Princess Margaret’s Diamond Earrings

The late Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, the Queen’s vivacious younger sister, was born on this day in 1930. To mark the day, we are taking a look at her antique Diamond Earrings which were sold at auction.

Each featuring an old-cut diamond cluster surmount suspending a foliate diamond link and pear-shaped diamond cluster drop, mounted in silver and gold, these diamond earrings were acquired by Princess Margaret around the same time as her Poltimore Tiara in the late 1950s.

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The Diamond earrings were first publicly worn on the 1st of March, 1960, when Princess Margaret accompanied the Queen Mother and Antony Armstrong-Jones to the Royal Opera House in London.

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The earrings soon became a favourite of Princess Margaret, who wore them for gala occasions, often with her diamond flower brooches, and for more formal occasions, when they were paired with the Poltimore Tiara and the .

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Unlike some other jewels, these diamond earrings continued to be worn by Princess Margaret well into her old age and up until her death.

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After her death in 2002, the diamond earrings were inherited by her children, Lord Linley and Lady Sarah Chatto, who had to sell some of her jewels in order to pay the inheritance taxes on her estate. The earrings were included in the sale, and were auctioned for GBP 148,000, well above the GBP 8,000 – GBP 12,000 estimate. They haven’t been seen since.

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