King Charles and Queen Camilla have surprised royal fans by making an unannounced visit to Belfast – their first visit to Northern Ireland since their Coronation earlier this month.
The couple’s two day visit began in Newtownabbey, where they visited the new Coronation Garden at Hazelbank Park.
Dazzling in a mint green dress and matching scarf, Camilla accessorised with a particularly special brooch.
Jewellery experts at UK retailer Steven Stone have revealed everything you need to know about the sparkling piece – including how much it’s worth and where we’ve seen it before…
Queen Camilla was wearing Queen Elizabeth II’s emerald and diamond Celtic knot brooch.
Dating back to 1893, the brooch originally belonged to Queen Mary and is said to have been one of her wedding gifts.
Queen Elizabeth II inherited most of her Grandmother’s jewellery, including the brooch and while there aren’t many documented public appearances of it, the late monarch notably wore it at a State Banquet for the President of Ireland in 2014.
As for the design of the brooch, lines of diamonds in the shape of a traditional Celtic knot intertwine around an emerald, which appears to be a cabochon stone.
A cabochon is a gemstone that has been shaped and polished, as opposed to faceted – they’re one of the oldest and most coveted gemstones.
Steeped in history, myth, and meaning, Celtic knots are arguably some of the more notable Celtic symbols.
“It’s heartwarming to see Queen Camilla wearing Queen Elizabeth II’s emerald and diamond Celtic knot brooch during her visit to Belfast today – dating back to 1893, it’s a historic piece that was previously worn by Queen Mary. Though there aren’t many documented appearances of the brooch, Queen Elizabeth II notably wore it at a State Banquet for the President of Ireland in 2014.
The design of a traditional Celtic knot is echoed in the brooch by lines of diamonds intertwining around a central emerald that appears to be a cabochon stone – one of the oldest and most coveted gemstones, used since ancient times. Celtic knots are known to symbolise strength, balance and harmony.
I’d estimate a piece like this to retail at approximately $100,000″.
zack stone, managing director, steven stone
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