9th February 2023 marks twenty ones years since the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II’s only sister, Princess Margaret.
Princess Margaret was known for her outrageous wit and her flair when it came to fashion – she was also one of the biggest royal ruby collectors.
One of her most precious ruby pieces was the ruby and diamond flower brooch that the Princess wore throughout her entire adult life.
Jewellery experts at Steven Stone have taken a close look to find out more about the brooch.
Princess Margaret’s ruby and diamond flower brooch was made in London in 1948 by Cartier.
Featuring an oval ruby stamen and leaf decoration, the brooch is a spectacular piece that the Princess wore regularly – including at the Epsom Derby in May 1955, the London premiere of ‘Doctor Zhivago’ in April 1966 and the Royal European Preview of the musical ‘Applause’ in London.
The piece was originally made as a clip brooch, but was later converted to a pin-fitting brooch.
While she wore the flower brooch regularly for daytime occasions, the Princess was known to dress up the stunning piece for evening occasions.
Our experts estimate the brooch to be worth approximately $50,000 (£43,000).
Where is the brooch now?
Unfortunately, the brooch is no longer in the royal family.
After Princess Margaret’s sad passing, her children, David Linley and Lady Sarah, sparked controversy by announcing that they’d be holding an estate sale of their mother’s belongings. The purpose of the estate sale was to settle an inheritance tax bill.
The auction included over 800 family heirlooms that included Princess Margaret’s wedding tiara, which went for a staggering $1.1m (£926k).
Proving to be incredibly popular, the brooch sold for $128,000 (£108,000).
“Princess Margaret’s ruby and diamond flower brooch is a spectacular piece that the Princess wore for her entire life.
Featuring an oval ruby stamen and leaf decoration, the dazzling piece was originally made as a clip brooch, but was later converted to a pin-fitting brooch.
One of the most precious stones in the entire world, rubies are excellent stones to have to hand if you are in the midst of controversy or conflict, which Princess Margaret often was.
I’d estimate the brooch to be worth approximately $50,000.”
maxwell stone, creative director, steven stone
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