Queen Elizabeth II had countless brooches in her personal collection, and would often use her jewels to send diplomatic messages on both her domestic and international engagements. However, there were some brooches that she wore for very sentimental reasons, including a set known as the Aquamarine Clips.Â
This pair of identical diamond and aquamarine brooches has eleven rectangular aquamarines, nine oval aquamarines, and one diamond-cut aquamarine, in addition to several round diamonds.
It was originally thought that Louis Cartier created these clip-style brooches to mimic wooden clothes pegs used to hang up clothing. However, Buckingham Palace confirmed decades later that another French firm, Boucheron, created the pair of brooches.
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth presented the then-Princess Elizabeth with the Boucheron brooches in 1944 to celebrate her eighteenth birthday.
Despite her very large collection to choose from, the late Queen Elizabeth often chose to wear her aquamarine brooches. She did not wear the two brooches combined into one piece often, with her 1958 Royal Ascot appearance one of the occasions.
When she would wear both brooches separately, she would frequently wear them stacked on top of each other.
The late Queen wore the brooches for a truly historic occasion ensuring a link to her beloved parents at the moment she did what no other British monarch had ever done. Queen Elizabeth II chose to wear the gift of her parents on the eve of the 70th anniversary of her accession meaning these are part of the image of the only Monarch to ever celebrate a Platinum Jubilee.
