The Joyas de Pasar (the Jewels to pass on) are a set of jewels that may only be worn by the Queens of Spain.
In 1963, when she was writing her will in Lausanne, Switzerland, The exiled Queen Victoria Eugenia (Ena) of Spain specified that the following jewels were to be passed on to her son Don Jamie and then to her grandson Don Juan Carlos:
- A diadem of diamonds with three Fleur de Lys
- The largest diamond Riviere
- The necklace with thirty-seven large pearls
- A diamond brooch from which hangs a pear-shaped pearl called “La Peregrina”
- A pair of earrings with a large diamond and diamonds all around
- Two identical diamond bracelets
- Four strands of large pearls
- A brooch with a large pale grey pearl surrounded by diamonds and from which a pear-shaped pearl hangs.
The two identical diamond bracelets have an interesting history and began life as a completely different object.
When she married King Alfonso in 1906, Queen Ena received a great number of bejeweled wedding presents including a small, gem encrusted, crown designed by the prominent French jewellers, Cartier.
This Crown was photographed and described as:
“Seven and a half centimeters in diameter at the base and twelve centimeters from end to end of the fleurons. The base is set with four rectangular emeralds, four oval rubies, and eight diamond elements. On the upper edge, eight brilliants alternate with eight strawberry leaves, from which the corresponding diadems rose, terminating in the world globe with cross, all studded with diamonds”.
Queen Ena would wear the small crown throughout the her husband’s reign, mainly using it for official occasions like the opening of the Spanish Parliament.
After the Spanish revolution of 1931, Queen Ena and the rest of the royals went into exile, mainly living in Lausanne in Switzerland.
In a pragmatic move, she had the crown dismantled as she thought she would never wear it again. This time, she employed the Italian jewellery house, Bulgari, to take the gemstones from the piece and use them to make two imposing diamond bracelets with a twisted ribbon design.
Still a prominent figure in royal circles, Queen Ena would pair the bracelets with the other Joyas de Pasar for important gatherings during the 50s & 60s
When she died in 1969 her vast jewellery collection was inherited by her children but as she had wished, the Joyas de Pasar passed to Maria de Las Mercedes as the de facto new Queen.
However, the complexities of Spanish politics meant that when the monarchy was restored in 1975, Maria did not become Queen of Spain. It was not until 1983, when the situation had improved that her daughter in law Queen Sofia began to wear Queen Ena’s Diamond Bracelets
When her husband King Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014, Sofia still retained the title of Queen but not the position.
The bracelets now belonged to her daughter in law Queen Letizia and just as the Countess of Barcelona had done, Sofia handed over the Joyas de Pasar to the new Queen.
The Diamond Bracelets are a favoured set of Letizia’s and she is frequently photographed wearing them to formal and semi-formal events.
Princess Leonor will be the next owner of these earrings but she will have the distinction of wearing it as the first Queen Regnant of Spain since 1868.