Queen Victoria reigned over the United Kingdom and the British Empire for 67 years and although she spent much of her life in mourning, the young queen had a deep passion for jewellery. She established one of the first jewellery foundations with “The Heirlooms of the British Crown” and her personal collection held significant sentimental value.
Like her Oriental Circlet and Sapphire Coronet, this suite was designed for Victoria by her husband Prince Albert.
In 1845, he returned to his favourite jeweller, Joseph Kitching and commissioned an emerald and diamond tiara. The jewellery firm of Kitching & Abud was founded in 1824 and registered at 14 Dover Street in London. In 1837 they were appointed ‘’Jewellers to the Queen’’ and received many commissions from the Royal household including official gifts, presentation pieces and Orders.
Designed as a tapered openwork band of scroll motifs set with cushion-shaped diamonds and decorated with step-cut emeralds in gold collets, surmounted by a graduated row of nineteen inverted pear-shaped emerald drops weighing (from the centre) approximately 15ct, 12ct, 12ct, 8ct, 8ct, 6ct, 6ct, 5ct, 5ct, 4ct, 4ct, 3.5ct, 3.5ct, 2.5ct, 2.5ct, 2ct, 2ct, 1.75ct, 1.75ct respectively, inner length approximately 455mm.
To compliment the tiara, Albert also asked Kitching to make a matching emerald and diamond necklace, a pair of emerald and diamond drop earrings and an imposing 20ct emerald and diamond brooch.
Victoria was delighted with the suite, noting in her diary of a “lovely Diadem of diamonds and emeralds designed by my beloved Albert” and praised her husband’s “wonderful taste”.
After Albert’s premature death in 1861, Victoria went into a permanent state of mourning, rarely venturing out in public or wearing her jewels.
Instead, the Emerald and Diamond Parure was given to her fourth daughter, Princess Louise on her marriage to the Duke of Argyll in 1871. The jewels were noted in her inventory as:
A diamond and emerald diadem, designed by Prince Albert and set by Kitching in 1845
A large necklace, composed of square emeralds and diamond borders
A large brooch, with emerald and diamond border
A pair of earrings with long emerald drops
It is somewhat unclear how but the suite made its way in to the possession of Louise’s niece, Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife – eldest daughter of Edward VII. Her family would continue to wear the gems right through the 20th century, even being filmed in them during the State Opening of Parliament in 1960.
The suite is now on a long term to Kensington Palace and can be seen in the Jewel Room