Empress Michiko’s Diamond Necklace

Happy Birthday to Empress Emerita Michiko of Japan, who turns 85 today! The first commoner to marry into the Japanese Imperial Family, the elegant Empress has worn a variety of jewels over the past 60 years, including today’s piece, her Diamond Scroll Necklace-

Featuring a modern series of pave diamond abstract scrolls, with a circular Diamond pendant, the necklace of unknown provenance.

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Crown Princess Michiko as early as an Official Portrait in 1971, when it was paired with her Diamond Scroll Tiara, also being worn for an Official Dinner with King Hussein and Queen Alia of Jordan in 1976 and a State Dinner in Bulgaria in 1979. The necklace was also paired with the Pearl Sunburst Tiara for a State Dinner during President Regan’s State Visit in 1986. It appears to be one of her few personal pieces of diamond jewellery.

Having worn the necklace frequently during her tenure as Crown Princess, the necklace was rarely seen during her time as Empress, most notably paired with Princess Chichibu’s Honeysuckle Tiara (another piece personally owned by the Empress) for a German State Banquet. Empress Michiko usually wore a diamond riviere as a necklace for almost every Gala event, so this choice was extra special. The necklace is not on the list of jewellery passed on from Empress Michiko to Empress Masako, and now that she no longer has the diamond riviere, let’s hope we get to see this necklace again soon.