Montellano Turquoise Parure

Two days ago, the Marqués de Pons, eldest son and heir of the Duchess of Montellano, married Doña Ina Morenés Allendesalazar in Madrid, and while the bride was not wearing an heirloom Diadem, the groom’s mother, the X Duchess of Montellano, wore the spectacular necklace of the Montellano Chaumet Turquoise Parure!

Commissioned from Maison Chaumet by the Duke and Duchess of Fernán Núñez in 1891, this parure, comprising a tiara, a necklace and a brooch representing bows and plumes, made of turquoises and diamonds set in gold, was given to Doña Carlota Maximiliana de Escandón y Barrón on the occasion of her marriage with the Duke and Duchess’ second son, Felipe, VIII Duke of Montellano.

Doña Carlota Maximiliana was the recipient of a marvellous corbeille de marriage which was meticulously described by the press. It comprehended dozens of pieces of jewellery given by the bride and groom’s relatives and friends. From Queen Isabella II, she received a mirror with a silver frame, from Infanta Eulalia, a fan with diamond figures, from Infanta Paz, an ancient silver cup, from her maternal aunt, Dolores Barrón, several combs and a ruby and diamond suite, which included an elegant esclavage that is currently owned by the Duchess of Castro, the bride’s brothers gave her a pearl necklace, from the groom she received a diamond and pearl bracelet and a butterfly brooch set with turquoises, the Duke and Duchess of Alba gave her a sunray brooch set in diamonds and centred by a large ruby, the Marquess de la Mina a diamond and sapphire bracelet. The list goes on and on.

The Turquoise Parure was later passed by Doña Maximiliana to her eldest son’s wife, Doña Hilda Fernandéz de Córdoba y Mariátegui. Hilda was the last noble woman to become a Lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria Eugenie in a ceremony that took place right before the fall of the monarchy in 1931. Currently, the magnificent court dress and train worn for this ceremony can be seen at the “Fashion in the House of Alba Exhibition” at the Liria Palace in Madrid. On that occasion, Doña Hilda paired this pink ensemble with the Montellano’s Turquoise Tiara, as a photo shown at the exhibition attests. By that time, the Tiara has been altered into a more imposing version, more in line with the 1920s fashion.

In 1950, Doña Hilda wore the Montellano Turquoise Parure for her only daughter’s, Doña Rocio Falcó, Debutante Ball. Again, it seems that the Necklace from the Parure has been totally refashioned and that the Tiara was again changed into a less-imposing, more wearable piece.

In 2019, both the Tiara and Necklace from the Montellano Turquoise Parure were loaned by the family for the “Chaumet en Majesté” exhibition, that took place in Monaco. This time, the Tiara was exhibited in an even simpler version, without the three central drop elements that created the peacock tail motif, which have been removed.

This week, Don Felipe Matossian Falcó, Marqués of Pons, eldest son of the Duchess of Montellano, married Doña Ignacia (Ina) Morenés Allendesalazar, one of the daughters of the Marchioness of Velada. The religious ceremony took place in heart of the city of Madrid, at the Church of the Calatravas. The bride has opted for a very sober bridal look, without a veil and without any of the groom’s family tiaras. Instead, Ina has worn a pair of diamond earrings and a large diamond bracelet.

The groom’s mother, Doña Carla Pia Falcó y Osório, the X Duchess of Montellano, who acting as Madrina at the ceremony, wearing the traditional peineta and mantilla, really stole the show in the jewellery department. The Duchess wore a massive diamond and turquoise necklace and earrings from her family’s jewellery collection, which has been passed through generations.

This article was written by assistant editor, David Rato, who runs the Spanish Royal Jewels account on Instagram!