Happy Birthday to Princess Margherita of Savoy-Aosta, the Dowager Archduchess of Austria-Este, the Italian Princess who married the second son of the last Emperor of Austria. We have covered a variety of her jewels, like the Savoy-Aosta Tiara, Austria-Este Tiara, and the Savoy-Aosta Bandeau Tiara, but have been saving one of her most magnificent jewels for today, the Savoy-Aosta Emerald Necklace.

Composed of five square emeralds and five cabochon emeralds in an ornate diamond frame, the exact origin of the necklace is unknown but was likely a gift when Princess Hélène d’Orléans married Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, the 2nd Duke of Aosta, in 1895.

Princess Hélène, Duchess of Aosta wore the spectacular Emerald Necklace for several portraits in the years after her marriage, paired with her magnificent Savoy-Aosta Knot and Star Tiara.

The cabochon emeralds from the Necklace could also be fixed to the top of the base of the Knot and Star Tiara, which was worn for a portrait along with her historic Orléans Emerald Necklace.

While the Orléans Emerald Necklace was sold off in the 1930s, this Emerald Necklace was passed on to the Duchess of Aosta’s niece and daughter-in-law, Princess Anne, Duchess of Aosta, who wore it with the Savoy-Aosta Tiara for a Gala in the 1950s.

More notably, the Duchess of Aosta’s Emerald Necklace was worn by her daughter, Princess Margherita of Savoy, at the magnificent Ball held in France on the eve of her Wedding to Archduke Robert of Austria in 1953. It was Princess Margherita who eventually inherited the Necklace from her mother.

More recently, the Duchess of Aosta’s Emerald Necklace has been worn by Princess Margherita’s daughter-in-law, Princess Astrid of Belgium, who paired it with the Savoy-Aosta Tiara for King Harald’s 70th Birthday Banquet at the Royal Palace of Oslo in 2007.

Princess Astrid also wore the Duchess of Aosta’s Emerald Necklace for the Wedding Gala of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden in Stockholm in 2010. There is no doubt we will get to see this magnificent heirloom for years to come!

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Austria-Este Tiara

Emerald Necklace

Arco-Zinneberg Ruby Tiara

Austria-Este Tiara

Savoy-Aosta Tiara

Savoy-Aosta Choker/Bandeau

Empress Elisabeth’s Diamond Stars

Savoy-Aosta Emerald Necklace

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Helene, Duchess of Aosta wearing the Savoy-Aosta Emerald Necklace: https://t.co/a0roIoi4BY pic.twitter.com/G1w0OXw5gM

— The Royal Watcher (@saadsalman719) January 21, 2021

Featuring five square emeralds and five cabochon emeralds in a diamond frame, the necklace first appeared on Princess Helene of Orleans after she married the 2nd Duke of Aosta. The necklace was probably a gift from her Orleans relatives, like her other Emerald Necklace. The cabochon emeralds could also be fixed to the top of her Knot and Star Tiara.

Princess Margherita, Archduchess of Austria-Este wearing the Savoy-Aosta Emerald Necklace: https://t.co/a0roIoi4BY pic.twitter.com/KThLDwZsJD

— The Royal Watcher (@saadsalman719) April 7, 2020

At some point the Emerald Necklace passed to the Duchess of Aosta’s niece and daughter-in-law, the 3rd Duchess of Aosta, who later loaned it to her elder daughter, Princess Margherita, who wore it for her wedding gala ahead of marrying the Archduke of Austria-Este in 1953. The Necklace was eventually inherited by Princess Margherita and still belongs to her.

Embed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty Images

These days, the Savoy-Aosta Emerald Necklace is worn by Princess Margherita’s daughter-in-law, Princess Astrid of Belgium, who wore it at King Harald’s 70th Birthday in 2007 and for the Pre-Wedding Ball of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden in 2010. There is no doubt we will get to see this heirloom for years to come.