The Aquamarine Parure began as a coronation gift and has morphed into a jewelled legacy between a Monarch and the people of Brazil who contributed, over a period of 15 years, to one of Queen Elizabeth II’s most fashionable and complete parures. And now that set of sparkling gems is in the care of Queen Camilla. However, while Her Majesty has already worn several of the tiaras that are used only by a queen, the aquamarine set isn’t among them and so, until now, it has only ever been worn by Elizabeth II.
Queen Elizabeth II was given the beginnings of the Aquamarine Parure from the President of Brazil on behalf of his country as a gift in 1953. This first gift included a necklace and pendant earrings. The necklace featured nine large, rectangular aquamarines set in diamond scrolls and a large aquamarine pendant drop that would later become the central stone of a refashioned tiara.
Embed from Getty ImagesA few years later, in 1957, Queen Elizabeth II had a tiara created by Garrard & Co. to go with her aquamarines. The tiara’s bandeau was fashioned out of aquamarines and diamonds, and three large aquamarines were fixed upright in the front and to each side, surrounded in diamonds.
Brazil continued to add aquamarines to the collection, and in 1958 Her Late Majesty was gifted a bracelet and brooch to add to her parure. In 1968, during a State Visit to Brazil, the Governor of São Paulo gave her aquamarine and diamond hair ornaments.
Queen Elizabeth II paid her first State Visit to Brazil from 5-11 November 1968, visiting Recife, Salvador, Brasília, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro.
Embed from Getty ImagesA few years after her Brazilian visit, in 1971, Her Late Majesty had these scroll-designed hair ornaments added to the aquamarine tiara and replaced the central stone with the large, rectangular cut pendant aquamarine that used to hang from the Brazilian aquamarine necklace.
Though she only visited Brazil once in her reign, she received Brazil three times for State Visits, and always wore pieces from the Brazilian Aquamarine Parure for the events.
Queen Elizabeth II wore the Brazilian Aquamarine Parure regularly throughout her reign. In 2017, she used it for the Spanish State Banquet.
The tiara has never been worn by any other member of the Royal Family. It’s not up to Queen Camilla to keep it as a diadem only for queens or loan it to other members of the family.
