Among the more than 300 items on display in the “Victoria Revealed” exhibition at London’s Kensington Palace is a dazzling suite of emerald and diamond jewels — tiara, necklace, brooch and earrings. Along with its historic provenance, it is a testament to Victoria’s love of jewelry and the role her consort, Prince Albert, played in adding to both her personal gems and the Crown Jewels. Born on May 24, 1819, Victoria became queen in 1837 at age 18, ruling for 63 years until her death in 1901. And in what has become a source of romantic lore, she wed Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in February 1840.
During her reign, Victoria added greatly to the Crown Jewels — the state-owned pieces available for use by the monarch’s successors — points out Claudia Williams, curator of Kensington Palace. The queen left many items to the state on her death, including the Koh-i-Noor diamond and certain gifts from Albert.
“He played an important role in building Victoria’s jewelry collection,” says Williams, “as well as supervising alterations to the vast collection she inherited on her accession, such as the Regal Circlet and diamonds inherited from her grandmother, Queen Charlotte. She had absolute trust in his taste.”
A flair for innovationPrince Albert, who lived from 1819 to 1861, commissioned numerous pieces for Victoria, many of which he designed himself and worked with royal jewelers to realize. These ranged from “suites of precious stones to pebbles from the Balmoral estate, polished, engraved and set in silver,” Williams relates. “The first item of jewelry Albert gave Victoria was an orange-blossom brooch in November 1839 as an engagement present. The night before their wedding in February 1840, he gave her a sapphire and diamond brooch, which she wore on their wedding day. There is not a definitive record of the number of pieces he designed for her, but it is likely to number in the hundreds.”
Designing jewelry, Williams says, brought together Albert’s love of art and science. “The recutting of the Koh-i-Noor diamond in 1852 perhaps best encapsulates his interest in the fusion of technological innovation and art. He consulted widely on the best approach and eventually commissioned Amsterdam firm Coster to undertake the work, using the latest steam-driven cutting equipment.”
Opals were a favorite stone of Albert’s, she continues, and he used them “extensively in the jewelry he designed for the queen. A key feature of his designs for public occasions was adaptability, enabled by the latest technological advances. Elements of the jewelry would be detachable so that pearls could be replaced by emeralds, or a highly ornate tiara could become a simpler one when the occasion required.”
Personal touchesThe more private pieces were often infused with personalized sentiment, says the curator. “He incorporated portrait miniatures and later photographs of himself or his children into bracelets and brooches…such as a bracelet designed after the death of the queen’s mother, which incorporates two miniatures, one of the duchess of Kent and one of Albert.”
Sometimes the choice of stones held meaning, as in the diamond and emerald parure that appears in the exhibition. Not only were emeralds Victoria’s birthstone and historically associated with royalty, they were reputed “to expose spells or illusions and reveal the truth or falsity of a lover’s vows,” explains Williams. Victoria would have understood the sentiments expressed in this gift, and the occasions on which she wore the gems “reflect the declaration of true love encapsulated within it; invariably, she chose it at moments that celebrated Prince Albert,” the curator says.
“Victoria Revealed” will run through January 7, 2019, at Kensington Palace. hrp.org.uk/Kensington-Palace
Image: Historic Royal PalacesArticle from the Rapaport Magazine - October 2018. To subscribe click here.