Today marks the 30th Anniversary of the Death of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who passed away on this day in 1994! The glamorous First Lady of the assassinated President John F Kennedy, who later married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, Jackie Kennedy may not ahev been a Royal or Noble but had a spectacular jewellery collection, that began with her Diamond Leaf Brooches!
Diamond Sunburst Brooch | Diamond Leaf Brooches
When Jacqueline Bouvier married Senator John F. Kennedy, she received these spectacular Diamond Leaf Brooches as a Wedding Present from her parents-in-law, former American Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Joe Kennedy, and Rose Kennedy. The Brooches came with pins to allow them to be worn in the hair.
Jacqueline Bouvier wore the Diamond Leaf Clips for her Wedding to Senator John F. Kennedy at St. Mary’s Church in Newport, Rhode Island in September 1953, followed by a Reception at at Hammersmith Farm.
As the wife of a Senator, Mrs Kennedy wore her Diamond Leaf Brooches on numerous occasions, including a Ball with Joe and Rose Kennedy at the the Everglades Club in Palm Beach soon after the wedding, as well as numerous Dinners and Receptions.
After becoming the First Lady of the United States in 1961, Mrs Kennedy wore her Diamond Leaf Brooches on numerous occasions, usually preferring to wear them in her hair at State Dinners for Foreign Dignitaries.
That summer, Mrs Kennedy took the Diamond Leaf Clips with her for a State Visit to France, wearing one of them in her hair for a Banquet at the Elysee, before using them to form a Tiara for a Gala Performance at the Palace of Versailles.
A few days later, Mrs Kennedy wore the Diamond Leaf Clips on the edges of her Gown for a Dinner hosted by the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace.
During that trip to London, the First Lady went shopping with her sister, Princess Lee Radziwill, when she spotted this antique Diamond Sunburst Brooch, which cost between $50,000-$100,000, at Wartski. To raise the funds, the First Lady sold the Diamond Leaf Brooches she had received as a Wedding Present from her parents-in-law, but had replicas made so they would not find out.
Mrs Kennedy was only photographed wearing the Diamond Leaf Brooches (though it is not sure if those were still the originals or the replicas) on two more occasions, wearing them in her hair at State Dinners for the Presidents of Pakistan and India in the summer and fall of 1961, before her new Diamond Sunburst Brooch became her primary jewel.
While the eventual fate of the original Diamond Leaf Brooches or the replicated pieces is not known, the Diamond Leaf Clips have been recreated as part of Jackie-inspired jewellery lines for years.
Diamond Sunburst Brooch | Diamond Leaf Brooches
Diamond Sunburst Brooch
Diamond Leaf Brooches
