Princess Olga’s Emerald Earrings

~ Saad719

Today marks the Anniversary of the birth of Princess Olga of Yugoslavia, who was born on this day in 1903. A Greek Princess who married the Regent of Yugoslavia, and was related to Royalty around Europe, Princess Olga possessed a large collection of jewels, including today’s Emerald Earrings.

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In 1902, the Grand Duchess Vladimir gave a brooch set with a round cabochon emerald in a diamond cluster and a magnificent pair of ear pendants with round cabochon emeralds and drops, from her personal collection, to her daughter Grand Duchess Elena when she married Prince Nicolas of Greece and Denmark, which were remounted at the end of the 1920s before being given to their eldest daughter, Princess Olga, who was married to the Prince Regent Paul of Yugoslavia, and wore the Emeralds on a State Visit to Nazi Germany in 1939.

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Princess Olga retained most of her jewels through much of her exile, and wore her Emeralds for a variety of notable occasions, like the Wedding of her son Prince Alexander, to Princess Maria Pia of Italy in 1955 and the Wedding Ball of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece in 1962. They were also loaned to her daughter-in-law, Princess Maria Pia, for the Wedding Ball of her cousin, King Baudouin of Belgium,  and Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragón at the Musée du Cinquantenaire in Brussels in 1960. Eventually, however, she had to part with her jewels, and the Emerald Earrings were sold at Sotheby’s in 1987, while the Brooch was sold in 1990.

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However, the Emerald Earrings were acquired by Prince Johannes of Thurn und Taxis for his wife, Princess Gloria, who wore them later in 1987 at a Sleeping Beauty Party. However, when Prince Johannes died in 1990, he left debts of $500 million, and Princess Gloria, who acted as the trustee for her underage son, sold off jewellery and other assets to preserve the family fortune, among which were Princess Olga’s Emerald Earrings.

Princess Olga’s Emerald Earrings were auctioned again, by a distinguished private collector at Sotheby’s in New York in 2014, where they fetched $1,055,000 USD, much higher than the estimate of $600,000-$800,000.

11Sothebys

Diamond Kokoshnik Tiara

Origin: Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna / Princess Nicholas of Greece in 1902

Notable Appearances: Concert at Royal Albert Hall in 1934, Coronation Gala in London in 1937, State Visit Germany in 1939, Wedding Gala of her son, Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, and Princess Maria Pia of Italy in 1955, Wedding Ball of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece in 1962, Greek Monarchy Centenary Celebrations in 1963

Current Location: Unknown

Boucheron Diamond Tiara

Origin: Princess Maria Pavlovna Abamelik-Lazarev in 1907

Notable Appearances: State Visit Germany in 1939, Wedding Gala of her son, Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, and Princess Maria Pia of Italy in 1955, Wedding Ball of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria and her niece, Countess Helen zu Toerring-Jettenbach, in 1956, King Paul’s 60th Birthday Banquet at the Royal Palace of Athens in 1961, Greek Monarchy Centenary Celebrations in 1963

Current Location: Albion Art Institute

Greek Ruby Parure

Origin: Queen Olga of Greece 

Notable Appearances: Coronation of King George VI in 1937, State Visit Germany in 1939, Wedding Gala of her son, Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, and Princess Maria Pia of Italy in 1955 and Wedding Ball of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece in 1962

Current Location: In the collection of Queen Anne-Marie of Greece

Queen Olga’s Diamond Rivière

Origin: Queen Olga of Greece 

Notable Appearances: Wedding to Prince Paul of Yugoslavia in 1923, the Coronation Gala in London in 1937, Wedding Gala of Crown Prince Paul of Greece and Princess Frederica of Hanover in 1938, State Visit to Nazi Germany, State Visit to Italy in 1939,  Wedding and Wedding Gala of her son, Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, and Princess Maria Pia of Italy in 1955, Wedding Ball of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria and her niece, Countess Helen zu Toerring-Jettenbach, in 1956,  King Paul of Greece’s 60th Birthday Banquet at the Royal Palace of Athens in 1961, Wedding Ball of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece in 1962, Wedding Ball of King Constantine II of Greece and Princess Anne Marie of Denmark in 1964

Current Location: Unknown, sold at Auction in 2006

Vladimir Emerald Earrings 

Origin: Grand Duchess Vladimir

Notable Appearances: State Visit Germany in 1939, Wedding of her son Prince Alexander, to Princess Maria Pia of Italy in 1955, Wedding Ball of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece in 1962

Current Location: Unknown, sold to Princess Gloria von Thurn and Taxis, and auctioned in 1992 and 2014

Crown Brooch

Origin: Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna / Princess Nicholas of Greece

Notable Appearances: Wedding Gala of her sister, Princess Marina of Greece, to Prince George, Duke of Kent in 1934, King Paul’s 60th Birthday Banquet at the Royal Palace of Athens in 1961

Current Location: Princess Barbara of Yugoslavia

Diamond Earrings

Origin: 1950s

Notable Appearances: Wedding Gala of her son, Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, and Princess Maria Pia of Italy in 1955, Wedding Ball of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria and her niece, Countess Helen zu Toerring-Jettenbach, in 1956, King Paul’s 60th Birthday Banquet at the Royal Palace of Athens in 1961, Greek Monarchy Centenary Celebrations in 1963

Current Location: Princess Barbara of Yugoslavia

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