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The British royal family is very fond of using sapphires in jewelry, so you can see this precious stone at many public receptions.
The late Queen Elizabeth II especially loved this stone and the proof of that is her huge collection, in which there are various sets with this stone.
The queen began collecting sapphires quite early, and her father, King George VI, contributed to this.
In April 1944, he gave her a sapphire and diamond bracelet from Cartier for her eighteenth birthday, which she wore quite often in her younger years.
Perhaps it was then that Princess Elizabeth fell in love with this bright blue stone.
But the most sentimental of all in her sapphire collection was a set by Carrington & Co., also a gift from her father, which earned it the name "George VI Sapphires."
The king presented a set of jewelry to his eldest daughter as a wedding gift in 1947.
You can also sometimes find another name for these jewelry - "Victorian sapphires".
It is believed that their origin dates back to the middle of the 19th century.
Princess Elizabeth shakes hands with actress Ava Gardner at a charity show in London, 1951 / Photo: Associated Press
Initially, the set included only a necklace with sapphires surrounded by diamonds, as well as a pair of pendant earrings.
In 1952, the Queen shortened the necklace by asking jewelers to remove one link and the largest stone.
Seven years later, a large sapphire was made into a pendant and a pin was attached to it so that it could also be worn as a brooch.
These changes were made by the Garrard brand.
In her youth, Her Majesty very often wore the set, but in combination with diamond tiaras.
In 1963, she bought a diamond and sapphire necklace that had once belonged to Princess Louise of Belgium (daughter of King Leopold II and wife of Prince Ferdinand Philip of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha) and turned it into a tiara.
A bracelet was also made to her order.
Queen Elizabeth II / Photo: Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II in a sapphire tiara / Photo: Getty Images
Princess Louise was a scandalous personality with a number of lovers.
But the affair with the Croatian count Geza Matašić had the biggest impact on her life, because of which she left her husband and children and went on a trip to Europe.
She no longer had financial support and gradually the princess's debts grew, her father and her abandoned husband refused to pay them.
That's probably why she had to sell the jewelry, and that's probably how the sapphire and diamond necklace ended up on the public market, where it was purchased for the Queen of Great Britain and turned into a tiara.
Princess Louise of Belgium / Photo: Getty Images
In terms of style, all these jewelry do not really match, because they are made of different stones and have a slightly different design, but Queen Elizabeth often wore this set and it was one of her favorites.
Currently, the suit has passed to Queen Consort Camilla, who has already worn it several times during her evening outings.
Queen Camilla / Photo: Associated Press
Queen Camilla / Photo: Associated Press
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