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.
Gifted by her husband, King Alfonso XIII, in 1906 for their wedding, these diamond earrings were originally designed as a solitaire pair by Ansorena (the Spanish Crown Jeweller). The earrings were part of a larger bridal set, including a matching necklace, they were made up of round-cut solitaire diamonds weighing around 10 carats each.
During the 1920s, Queen Ena was a great lover of the Art Deco style and she modified her jewels to reflect the fashion. The Solitaire earrings were transformed into the bottom portion of a pair of drop earrings:
Their final transformation was into a pair of cluster earrings, the 10cts being the centre stones, each surrounded by 12 smaller stones.
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 Earrings.
Queen Sofia has been described as ‘The Most Royal Lady in Europe’.
She has the distinction of being the daughter (King Paul of Greece), sister (King Constantine of Greece), wife (King Juan Carlos of Spain) & mother (King Felipe of Spain) of Kings.
As such, she understands the importance of royal tradition and would only wear her grandest jewels on state occasions.
When her husband King Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014, Sofia still retained the title of Queen but not the position.
This 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.
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.