The story of the British royal family’s jewellery is one of constant evolution, but perhaps no single figure influenced the collection as profoundly as Queen Mary, From family heirlooms to her own creations and even treasures acquired from distant empires, the jewels of the British royals stand as a testament to her transformative influence.
One such addition from her own family was The Cambridge Sapphires. This magnificent collection of jewels had passed through various royal family members for over 150 years but are now in the possession of private collectors.
The history of this parure traces back to Augusta, the Hereditary Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and granddaughter of George III. Born a princess of Cambridge and sister to Princess Mary Adelaide (and thus aunt to Queen Mary), Augusta married the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in 1843. While the exact creator remain unknown, this impressive parure emerged in the latter half of the 19th century and was given to Augusta as a wedding present.
This original collection, according to Leslie Field’s “The Queen’s Jewels,” comprised of a necklace, and a stomacher that could be divided into three brooches. The parure also featured a magnificent diamond and sapphire tiara as its centrepiece. Features seven graduated openwork foliate panels, each intricately set in silver and gold. At the heart of each panel gleamed two cushion-shaped sapphires, surrounded by a halo of cushion-shaped diamonds.
Princess May of Teck, later Queen Mary, shared a close bond with her aunt Augusta. Consequently, she inherited a substantial portion of Augusta’s jewels upon the Grand Duchess’s passing in 1916. Queen Mary, known for her discerning eye for jewellery, didn’t leave the parure untouched. She ingeniously transformed the original necklace into two brooches and a pair of earrings, and also modified the stomacher. Furthermore, she commissioned the alteration of an existing sapphire necklace to perfectly complement the newly inherited pieces. Even the tiara underwent a transformation, becoming convertible so it could also be worn as a necklace. To complete the set, Queen Mary added two bracelets, possibly crafted from sections of the original necklace.
Queen Mary presented the parure as a wedding gift to her goddaughter, Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, upon her marriage to Queen Mary’s son, George, the Duke of Kent, in 1934. It was the most impressive piece Marina received along with her mother’s Pearl Bandeau Tiara, and Diamond Bow Brooch.
As a dedicated member of the British Royal Family, Princess Marina regularly wore the parure – either the complete set or selected pieces – when fulfilling her duties at important state functions and attending various royal events throughout Europe.
Upon Princess Marina’s death in 1968, the parure, along with the majority of her jewellery collection, was inherited by her eldest son, Edward, the Duke of Kent. The Duchess of Kent wore the parure on several occasions during the early years of her marriage.
Regrettably, financial considerations led the Duke and Duchess of Kent to sell significant parts of the original parure. This included the original tiara, the necklace, the stomacher, and likely one of the bracelets and/or brooches.
However, they retained some pieces, including a newly fashioned Sapphire Button Tiara, which the Duchess of Kent did wear a few times.
However, for reasons unknown, the entire suite has now left the Kents and is in the ownership of Moira Fine Jewellery, London