Happy Birthday to Queen Sonja of Norway, who turns 82 today! The artistic commoner who became the first Norwegian-born Queen of Norway, Queen Sonja’s jewellery collection includes a nice mix of heirloom jewels and modern acquisitions, including today’s piece, her Emerald Bead Suite!
The Norwegian Emerald Parure | Queen Josefina’s Diamond Tiara | Queen Maud’s Pearl Tiara | Diamond Circlet | Diamond Chandelier Earrings | Drapers’ Company Brooch | Emerald Bead Suite | Diamond Filigree Brooch | Norwegian Royal Tiaras
Composed of a necklace of three strands of emerald beads with two Art Deco diamond clasps and emerald bead tassel earrings, the suite was acquired at Garrard, the family jeweller in London, after the theft of some major family heirlooms from Garrard in 1995. The necklace had Royal provenance and had been once loaned to the Duchess of Kent for an event in the early 1990s.
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Queen Sonja began wearing her Emerald Bead Suite in the early 2000s, with one of the first appearances at Princess Martha Louise’s pre-wedding dinner in 2002. The suite has, since the beginning, been reserved for black tie galas rather than more formal white tie events.
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
Queen Sonja wears the Napoleonic Emerald Parure for White Tie occasions, so has reserved her Emerald Bead Suite for Black Tie Dinners, most notably at various Nobel Peace Prize Galas and weddings, as well as for portraits to mark the 30th Anniversary of their Consecration. There is no doubt we will continue to see it for years to come!
The Norwegian Emerald Parure | Queen Josefina’s Diamond Tiara | Queen Maud’s Pearl Tiara | Diamond Circlet | Diamond Chandelier Earrings | Drapers’ Company Brooch | Emerald Bead Suite | Diamond Filigree Brooch | Norwegian Royal Tiaras
