in the Vladimir Tiara, exchanging with large baroque pearls. Well, here is the source of this collection. Fabulous photograph of the Duchess of Tech.
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
I couldn’t believe I stumbled onto this photo at this extremely early hour when I can’t sleep, eager to get reading the pile of books by my side of the bed! The Queen Mother wearing the emerald necklace of Marie Antoinette! Fabulous.
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
Princess Mary, the Princess Royal, became Countess Harewood and gathered one of the most impressive collections of jewels in the Royal Family. When Countess Harewood died in 1965, the majority of her best jewels were auctioned including Queen Victoria’s sapphire circlet–designed by Prince Albert and gifted to the Queen in 1845. I was directed to a site on the Internet which showed these magnificent royal jewels which were offered to the public, and I thought my readers would enjoy seeing them. They are WOW!
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
I am preparing an article about Countess Mountbatten of Burma, the wife of Lord Louis Mountbatten of Burnma, Prince Philp and the Queen’s Uncle who was the last Viceroy of India. The story is fascinating including the history of her fabulous jewels. The black and white image is from a British Pathe film of a Command Performance at the Royal Opera House at the time of the Queen’s coronation in 1953. She is wearing the most fabulous MOUNTBATTEN EMERALDS which are second only to the Delhi Durbar/Cambridge parure of Queen Mary and the incredible necklace once owned by Marie Antoinette now in the Queen’s private collection, last worn by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. These images are a teaser; I will include the juicy parts, and there a lot of them. Gossip has it that the emeralds are now owned by Prince Charles and are often worn by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. I will take a look.
Well, perhaps GOSSIP is accurate: here is a photo of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall wearing the emeralds, or a similar necklace. Not proof yet, but getting close.
A charming Photo of Earl and Countess Mountbatten of Burma
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
My wife and I are in Boston enjoying my wife’s family during this magnificent fall season. This early morning, we are off to the family home in Nahant for a lobster feast. As I am eating my breakfast, I was given some morning reading. There it was: the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC’s “Magical Mystery Treasure” about the magnificent 3,500 pieces of treasure unearthed on a Staffordshire farm in 2008. These incredible pieces of gold were mostly golden adornments for war gear. They were discovered by Terry Herbert on a farm near his home. This article in the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC is outstanding.
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
This wonderful engraving of a young Queen Victoria show the Queen wearing the INDIAN TIARA which was created by Prince Albert for his young wife. The original tiara had opals which were changed to rubies by Queen Alexandra who feared opals. The tiara is an heirloom often worn by the Queen Mother and now worn by the Queen.
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
I REALLY ENJOY strolling through the elegant shops on New Bond Street and throughout Mayfair. It isn’t a shopping spree, but rather, a visit much like a visit to a museum. I love beautiful jewels set in fine settings, both new and antique. The fine jewels in the shops along this street are the finest in the world. Really, some of the creations are simply fabulous. Wow! This is a great part of London. There are jewelers, art dealers, fabulous shops, and beautiful cars parked along the streets. It is wonderful.
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
This morning, I have made a discovery. I have known of the magnificent emerald necklace worn by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. I have been very curious about it over the years. Last year, I wrote an article about the necklace from very limited information which I could find. The necklace had been seen in Scotland at Balmoral, but never in London. Then it came to light in Europe for a Danish royal wedding where the Queen Mother wrote this elaborate parure of emeralds; these are the photographs we have here. But where did these jewels come from. We now know that they were originally created for Marie Antoinette at Versailles in the late 18th century. Then for approximately 100 years, the jewels disappeared until they surfaced in the possession of Dame Margaret Greville, the beloved friend of Queen Mary and later of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. When Mrs. Greville died in 1942, in the darkest days of World War II, she left a will gifting her jewels to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. In this fabulous gift, the Marie Antoinette emeralds entered the Royal Collection. When the Queen Mother died, the emeralds became part of the Queen’s private collection; however, she has never worn them. I wonder why–they are magnificent. As the Queen gets older, she draws more and more from her great collection of important jewels, but this parure has not seen the light of day. We will all be waiting; it is exciting when a fine old piece emerges again for the public to enjoy. Wow, what a story. Here are further articles about this great set of emeralds.
Mrs. Greville died in 1942, and the Old Queen Mary died in 1952. I will wager the Old Queen had her eyes on Mrs. Greville’s jewels for a very long time. Queen Mary and Margaret Greville were very close friends, and I am sure Queen Mary a plenty to say behind the scenes concerning the future of Mrs. Greville’s jewels. A lot of smiles here because we all know about Queen Mary and her historic plotting.
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Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
Out of curiosity, I would attend this showing if I were in London. I am particularly interested in seeing the “PEREGRINA PEARL.” Dazzle your eyes, Folks. Wow!
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
THE CHEAPSIDE HOARD is one of the most important Tudor and Stuart collections of jewelry ever found. This is a fascinating article about this discovery. The Museum of London is an “absolute must” visit while in London, and the Cheapside Hoard is absolutely fascinating. Modern jewelers are copying these early designs–another form of art. Fabulous.
I think this article will fascinate you. Those wonderful Navvies!
Absolutely FABULOUS@
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
Diana, Princess of Wales’ wedding right caused a stir the first time and the second time. There is always interest in the jewels that are given to Royal brides. I thought you would enjoy reading this.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, the Prince Consort
Edward VII and Queen Alexandra
Queen Mary and King George V
King George Vl and Queen Elizabeth
Her Majesty the Queen and HRH Prince Philip
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor
The Prince and Princess of Wales
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge — The Duchess wearing The Princess of Wales’ sapphire
Perhaps the happiest British royal couple in years.
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
WARTSKI at 14 Grafton Street in Mayfair is a family jewelry store dealing in the highest quality items including spectacular Faberge and items once associated with the Royal Family. I always walk by their shop and enjoy being thrilled with the items on offer in the window. Today, I walked by and was very interested in a silver teapot which was given to Queen Victoria to John Brown. I thought to myself: WOW! THERE IS A LOT OF HISTORY HERE. I often wonder how these kinds of treasures come on the market for sale. This is very interesting.
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
Dame Ellen Terry – First Dame of the British Theater – 1886 Cleopatra
Over the many years that I have attended London theater, I have become acquainted with many artists and designers who work in the theater. Mr. Christopher St. James comes from a long line of theater jewelers. His grandmother bought and collected jewelry stage pieces which now are very interesting and important for the history of London theater. I visited him on Cecil Court today to photograph some of his tiaras which have been worn by such artists as Dame Ellen Terry and Sara Bernhardt. Let me share a few of thee images with you. I think they are absolutely fabulous–such history. Mr. St. James continues his family’s profession and provides theater pieces of great quality. He is fascinating to talk to, and he talks about the old actors and actresses as if they were his family. You will love his shop. It is fascinating. Mr. St. James is the final word in London theater jewelry. Amazing
Dame Ellen Terry, CLEOPATRA, 1886
Sarah Bernhardt, THEODORA, 1890
From a production 1890 about Mozart
Fay Dunaway, WICKED LADY, 1943
Victorian tiara used in the TUDORS and QUEEN OF THE NIGHT
Queen of Bavaria, background crown in several movies
A collection of crowns and tiaras used in several movies about the Romanov Tsars
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
Queen Charlotte’s wonderful collection of jewels was vast and important. King George III showered her with magnificent pearls and diamonds at the time of their marriage, and the collection grew over the years she was Queen. When she died, she left her collection to her daughters; however, here son King George IV refused to disburse the jewels according to his Mother’s will and kept them for himself. It was not until after the death of George IV that the Queen’s will was carried out. At that time, several of the fine diamonds were sold. The ones that remained in the Royal Household came to Queen Victoria who lost them in a legal settlement, losing the important stones to the Hanoverian line of her family. The State Pearls of Queen Anne were retained as were several diamonds owned by William IV. The story of the Arcot Diamonds of Queen Charlotte is fascinating. I thought you would enjoy reading it.
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
I am always interested in a new piece of jewelry which the Queen wears at a public event. Then, the fun is the search for the source of the royal gift. During the 1954 Commonwealth Tour of Australia, two beautiful pieces of jewelry were given to the Queen. The diamond Wattle Brooch is frequently seen, but I have never seen the ANDAMOOKA Opal brooch. It was on display at the V&A several years ago, and I wondered why the Queen has never worn it publicly. In fact, I have never seen opals from the Royal Collection ever worn by the present Queen. Prince Albert and Queen Victoria loved opals, but Queen Alexandra was superstitious about the opal’s powers. In some cases, Queen Alexandra removed opals from royal jewels and replaced them with rubies. I would be curious to know if Queen Elizabeth II has ever worn the Andamooka opal. Nice gifts for the Queen during the 1954 Australian tour.
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
LOOK AT THIS!
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
There will be great interest in the many diamonds in the Queen’s collection during 2012 Diamond Jubilee Celebrations. One of the most unusual and rare diamonds is the fabulous Williamson Pink Diamond. And we get to see it next year. Exciting. Look at this!
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
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