R. & S. Garrard & Co.
Queen Victoria's diamond necklace and drop earrings
1858
Diamonds, gold, silver, platinum The necklace 38.1 cm. long; the earrings 4.5 cm long Commissioned by Queen Victoria, 1858 (RA PP/2/30/9119); altered by Queen Mary, 1911 (RA QEII/Garrard/Ledger 1901-11, p. 165)
This spectacular necklace is formed of twenty-five graduated cushion-shape brilliant-cut diamonds set in cut-down silver collets (settings) with gold spiral links, and a central drop-shaped pendant set in platinum. The nine largest stones in the necklace weigh between 11.25 and 8.25 carats and the pendant weighs 22.48 carats. The earrings comprise two larger cushion-cut stones matching those of the necklace, two smaller stones and two non-matching drop-shaped pendants, the latter of approximately 12 and 7 carats.
Like almost all royal jewellery, the stones in this necklace and accompanying earrings have undergone a series of complicated transformations. The story begins in December 1857 when, as a result of a claim initiated by George III's fifth son, Ernest, Duke of Cumberland (from 1837 King of Hanover), Queen Victoria lost to Hanover a significant part of the family jewels she had regarded as her own. Greatly chagrined, she ordered Garrards to replace the lost jewels by taking stones from 'swords and useless things'. For this necklace, twenty-eight stones were removed from two Garter badges and a sword hilt. At the same time, the central pendant of the 'Timur Ruby' necklace, known as the Lahore Diamond, was made detachable for use as the pendant on this necklace; and two of the smaller pendants from the same necklace, originally the side stones in the Indian setting of the Koh-i Nûr, were made detachable for use as earrings (with additional stones taken from an aigrette and a Garter star). The charge for making the necklace was £65 and for making up the earrings £23 10s.
In 1911, Queen Mary removed two stones from Queen Victoria's necklace to make solitaire earrings. She replaced them with three stones from another necklace of 158 collets, probably one that Queen Victoria had inherited in 1837. For the 1937 coronation, the Lahore Diamond was marginally recut, losing 0.12 of a carat, and set temporarily on the new crown made for Queen Elizabeth by Garrards. After the coronation, it was returned to the necklace. Either at this time or subsequently the necklace was reduced in length by four stones.
Both necklace and earrings were often worn by Queen Victoria, who bequeathed them to the Crown. Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary wore the necklace at their coronations (1901 and 1911). Queen Elizabeth wore both necklace and earrings in 1937, as did Her Majesty The Queen in 1953. RCIN 100003
Catalogue entry from Royal Treasures, A Golden Jubilee Celebration, London 2002
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