Royal Ascot is in full swing and the royals are out to impress!
Looking elegant as ever on the second day of the British races, Princess Anne was wearing a blue vintage style dress and white jacket, with a matching hat.
Though it was the Princess Royal’s choice of accessory that caught our attention and we couldn’t take our eyes off the beautiful blue brooch that she had displayed on her jacket.
Fine jewellery experts at UK retailer Steven Stone have taken a close look at the brooch, revealing everything you need to know – including its origin, where we’ve seen it before and how much it’s likely to be worth.
Displayed on Princess Anne’s jacket was a diamond and aquamarine brooch, which wasn’t always a brooch – it was actually a tiara that belonged to Queen Elizabeth.
Known as the Aquamarine Pineflower Tiara, King George VI reportedly commissioned Cartier to create the piece as a present for his wife. Though it’s unconfirmed, it’s thought that this was around 1938 – when the royal couple celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary.
Possessing the French jewellery brands 1930s aesthetic, the tiara features pinecone motifs. Queen Elizabeth gifted it to her Granddaughter, Princess Anne, in 1973, as a wedding present when she tied the knot with her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips.
Princess Anne had the central aquamarine and diamond element of the tiara removed and re-modelled into a brooch – presumably so she could wear the sentimental piece more regularly. She notably wore the brooch to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in 2014 and tends to wear it to formal events.
When the Princess Anne removed the central element of the tiara, she had it replaced with a large rectangular aquamarine, ensuring that she can still wear the piece. The Princess Royal tends to wear it to state events – often alongside the brooch.
“Interestingly, Princess Anne’s diamond and aquamarine brooch wasn’t always a brooch. It was actually a tiara that belonged to Queen Elizabeth – she gifted it to her Granddaughter, Princess Anne, in 1973 as a wedding present.
Created by Cartier, the tiara is known as the Aquamarine Pineflower tiara – possessing the French jewellery brands 1930s aesthetic, it features pinecone motifs. It’s thought that King George VI commissioned it as a present for his wife, Queen Elizabeth, in around 1938 – when the royal couple celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary.
Princess Anne had the central aquamarine and diamond element of the tiara removed and re-modelled into a brooch – presumably so she could wear it more regularly. She notably wore the brooch to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in June 2014.
The tiara is still seen today and Princess Anne tends to wear it to state events. A large rectangular aquamarine sits in place of the element that the Princess Royal had removed for the brooch.
I’d estimate the beautiful brooch to be worth $150,000.”
maxwell stone, leading diamond expert, steven stone
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