The tragic diamond brooch that has been passed down to four queens

Queen Victoria’s jewel collection grew large during her reign, and many pieces are in both the Crown’s collection and the Monarch’s personal collection. She commissioned one of Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite brooches, one that has a tragic backstory. 

Queen Victoria commissioned a chaîne de corsage from Garrard & Co in 1856 using two large diamonds that she received as a gift from the Sultan of Turkey, and several smaller diamonds. The brooch is the centre of the chaîne de corsage. 

After Prince Albert’s death in 1861 however, Victoria could not bear to wear the chain- it was too ostentatious for a woman in mourning. She had some diamond chains removed, most likely to use the stones in her Small Diamond Crown, and separated the brooch. 

The Fringe Brooch has an emerald-cut diamond in the centre and is surrounded by brilliant-cut diamonds with twelve large brilliant-cut diamonds beyond that. The fringe is made up of nine remaining graduated pave-set diamond chains. 

Queen Victoria left the brooch to her son, King Edward VII. His wife, Queen Alexandra, appropriately wore the brooch during the court’s mourning period for Victoria. 

In 1925, Queen Mary inherited the brooch upon her mother-in-law’s death but she did not keep it- in 1936, she gave it to the new Queen Elizabeth. The Queen Mother continued wearing the brooch throughout her lifetime and bequeathed it to her elder daughter. 

Queen Elizabeth II wore the brooch multiple times.